Complaints Procedure

1. Our Commitment to Customer Satisfaction

At Hampstead Renovations, we strive to deliver exceptional service on every project. However, we recognise that occasionally things may not go as planned, or you may have concerns about our work or conduct.

We take all complaints seriously and view them as opportunities to improve our service. This procedure ensures your concerns are heard, investigated thoroughly, and resolved fairly and promptly.

2. What Is a Complaint?

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our service, conduct, or work quality. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Poor quality workmanship
• Delays or failure to complete work as agreed
• Unprofessional behaviour by our staff or subcontractors
• Failure to honour guarantees or warranties
• Billing or payment disputes
• Damage to your property caused by our negligence
• Poor communication or lack of response
• Health and safety concerns
• Breach of contract or agreed terms

2.1 Minor Concerns vs. Formal Complaints

Minor Concern	Formal Complaint
A small snagging item or minor defect	Persistent defects not resolved after reporting
Request for clarification or information	Serious communication breakdown
Scheduling question or minor delay	Significant delays without reasonable explanation
Minor mess or tidiness issue	Damage to property or belongings

Our Approach: We encourage you to raise minor concerns informally with your site supervisor or project manager first. Most issues can be resolved quickly through direct communication. However, if you wish to make a formal complaint at any stage, that is your right, and we will follow the procedure below.

3. How to Make a Complaint

3.1 During a Project

1 Speak to Your Site Supervisor or Project Manager

• Raise your concern as soon as possible
• Explain clearly what the issue is and what you would like done
• Give us an opportunity to resolve it on the spot

2 If Unresolved, Put It in Writing

• Email: contact@hampsteadrenovations.co.uk
• Subject line: "Formal Complaint - [Your Name/Project Address]"
• Or write to: Hampstead Renovations, Unit 3, Palace Court, 250 Finchley Road, Hampstead, London NW3 6DN

3.2 After Project Completion

If you discover a defect or have concerns after we've completed the work:

• Contact us as soon as possible (ideally within 14 days of discovering the issue)
• Provide photos and a clear description
• Email contact@hampsteadrenovations.co.uk or call 07459 345456

3.3 What to Include in Your Complaint

To help us investigate and resolve your complaint efficiently, please provide:

4. Our Complaints Procedure - Step by Step

Stage 1: Acknowledgment (Within 48 Hours)

When we receive your formal complaint, we will:

• Send you a written acknowledgment (email or letter) within 48 hours
• Confirm receipt and understanding of your complaint
• Assign a reference number for tracking
• Inform you who will be handling your complaint
• Outline the next steps and expected timescales

Stage 2: Investigation (Within 14 Days)

We will thoroughly investigate your complaint by:

• Reviewing all relevant documentation (contracts, quotes, correspondence, photos)
• Speaking to the staff and subcontractors involved
• Arranging a site visit if necessary (with your permission)
• Consulting technical experts if required (e.g., structural engineer, building inspector)
• Comparing the work against contract specifications and industry standards

Timeline: We aim to complete our investigation and provide a full response within 14 days of acknowledging your complaint.

If the investigation requires more time (e.g., awaiting third-party reports), we will contact you to explain the delay and provide a revised timeline.

Stage 3: Response and Resolution (Day 14)

We will send you a detailed written response including:

Stage 4: Escalation (If You Remain Dissatisfied)

If you are not satisfied with our initial response, you can escalate your complaint to senior management:

• Who: Senior Director/Owner
• How: Email contact@hampsteadrenovations.co.uk with "ESCALATION" in the subject line
• When: Within 14 days of receiving our Stage 3 response

The senior management review will:

• Re-examine the complaint with fresh eyes
• Review the initial investigation and response
• Consider any new information you provide
• Provide a final response within 14 days

Stage 5: External Dispute Resolution

If we still cannot resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you have the following options:

Option 1: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

• Mediation: An independent mediator helps both parties reach a mutually acceptable solution
• Cost: Shared equally between us
• Providers: Civil Mediation Council, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
• Outcome: Non-binding (unless both parties agree to make it binding)

Option 2: Trade Association Dispute Resolution

If we are members of a trade association (e.g., Federation of Master Builders, Trustmark), they may offer dispute resolution services. Please ask us for details.

Option 3: Ombudsman Services

• Consumer Ombudsman: For general consumer disputes
• Construction Ombudsman Service: Specialist construction dispute service (if applicable)
• Cost: Usually free or low-cost for consumers
• Outcome: Binding decision

Option 4: Court Action

• Small Claims Court: For disputes up to £10,000 (England and Wales)
• County Court: For larger claims
• Adjudication: Under the Construction Act 1996 for construction disputes over £5,000

We always prefer to resolve disputes through dialogueue and mediation rather than legal proceedings, which can be costly and time-consuming for both parties.

