Complaints Procedure

Man With a Van Elephant And Castle Complaints Procedure

Man With a Van Elephant And Castle is committed to providing reliable and professional removal services for homes, flats, offices and commercial premises. We aim to handle every move with care, efficiency and respect. However, we understand that occasionally things may not go as planned. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can tell us if you are unhappy with any part of our service and how we will respond.

Our Commitment to You

We take all complaints seriously and use them as an opportunity to put things right and to improve our services. When you raise a complaint, we will treat you fairly, listen to your concerns, and aim to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. We will investigate what happened, explain our findings to you and, where appropriate, offer a suitable remedy.

What This Procedure Covers

This procedure covers complaints about our man and van and removal services, including but not limited to:

Quality of packing, loading, unloading or transportation
Damage to property or possessions during a move
Delays, missed appointments or unexpected changes to bookings
Conduct, attitude or professionalism of our drivers or porters
Accuracy of quotes, charges or invoices
Communication before, during or after your move

This procedure does not cover general enquiries, requests for quotes, or booking changes, which should be raised through our usual customer service channels.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint verbally or in writing. We recommend putting your complaint in writing so that there is a clear record of the issues you wish to raise, along with any relevant dates and details.

Please include the following information where possible:

Your full name and any reference or booking details
The date and location of your move or service
A clear description of what went wrong
Any losses or damage you believe you have suffered
What you would like us to do to resolve the matter

If your complaint relates to damage to goods or property, you should notify us as soon as you become aware of the issue and provide photographs where possible to assist our investigation.

Timescales for Complaints

To help us investigate thoroughly, we ask that complaints are raised as soon as reasonably possible after the event, ideally within 7 days of the service being provided. Complaints made later than this may be more difficult to investigate fully, particularly where evidence or recollection has faded, but we will still consider them fairly.

How We Will Handle Your Complaint

When we receive your complaint, we will follow these steps:

1. Acknowledgement
We will acknowledge your complaint and confirm that it is being reviewed. If we need more information to understand the issue, we will contact you to clarify.

2. Investigation
Your complaint will be investigated by a person who was not directly involved in the issue wherever possible. They may speak with any staff or third parties involved, review job records and assess any supporting evidence such as photographs or inventories.

3. Response
Once the investigation is complete, we will respond to you with our findings. We aim to provide a full response within 14 days of receiving your complaint. If the matter is complex and we need more time, we will let you know and keep you updated on progress.

4. Outcome and Resolution
If your complaint is upheld, we will explain what went wrong and how we plan to put it right. Possible outcomes may include an apology, corrective work, a goodwill gesture or financial settlement where appropriate and proportionate. If we do not uphold your complaint, we will clearly explain the reasons.

Escalating Your Complaint

If you are not satisfied with our initial response, you may request a review of your complaint. This review will be carried out, where possible, by a more senior member of our team who was not involved in the original investigation.

During the review, we will consider whether the complaint was handled fairly, whether all relevant information was taken into account, and whether the outcome was reasonable in the circumstances. We will then provide you with a final written response.

Claims for Loss or Damage

If your complaint concerns damage to belongings or property during a removal or man and van service, you may be asked to provide supporting evidence such as photographs, receipts, valuations or repair estimates. This helps us assess the nature and extent of any loss.

Any offer of settlement will take into account the age, condition and value of the items involved, as well as any agreed terms and conditions that applied at the time of your booking. We may also consider whether items were packed by us or by you, and any risks that were highlighted in advance.

Unreasonable or Abusive Behaviour

We understand that moving can be stressful and that complaints often arise from difficult situations. We will always treat customers with courtesy and respect and expect the same in return. We may decline to engage further if behaviour becomes abusive, threatening or discriminatory toward our staff.

Using Feedback to Improve Our Service

Every complaint we receive is recorded and reviewed so that we can identify patterns and areas for improvement. This may include additional staff training, changes to our processes, better communication practices or updates to our terms and conditions. By following this approach, we aim to continually improve the quality and reliability of our removal and man and van services.

Updates to This Complaints Procedure

We may update this Complaints Procedure from time to time to reflect changes in our services, industry standards or applicable guidance. The version published on this page will always be the latest in force and will apply to any complaint raised after the date of publication.

If you have any questions about this Complaints Procedure, please contact us using our usual customer contact details and we will be happy to provide further information.