Complaints Procedure
South Kensington Cleaners Complaints Procedure
South Kensington Cleaners is committed to providing reliable, professional cleaning services and responsive customer care. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern about our cleaning services, how we will respond, and what you can expect from us at every stage.
Our commitment to resolving complaints
We take all complaints seriously and treat them as an opportunity to review and improve our services. Our aims when handling any complaint are to listen carefully, respond promptly, act fairly, and where appropriate put things right and prevent similar issues from happening again.
We will handle your complaint respectfully, keep your information confidential, and ensure that our staff are trained to manage concerns in a professional and constructive manner.
What this complaints procedure covers
This procedure applies to complaints about our domestic and commercial cleaning services, including regular cleaning, one off deep cleans, end of tenancy cleaning, after builders cleaning and related services provided by South Kensington Cleaners. It covers concerns about the quality of cleaning, conduct or behaviour of staff, punctuality and attendance, damage or loss allegedly caused during our work, and the way in which a previous complaint has been handled.
This procedure does not cover general enquiries, booking requests, compliments or job applications, which are handled through our standard customer service channels.
How to make a complaint
You can raise a complaint verbally or in writing. To help us investigate and respond efficiently, please provide your full name, service address, date and time of the cleaning service, a clear description of what went wrong, any relevant reference details such as booking information, and any supporting information such as photographs of the issue or notes taken at the time.
We encourage you to raise any concerns as soon as possible after the cleaning visit, ideally within 24 to 48 hours, so we can assess the situation accurately and, where appropriate, arrange a revisit or corrective action.
Initial response and acknowledgement
Once we receive your complaint, we will acknowledge it and confirm that it is being reviewed. For verbal complaints, this acknowledgement will usually be given during the conversation. For written complaints, we will provide an acknowledgment and explain the next steps in the process, including an indicative timeframe for resolution.
In straightforward cases we may be able to resolve the matter immediately or on the same day. Where a more detailed review is required, we will explain that we need time to investigate and will keep you updated on progress.
Investigation of your complaint
The person responsible for managing your complaint will gather all relevant information in order to reach a fair outcome. This may include reviewing your booking details and service notes, speaking with the cleaning operatives involved, examining photographs or other evidence you have provided, and, where appropriate, requesting further details or clarification from you.
We may also offer to visit the property, by appointment, to inspect the reported issues. This can be particularly helpful for complaints about the standard of cleaning, missed areas or alleged damage during a visit.
Outcome and resolution
After we have completed our investigation, we will inform you of the outcome and explain the reasons for our decision. Where we find that our service has fallen below the standards we aim to provide, we will seek to put matters right. Depending on the circumstances, this may include arranging a return visit to reclean affected areas, offering an alternative solution if a revisit is not appropriate, or discussing another form of redress that is fair and proportionate.
If, after our review, we do not uphold the complaint, we will explain our reasoning and the evidence we have considered. Regardless of the outcome, we will treat you with respect and do our best to address any remaining concerns about our service.
Timeframes for handling complaints
We aim to acknowledge written complaints promptly and to provide a full response within a reasonable period. Complex complaints, including those involving alleged damage or multiple visits, may take longer to investigate. If we anticipate that the investigation will exceed our usual timeframes, we will let you know and provide an updated indication of when you can expect a conclusion.
Throughout the process, we will keep communication clear and concise so that you understand what is happening and why any additional time may be required.
Escalating your complaint
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your initial complaint, you may request that the matter be escalated for a further review. When asking for escalation, please explain why you are unhappy with the original decision and provide any additional information you wish us to consider.
A more senior member of our team will then reassess the complaint, looking at both the original issue and the way it was handled. We will then provide you with a final response, setting out our position and any further steps we are able to take.
Learning from complaints
Complaints are a valuable source of feedback and help us maintain consistent standards across our cleaning services. We regularly review complaints data to identify patterns or recurring issues, update our training and procedures when needed, and reinforce best practices with our cleaning teams and office staff.
By following this complaints procedure, South Kensington Cleaners aims to resolve issues fairly and efficiently, support our customers when things go wrong, and continuously improve the quality and reliability of our cleaning services.
