Storage West Wickham Complaints Procedure
This Complaints Procedure explains how Storage West Wickham will handle any concerns or complaints about our storage and removal-related services. We aim to resolve issues fairly, consistently and as quickly as possible, while using all feedback to improve the quality and reliability of our services.
Our Commitment to You
We want every customer experience to be straightforward and professional, from booking storage or removal support through to completion of the service. If something goes wrong, we will listen, investigate and respond in a clear and timely manner. We will treat you with courtesy and respect at all times and expect our team members to do the same.
Your complaint will be dealt with confidentially, and raising a complaint will not affect your right to continue using our services or to receive fair treatment from our staff.
What Is a Complaint
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our services, staff or policies, whether you feel we have:
Failed to provide a service you expected, delayed a service, provided a service to an unsatisfactory standard, or given information that was unclear or inaccurate.
We also treat concerns about conduct during storage or removals, such as handling of belongings, communication or customer service, as complaints if you ask us to review them formally.
How to Raise a Complaint
You can raise a complaint verbally during a visit, during a collection or delivery related to a removal, or by writing to us. When describing your complaint, please give as much information as you can, including what happened, when it happened, where it happened and who was involved, as well as how you would like us to resolve the matter.
We encourage you to raise your concern as soon as possible after the issue occurs, while details are still clear. This helps us to investigate more effectively and reach a fair outcome.
Informal Resolution
Many issues can be resolved quickly by speaking to a member of our team at the time they arise. The staff member will listen, try to understand what has gone wrong and, where possible, put things right immediately. For example, this could include correcting a billing error, rearranging a removal time slot, or resolving a misunderstanding about access or packing requirements.
If you feel that the matter has not been resolved to your satisfaction at this informal stage, or if the issue is serious, you may ask for it to be treated as a formal complaint.
Formal Complaint Process
When you make a formal complaint, it will be recorded and managed by a senior member of staff. We will acknowledge that we have received your complaint within a reasonable period of time. In our acknowledgement, we will confirm that we are investigating the issues you have raised and outline the next steps in the process.
We will then investigate your complaint in a fair and objective way. This may include reviewing your account, service records, any written communications, and where relevant, discussing the matter with team members involved in your storage or removal service.
Timescales for Response
We aim to provide a full written response within a reasonable timeframe after acknowledging your complaint. If we are unable to complete our investigation within that time, we will let you know the reason for the delay and when you can expect a full reply.
Our response will explain our findings, any action we have taken or propose to take, and the reasons for our decision. Where we have made a mistake or not met our usual standards, we will apologise and explain how we plan to prevent the issue from occurring again.
If You Are Not Satisfied with the Outcome
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our response, you may ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a more senior manager. You should explain why you are unhappy with the outcome and what you believe would be a fair resolution.
The senior manager will consider all of the information already gathered, along with any new points you raise. They may contact you for further clarification if needed. Following this review, you will receive a final response explaining our position.
Complaints Relating to Removals and Handling of Goods
We understand that storage and removal services involve handling your personal or business belongings, which can be of significant financial or sentimental value. Complaints related to packing, loading, transport, delivery or storage of items are taken particularly seriously.
In such cases, we may ask for additional information, such as photographs of any damage, an inventory of affected items and details of any relevant times or dates. This helps us to assess what happened and whether our procedures were followed.
Where appropriate, we will review our processes for removals, including vehicle allocation, handling methods, protective materials used and any instructions given to staff, to identify improvements and reduce the risk of similar issues in future.
Using Complaints to Improve Our Service
Every complaint is an opportunity for us to learn and improve. We regularly review feedback and complaint outcomes to identify patterns or recurring issues. This may lead to updated training for staff, changes to our booking and scheduling systems, improvements in communication about storage or removal terms, or revisions to our internal procedures.
By analysing complaints in this way, we aim to enhance the overall experience for all customers, whether they are using short-term storage, long-term storage, or integrated storage and removal solutions.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
Information you provide during the complaints process will be handled in line with applicable data protection requirements. Details of your complaint will only be shared with team members who need to know in order to investigate and resolve the matter. We will retain records of complaints for an appropriate period to help us monitor performance and fulfil any legal or regulatory obligations.
Review of This Procedure
This Complaints Procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains clear, accessible and effective. We may update it to reflect changes in our services, industry practice or legal requirements. The most current version will apply to all new complaints from the date it is published.
We value the trust you place in Storage West Wickham for your storage and removal-related needs and will always work to address your concerns in a fair, timely and professional way.
