Man With a Van Balham Complaints Procedure

Man With a Van Balham is committed to providing a professional, reliable and fair removals and man and van service. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. When this happens, we want to know so we can put matters right and improve our service. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will deal with it, and what you can expect from us at each stage.

1. Purpose and Scope of This Procedure

This procedure covers complaints relating to our man and van and removal services, including local moves, small house or flat moves, office moves, deliveries, and related loading, unloading and transport activities. It applies to all customers who have booked and used our services, whether for domestic or commercial purposes.

The procedure does not cover general enquiries, requests for quotes, or simple service feedback that does not involve a concern or dissatisfaction. However, if any feedback suggests that you are unhappy with the service you received, we will treat it as a complaint and handle it under this procedure.

2. What We Mean by a Complaint

For the purposes of this procedure, a complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our service, whether justified or not, where you would like us to respond or take action. This can include, for example:

• Concerns about punctuality or reliability of our removal teams.
• Issues with the handling, loading, unloading or transport of items.
• Disagreements about the service you received compared to what was quoted or agreed.
• Concerns about the conduct, attitude or behaviour of our staff or contractors.
• Concerns about damage or loss of property in connection with our work.
• Concerns about how a previous complaint was handled.

3. How to Make a Complaint

You can raise a complaint in writing or verbally. We encourage you to provide as much detail as possible so that we can investigate properly and respond promptly. When making a complaint, please include:

• Your full name and the address where the service took place.
• The date and approximate time of your move or service.
• A clear description of what went wrong and how it affected you.
• Details of any conversations already held with our team about the issue.
• Any supporting information you wish to share, such as photographs or inventory notes.

If you raise your complaint verbally, we may ask you to confirm the main points in writing so that we have an accurate record and can ensure a fair and consistent review.

4. Time Limits for Making a Complaint

We ask that you raise any complaint as soon as reasonably possible after the service has been provided. This helps us to investigate while details are still clear and any evidence is easier to obtain. As a general guide, we encourage you to contact us within seven days of your move or related service. Complaints raised later than this will still be considered, but our ability to investigate thoroughly may be reduced.

5. How We Will Handle Your Complaint

Upon receiving your complaint, we will follow these steps:

1. Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge your complaint and confirm that it is being reviewed. Where possible, we will tell you who is responsible for handling your case and how you can contact them for updates.
2. Initial Assessment: We will review the information you have provided, check our records and speak with any team members involved to understand what happened.
3. Investigation: If required, we will conduct a more detailed investigation, which may include reviewing booking details, job sheets, photos, and any relevant communications between you and our team.
4. Outcome: Once our review is complete, we will let you know the outcome in clear and plain language, explaining what we have found and any actions we propose to take.

6. Response Times

We aim to handle complaints promptly and fairly. While exact timescales may vary depending on the complexity of the issue, our general targets are as follows:

• Acknowledgement of your complaint within a reasonable period of receiving it.
• A full response, or an update explaining the progress of our investigation, within a reasonable period after acknowledgement.

If we are unable to provide a full response within our normal timescales, we will let you know the reason for the delay and give you an updated timeframe.

7. Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Depending on the nature of your complaint and the findings of our investigation, possible outcomes may include:

• An explanation of what happened and why.
• An apology, where appropriate.
• Corrective action, such as revisiting a job or making adjustments where reasonably possible.
• A goodwill gesture, where suitable and at our discretion.
• Confirmation of any changes we will make to our processes or training to reduce the likelihood of similar issues in future.

Where a complaint is not upheld, we will explain our reasons clearly. Even if we do not agree with every part of your complaint, we will always consider whether there are any improvements we can make as a result of your feedback.

8. Escalating Your Complaint

If you are not satisfied with the way your complaint has been handled or with the outcome, you can ask for it to be reviewed at a higher level within Man With a Van Balham. When requesting an escalation, please explain why you are unhappy with the initial response and what outcome you are seeking.

The escalated review will consider both the original complaint and how it was handled. We will then provide you with a final response, setting out our position and any further actions we will take.

9. Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information you provide will only be shared with those who need it in order to investigate and respond to your concerns. We will store and use your personal data in line with our obligations under applicable data protection law and our internal data handling practices.

10. Continuous Improvement

Man With a Van Balham views complaints and feedback as an essential part of improving our removal and transport services. We regularly review the complaints we receive to identify patterns, address recurring issues, and take steps to enhance the reliability, safety and professionalism of our operations across our service area.

By following this complaints procedure, we aim to resolve your concerns fairly and promptly, while using your experience to strengthen the quality of the service we provide to all customers.