Complaints Procedure for Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners

Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners is committed to delivering professional carpet, rug and upholstery cleaning services with a strong focus on customer care. We recognise that, on occasion, our service may not meet expectations. When this happens, we want to hear from you so we can put things right quickly, learn from the issue and improve our services for all customers.

Purpose of this Complaints Procedure

This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern about any aspect of the work carried out by Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners, and how we will deal with your complaint. It is designed to be clear, fair, and accessible to all our customers, whether you are a domestic or commercial client.

What Counts as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our cleaning services or the way they were provided, where you would like a response or resolution from us. This may include, but is not limited to:

Issues with the quality or effectiveness of carpet, rug or upholstery cleaning.

Concerns about punctuality, conduct, or professionalism of our cleaning operatives.

Damage to property or belongings allegedly arising from our work.

Disputes regarding pricing, quotations, or invoicing for services.

Concerns about communication or customer service before, during or after a booking.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint in any of the following ways:

Verbally to a member of our team, either on site at your property or during a telephone conversation.

In writing, including full details of your concern and any relevant information such as dates, addresses, and the type of cleaning service carried out.

We recommend that, where possible, you submit complaints in writing, as this allows us to keep a clear record and ensures we fully understand the nature of your concern. Please include your full name, the address where the work was completed, the date of service, and the best way for us to contact you.

Timescales for Raising a Complaint

You should raise any concerns as soon as reasonably possible after the service has been carried out. This helps us investigate effectively and identify what went wrong. For issues related to service quality or potential damage, we encourage you to contact us within 7 days of the work being completed, wherever possible.

Our Complaint Handling Stages

We aim to resolve most issues at the earliest opportunity, often at the time they are raised. Where this is not possible, we follow the structured stages below.

Stage 1: Initial Review

Once we receive your complaint, we will acknowledge it as soon as reasonably practical. We will review the information you have provided and, if required, we may contact you to ask for further details, such as photographs of the area cleaned or copies of relevant documents.

We will aim to complete our initial review and provide a response within 10 working days. If we are unable to do so, we will inform you of the reason for any delay and provide a revised timescale.

Stage 2: Investigation

If your complaint requires a more detailed investigation, it will be passed to a senior member of the Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners team. The investigation may include reviewing notes from the booking, speaking with the cleaning operatives who attended, examining any before and after photographs, and, where appropriate, arranging a visit to your property to inspect the areas of concern.

We aim to complete this investigation and provide a written outcome within 20 working days from the date we received all relevant information.

Stage 3: Final Response and Resolution

Following our investigation, we will provide a clear explanation of our findings, along with any proposed resolution. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

Offering a re-clean of the affected areas where the original work did not meet our usual standards.

Providing advice or clarification where there has been a misunderstanding about the service or its expected results.

Offering a partial or full refund where appropriate and justified.

Declining the complaint, with a full explanation, where we consider that our services were delivered with reasonable care and skill or where issues fall outside our control, such as pre-existing damage or permanent staining.

Your Responsibilities During the Process

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

Provide accurate, complete information about the service and your concerns.

Allow us reasonable access to the property, if an inspection or re-clean is required.

Refrain from altering or repairing any alleged damage before we have had an opportunity to assess it, unless necessary for safety reasons.

Communicate with our staff politely and respectfully at all times.

Situations Outside Our Control

While we always aim to achieve the best possible results, there are situations where a complaint may not lead to a remedy. These can include:

Permanent stains or wear that cannot be removed or improved by professional cleaning.

Shrinkage, colour changes, or other issues where you have not followed our aftercare guidance.

Problems arising from previous cleaning or treatment by another provider.

Matters relating to fair wear and tear, age of carpets or furnishings, or pre-existing damage.

Continuous Improvement

All complaints are logged and reviewed by management to identify patterns, training needs and opportunities to improve our services across our operating area. Feedback, whether positive or negative, is valued and used to help ensure that Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners maintains high standards for every customer.

Policy Review

This complaints procedure is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains clear, effective and in line with good practice for service providers. We may update this procedure from time to time, and any revised version will apply to all new complaints from the date of publication.