1. INTRODUCTION
This procedure covers all formal complaints relating to the services with the exception of services provided under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (please see separate complaints procedure for this solution).
2. RECEIVING COMPLAINTS
A complaint received from a client, either verbal or otherwise, requires resolution.
Once a complaint has been received, the person responsible for investigating the complaint and responding to you is our Complaints Officer.
The Complaints Officer will deal with the complaint personally. The Complaints Officer’s role is to oversee that complaints are dealt with fairly and properly.
The Complaints Officer is responsible for maintaining a register of complaints and complaint referrals and ensuring that complaints, which relate to their area of responsibility, are investigated and the results of investigations forwarded to the Managing Director.
3. RESPONDING TO COMPLAINTS
The Complaints Officer will send a written acknowledgement of a complaint to you within 3 working days of receipt.
A copy of our Complaints Procedure will be sent to you.
4. INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS
Complaints will be investigated by means of (but not restricted to) file and call audits, trends identified within the business and any internal/external process surrounding the complaint issue so that the person in charged with investigating the complaint comes to a conclusion in relation to:
- Whether or not the complainant is an “eligible complainant”;
- The merits of the complaint, if any.
For each recorded complaint, a corresponding Complaint and Action Form will be completed by a Team Leader/Manager/Complaints Officer.
5. COMPLAINT RESOLUTION
Once the person charged with investigating the complaint has completed his investigations he/she will attempt to resolve it.
In the case of dispute, the complaint will be referred to the Complaints Officer/Managing Director for adjudication.
Where we decide that redress is appropriate, we will aim to provide the complainant with fair compensation for any acts or omissions for which we were responsible.
6. TIMETABLE FOR RESPONDING TO THE COMPLAINANT
6.1 Four Weeks
Within four weeks of receiving a complaint we will write to you with a “final response” or setting out why we are not yet in a position to give a “final response” and when you can expect to hear from us. This will be within eight weeks of receipt of the complaint.
6.2 Eight Weeks
Within eight weeks of receiving a complaint we will write to you with either a “final response” or if we are still not in a position to give a “final response”, we will give reasons for the further delay and indicate when we expect to be able to provide a final response.
7. FINAL RESPONSE
A Final Response is the response that you receive from us that either:
we accept the complaint, and where appropriate, offer redress; or
we offer redress without accepting the complaint; or
reject the complaint giving reasons for doing so.
When we send a final response, we will enclose contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service (as below) should you wish to contact them about your complaint.
The Financial Ombudsman Service contact details:
The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
Telephone: 08450 080 1800
Email: enquiries@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk