Before
you complain
Be clear in your mind why
you are dissatisfied. Was it the way you were treated? A wrong decision?
Defective goods? What exactly went wrong?
Be clear
in your own mind what you want to happen as a result of making a complaint.
Do you want an apology? Do you want a different decision? Do you want
the proper service that should have been provided in the first place?
Do you want replaced goods? You should mention this to the organisation
you are complaining to and ask for prompt action.
Who
to complain to
This will be different depending
on what type of organisation you are complaining to and the scale of
your complaint. The following four steps are a general guideline. For
more specific complaint procedures use the links on the left where you
can find more information for each organisation.
-
You should attempt to resolve your complaint directly with the parties
involved: i.e. take the product purchased back to the shop, or attempt
to have the service redone.
-
You
should contact the relevant senior management or customer services
department. It may be necessary to communicate with them several
times before taking the next step. Most good organisations will
have internal complaints procedures and complaints are often resolved
using these. However sometimes they aren't and that's when you should
consider the third step. It is worth mentioning that you are considering
or have decided to take your complaint to the relevant authorities,
sometimes this may provoke more serious consideration of a complaint
-
You
should contact the relevant authority or overseer who will be able
to give advice on how to exacerbate your complaint if you are still
not satisfied. Ask the institution which is the relevant independent
ombudsman or adjudicator to whom you can take your complaint. Alternatively
you can contact your local Trading Standards Office who will be
able to help and give you advice on who you should contact next.
Some Ombudsman or executive agencies such as Oftel or Ofgem may
take complaints up for you.
-
Finally,
if all else has failed then court or arbitration services maybe
the final choice. Small claims court proceedings are inexpensive
but time consuming and arbitration is available for many industries
and services.
What
to Remember
-
Keep a record of events.
-
If
you speak to someone on the phone make a note of who you speak to,
when and what was said.
-
If
you use 'snail mail' then keep a copy of your letter and any replies
you receive
-
Retain
all receipts/invoices, letters and e-mails regarding products and
services that you may have purchased/received. If you are asked
to present these at any stage then present copies and keep the originals
yourself.
-
Stay
Calm. If you have confronted someone directly then don't let the
emotion of the moment get to you. If you are clearly not getting
an adequate response then simply take the next step in the procedure
as advised above.
-
Write
clearly and concisely. Be polite and courteous but don't be afraid
to convey the detail of any incident and to articulate your disappointment.
Be clear about what you think would resolve your complaint.
-
Give
a reasonable tiMETAble for action to be taken before you will consider
other options
-
You
should make an attempt to know your rights.
-
Don't
give up.
