Complaints Procedure for St John's Wood Carpet Cleaners

St John's Wood Carpet Cleaners is committed to providing a reliable, professional service for carpet, rug, upholstery and related cleaning. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can raise any concerns, how we will handle them, and the standards you can expect from us throughout the process.

Our Commitment to Handling Complaints

We view complaints as an important opportunity to review our services and improve the customer experience in homes and business premises. Every complaint is treated seriously and handled with respect, confidentiality and fairness. Our aims when dealing with a complaint are to:

• Make it easy for you to tell us about your concern
• Acknowledge and respond within reasonable timeframes
• Investigate thoroughly and impartially
• Offer a clear explanation and, where appropriate, a suitable resolution
• Learn from the outcome and prevent similar issues in future

What Counts as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our cleaning services, our staff, or the way we have handled a previous query. This may include concerns about the quality of cleaning, punctuality, conduct of cleaning operatives, damage or suspected damage to property, communication issues, or charges and invoices.

How to Make a Complaint

You can raise a complaint verbally or in writing. To help us understand and investigate your concerns efficiently, please provide the following details where possible:

• Your full name and the address where the cleaning was carried out
• The date and approximate time of the service
• A clear description of what went wrong and how it has affected you
• Any steps already taken to address the issue with our staff on site
• Any supporting information you consider relevant, for example photographs of the affected area or item

Time Limits for Raising a Complaint

We encourage you to contact us as soon as you become aware of a problem, ideally within 48 hours of the cleaning service. This allows us to inspect the work or area while it is still recent and to respond promptly. Although we will always try to assist, a delay in reporting may make it more difficult for us to fully investigate or verify the issue.

Initial Complaint Handling

When you contact us with a complaint, we will log the details in our records and, where possible, attempt to resolve the matter immediately. If the issue cannot be resolved on the spot, it will be passed to a senior member of our team for further review. We aim to acknowledge complaints within a reasonable period from receipt and will inform you of the next steps and any information we may need.

Investigation Process

Our investigation will be proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the complaint. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• Reviewing booking and job records for the relevant cleaning appointment
• Speaking with the cleaning operatives who attended your property
• Assessing photographs or other evidence you have supplied
• Arranging an inspection visit, where this is needed and practical
• Checking our policies, procedures and any agreed scope of work

We will aim to complete our investigation and respond to you with our findings within a reasonable timescale. If we anticipate a delay, we will let you know and keep you updated on progress.

Outcomes and Resolutions

Once the investigation is complete, we will explain our conclusions clearly and in plain language. Where your complaint is upheld, we will discuss appropriate steps to put things right. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• Re-cleaning specific areas or items where work has fallen below our standards
• Offering practical advice on aftercare or further treatment
• Providing a partial or full adjustment to the service charge where justified
• Taking internal action, such as further staff training or changes to procedures

If we do not uphold your complaint, we will provide our reasons and the evidence considered. You will always have the opportunity to ask questions or request clarification.

Escalating Your Complaint

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint or the way it has been handled, you can ask for it to be reviewed by a more senior member of our management team. The review will consider how the original decision was reached and whether all relevant factors were taken into account. Following the review, we will provide a final response setting out any changes to our original decision or confirming that it stands.

Professional Conduct and Staff Behaviour

We expect all cleaning operatives to act professionally, respectfully and safely while working in your property. If your complaint involves staff conduct, this will be addressed under our internal procedures. While we cannot share detailed personnel information, we will confirm that your concerns have been considered and that appropriate action has been taken where necessary.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information about your complaint will only be shared with those who need it to investigate and respond, or where we are legally required to disclose it. Any personal data we collect in connection with your complaint will be stored and processed in line with our data protection obligations.

Continuous Improvement

Feedback from complaints plays an important role in helping St John's Wood Carpet Cleaners maintain and improve service standards throughout our operating area. We regularly review complaints data to identify trends, training needs and possible changes to our cleaning methods, equipment and customer communication. Our goal is to reduce the likelihood of similar issues occurring in the future and to deliver a consistently high level of service to every customer.

Review of this Complaints Procedure

This Complaints Procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains clear, fair and effective. We may update it from time to time to reflect changes in our services, industry practices or applicable legal requirements. The current version will always be available on request.