Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure for Man With a Van Forest Gate

Man With a Van Forest Gate aims to provide a reliable, careful and efficient removal service for all customers. We recognise that, on occasion, you may feel that our service has not met your expectations. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can raise a concern with us, how we will respond, and what you can expect at each stage of the process.

Our Commitment to You

We are committed to handling all complaints fairly, promptly and in a respectful manner. We will listen carefully, investigate thoroughly and keep you informed throughout. Wherever possible, we will use your feedback to improve our services, from local house moves and flat removals to small office moves and man and van bookings.

What This Procedure Covers

This procedure applies to any complaint about the services provided by Man With a Van Forest Gate, including but not limited to:

Issues with punctuality, loading and unloading, handling of belongings, conduct or behaviour of staff, communication before, during or after your booking, and problems with documentation such as quotes or invoices. It covers work carried out for domestic and business customers within our regular removal service areas.

Raising a Complaint Informally

In many cases, concerns can be resolved quickly and informally. If you are unhappy at any point, please speak to the driver or team leader on the day of your move. They will do their best to address the matter immediately, for example by adjusting how items are handled, clarifying agreed services or checking booking details.

If your concern cannot be resolved on the day, or if you prefer not to discuss it with the crew, you can contact our office to raise the issue. We encourage you to do this as soon as possible after the service, while details are still clear in everyone’s mind.

Making a Formal Complaint

If you remain dissatisfied after raising your concern informally, or if the matter is serious, you can make a formal complaint. To help us investigate effectively, please provide the following information when you submit your complaint:

Your full name and the address where the service was provided, the date of your move or booking, a clear description of what went wrong, including relevant times and events, details of any loss or damage you believe occurred, and what outcome you are seeking, for example an explanation, apology or consideration of compensation.

Where possible, please include any supporting information such as photographs of damage, copies of quotes or invoices, or written notes relating to the move.

How We Will Handle Your Complaint

Once we receive your formal complaint, we will follow a structured process to ensure that it is managed consistently and fairly.

First, we will acknowledge your complaint. We will confirm that we have received it and outline the next steps in the process. At this stage, we may ask for further clarification or evidence if anything is unclear.

Second, we will investigate your complaint. This may include speaking to the crew who attended your property, reviewing job sheets and booking records, examining photographs or other evidence supplied by you, and checking our internal procedures for the relevant service. We aim to complete this investigation within a reasonable timeframe, depending on the complexity of the matter.

Third, we will issue a written response. This response will summarise your complaint, explain our findings, state whether your complaint has been upheld in full, in part or not upheld, and set out any actions we will take as a result. These actions may include an apology, service improvements, practical steps to remedy the issue where possible, or consideration of compensation in line with our terms and conditions.

Time Limits for Complaints

To allow us to investigate properly, we ask that you raise any complaint as soon as you can after your removal service has taken place. Complaints about loss or damage to items should normally be raised as soon as the issue is discovered. While we will always try to be reasonable, delays in reporting may affect our ability to verify events or assess damage.

Complaints About Loss or Damage

We take care to handle your belongings safely, but we understand that accidents can occur. If you believe that any item has been lost or damaged during a move, please report this to us promptly. Provide a description of the item, the nature of the damage or loss, and any supporting evidence such as photographs or proof of value.

We will review the circumstances of the move, the handling of the item, and any relevant coverage outlined in our terms and conditions. Any potential compensation will be considered in accordance with those terms and with any limits or exclusions that apply to the service you booked.

Escalating Your Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may request an internal review. Your complaint, together with our initial findings and your reasons for dissatisfaction, will be reviewed by a more senior member of our team who was not directly involved in the original decision where possible.

The reviewer will reconsider the evidence, check whether our procedure was followed correctly, and decide whether the initial outcome should be upheld, varied or overturned. We will then provide you with a final written response.

Using Feedback to Improve Our Service

All complaints, whether they are upheld or not, are recorded and monitored. We regularly review complaint data to identify patterns or recurring issues, such as concerns about punctuality, communication or handling of specific types of items. This helps us to refine our training, update our procedures and improve the overall quality of our removal services across our operating areas.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

We treat all complaints in confidence. Information you provide will only be shared with staff who need it to investigate and respond to your concerns, or where we are required to share it by law. Any personal data obtained in the course of handling a complaint will be processed in line with our data protection responsibilities and retained only for as long as necessary.

Review of This Procedure

Man With a Van Forest Gate keeps this Complaints Procedure under regular review to ensure that it remains clear, fair and effective. We may update it from time to time to reflect changes in our operations, the ways we deliver our man and van and removal services, or developments in best practice for complaint handling.