Complaints Procedure Our Service We strive to provide an excellent service in terms of quality of work, timely delivery, professional behaviour, customer service and value for money. As a result, we hope that there will be no need for complaints. However, we recognise that where there is a human element and technology involved there is scope for error. We have therefore, set up a formal procedure to be followed in the event of a service not being delivered in line with our high standards and the customer’s aspirations. Definition of a Complaint For clarity, a distinction will be made between service requests, service queries, follow-up enquiries on jobs and service complaints. For the purposes of this complaints procedure a complaint is defined as any serious and formal expression of dissatisfaction that requires action or redress and is referring to the service that Blue Saffron provides, e.g. repetitive failure to resolve or address a reported issue; serious failure of agreed service arrangement; serious breach of service agreement; serious inconvenience caused as a result of Blue Saffron action, inappropriate behaviour by a member of Blue Saffron staff. All complaints that fall into these categories will be formally logged into a Complaints Log and their progress will be reviewed by the Senior Management until satisfactory close-out. The Process To ensure that customer enquiries and complaints are dealt with in the most efficient and effective manner customers are requested to follow the steps in this procedure. This will enable Blue Saffron to investigate and address the queries and complaints as well as to allow the customer to receive prompt response and resolution. We cannot guarantee that our target response time will be met if the enquiries are not logged through the correct channels. Our target response times are stated at each stage. In the rare event if / where delays in the response are observed an explanation will be provided to the reason for the delay. All queries, follow-up enquiries and complaints are treated with due concern and their resolution is prioritised based on their urgency and merit and in line with current workload, emergencies and staff availability. *Where complaints have been sent to a named member of staff who is not available to deal with your enquiry, e.g. staff on holiday etc, an out-of-office response will be posted to direct who should be contacted in their absence. Alternatively, please contact our Service Desk for direction. Making a Complaint to Blue Saffron If you have a complaint, please contact in the first instance the relevant functional department. Contact detail is specified in the Blue Saffron Master Services Agreement Annex A Target Response, Fix Times and Escalation Process. The service contact is likely to be in the best position to advise on the issue and how to put it right or to offer a progress update. They will also know the history, the current status and future plans for dealing with it. The service providers owe their clients a responsibility for providing a resolution. We will ensure that the complaint is logged, in the Service Desk. This will ensure that a formal record of the incident is recorded. Response time: The service provider or Service Desk will aim to send an initial response to the customer within 2 working days* (or sooner in the event of an emergency). In the initial response, guidance on the anticipated resolution will be offered and where possible an estimated time of completion will be provided. Follow-up: Every effort will be made to resolve the issue at this stage. The department or service desk will undertake the follow-up updates on progress with the customer. * Where complaints have been sent to a named member of staff who is not available to deal with your enquiry, e.g. staff on holiday etc, an out-of-office response will be posted to direct who should be contacted in their absence. Alternatively, please contact Help Desk for direction. Escalation If you do not receive a satisfactory initial response to your complaint by speaking to a member of our Customer Services Team or relevant departments, then please ask for your call to be escalated tothe Customer Services Manager. If the Customer Services Manager is not available, they will call you back at a time which suits both parties. Our formal resolution process is documented in the Blue Saffron Master Services Agreement Annex A Target Response, Fix Times and Escalation Process. Independent Adjudication for Communications Services In the unlikely event of a complaint not being resolved within eight weeks of receipt by Blue Saffron, you may refer your complaint for independent adjudication through Alternative Dispute Resolution (A.D.R.). We are registered with the Ombudsman Services for Communications, who provide this as a free service to you. Their contact details are: Website: http://www.ombudsman-services.org Phone: 0330 440 1614 Fax: 0330 440 1615 Textphone: 0330 440 1600 Their phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm. They close at the weekends, on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Or by writing to: Ombudsman Services: Communications PO Box 730 Warrington WA4 6WU