5. Response Timescales Summary

Stage	Action	Timescale
Stage 1	Acknowledgment of complaint	Within 48 hours
Stage 2	Investigation conducted	Up to 14 days
Stage 3	Full written response provided	Day 14 (or extended timeline if notified)
Stage 4	Senior management review (if escalated)	Within 14 days of escalation
Stage 5	External dispute resolution (if required)	Varies by method chosen

6. Common Complaint Scenarios and Resolutions

6.1 Quality of Workmanship

Example: "The plastering has cracked in multiple places only 3 months after completion."

Our Approach:

• Site visit to inspect the defect
• Determine if it's due to workmanship, settlement, or other factors
• If workmanship fault: Rectify free of charge under our guarantee
• If other cause: Explain findings and discuss options

6.2 Project Delays

Example: "The project is 4 weeks behind schedule with no clear explanation."

Our Approach:

• Review project timeline and identify causes of delay
• Provide transparent explanation (e.g., material delays, unforeseen works, weather)
• Offer revised completion date with milestones
• If delay is our fault: Apologise and consider goodwill gestures (e.g., accelerate works, cost concession)

6.3 Damage to Property

Example: "Your team damaged my wooden floor when moving equipment."

Our Approach:

• Inspect the damage immediately
• If caused by our negligence: Arrange repair or replacement at our cost
• Claim through our Public Liability Insurance if necessary
• Provide temporary solution if permanent repair requires lead time

6.4 Billing Disputes

Example: "I've been charged for work that wasn't in the original quote."

Our Approach:

• Review contract and all variation orders
• Provide itemised breakdown with justification
• If variations were properly authorised: Explain and provide evidence
• If variations were not authorised: Remove charges or negotiate fair resolution
• Offer payment plan if there's a genuine affordability issue

6.5 Communication Issues

Example: "My project manager hasn't returned my calls or emails for over a week."

Our Approach:

• Investigate why communication broke down
• Provide immediate response and update
• Assign alternative contact if original PM is unavailable
• Implement regular update schedule (e.g., weekly progress reports)
• Apologise for the communication failure

7. Your Rights as a Consumer

7.1 Consumer Rights Act 2015

Under UK law, you have the right to:

• Services performed with reasonable care and skill - We must meet professional standards
• Services performed within a reasonable time - If no time specified, we must complete within a reasonable period
• Reasonable price - If no price agreed, you pay what's reasonable (best practice: always agree price in writing)
• Services as described - Work must match what we promised in the contract
• Repeat performance or price reduction - If work is not to standard, we must put it right or reduce the price

7.2 Cooling-Off Period

If you signed a contract away from our business premises (e.g., in your home), you have a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. See our Terms and Conditions for details.

7.3 Right to Withhold Payment

You may withhold payment if:

• Work has not been completed as contracted
• Work is seriously defective and we refuse to rectify
• There is a genuine dispute about the amount owed

Best Practice: Notify us in writing if you intend to withhold payment, state the reason and amount, and engage in good-faith negotiations to resolve the issue.

8. What We Ask of You

To help us resolve your complaint efficiently and fairly, we ask that you:

• Communicate clearly: Explain the issue in detail with evidence where possible
• Be reasonable: Give us a fair opportunity to investigate and put things right
• Engage constructively: Work with us to find a mutually acceptable solution
• Provide access: Allow us to inspect the work if a site visit is required
• Respond promptly: Reply to our communications in a timely manner
• Be respectful: Treat our staff with courtesy (we will do the same for you)

8.1 Unacceptable Behaviour

Whilst we welcome feedback and complaints, we will not tolerate:

• Abusive, threatening, or aggressive language or behaviour
• Harassment of our staff or subcontractors
• Unreasonable demands or persistent complainants (vexatious complaints)
• Refusal to engage in reasonable resolution efforts

If such behaviour occurs, we reserve the right to:

• Restrict communications to written correspondence only
• Limit contact to one designated person
• Terminate the contract (in extreme cases)
• Involve legal authorities if threats or harassment occur

9. Learning from Complaints

We view complaints as valuable feedback. Every complaint is:

• Recorded in our complaints log
• Reviewed monthly by senior management
• Analysed for trends and recurring issues
• Used to improve training, processes, and quality standards
• Discussed in team meetings to prevent future occurrences

Continuous Improvement: Your feedback helps us become better. If your complaint highlights a systemic issue, we will implement changes to prevent it from happening to other clients.

10. Contact Information

11. External Resources and Support

If you need independent advice about your complaint or consumer rights:

Organisation	What They Offer	Contact
Citizens Advice	Free, independent advice on consumer rights	www.citizensadvice.org.uk 03454 04 05 06
Trading Standards	Consumer protection and enforcement	Contact via your local council
Which? Legal	Legal advice for consumers (subscription)	www.which.co.uk/legal
Federation of Master Builders	Trade association dispute resolution (if we're members)	www.fmb.org.uk
Trustmark	Government-endorsed quality scheme (if we're registered)	www.trustmark.org.uk

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This Complaints Procedure was last updated in November 2024. We review and update this procedure annually to ensure it remains effective and compliant with consumer protection regulations.