Complaints Procedure
The business takes complaints very seriously. We always strive to provide excellent standards of service to all who deal with us and will investigate where and why this does not happen. If you are unhappy with our services, then please let us know. We want to understand what has gone wrong and work with you towards a solution as quickly and effectively as possible. Our complaints procedure is outlined below.
This procedure covers complaints about the way we have provided a service, behaved, or made a decision. If the complaint is about the conduct or competence of a member or firm, the matter will be addressed by our Regulations team and will not be considered under this procedure.
Stage 1 – First Contact
The first step in the process is to tell us about the issue you have experienced. Please include full details of your complaint and your preferred contact details.
We will acknowledge a complaint within 7 working days and provide a full response to you within 4 weeks. If this is not possible because, for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report will be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
When you get in touch with us, we will aim to resolve your complaint at the first point of contact. If further investigation is required, you will be advised of who will be your point of reference until the matter is resolved. Your assigned contact will keep you regularly updated on the progress of the complaint.
Stage 2 – Escalation
If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, or you feel that you need to escalate the matter further, you can ask to speak with the department manager. You can ask to do this using the contact details below.
Sage and Co Estate Agents Ltd
Lakeside House
Lakeside Court
Llantarnam
Cwmbran
NP44 3GA
Telephone Number: 01633 838888
Email: info@sageandco.co.uk
The manager will acknowledge the escalation within 7 working days and will review the case notes/investigation to determine if the correct outcome has been reached. Ideally you should receive a definitive response within 4 weeks. If this is not possible a progress report will be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
The manager will work with you the ensure that all issues have been clearly identified and will make decision about how best to resolve the matter for you.
Stage 3 – Review for appeal
If you are not satisfied with our response at this point and we have confirmed that there is nothing more we can do, you may request that the complaint is reviewed by the Head of Operations or another member of the Senior Management Team.
A definitive response will be issued within 4 weeks. The decision taken at this stage is final, unless it is decided it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.
External Stage
The complainant may wish to seek independent legal advice or advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau, or The Property Ombudsman.
The Property Ombudsman
Milford house
43-55 Milford Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 2BP
Telephone: 01722 333306
Email: admin@tpos.co.uk
www.tpos.co.uk
Variation of the Complaints Handling Procedure
In the event of conflict of interest, it may be necessary to appoint a different individual to any of the stages.
Monitoring and learning from complaints
Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.
Abusive or persistent behaviour
We will not tolerate any abusive behaviour towards any member of staff. Should any evidence of abusive behaviour be recorded, we reserve the right to restrict contact with staff and in more severe cases, decline to proceed with any investigations until such behaviour ceases.
Likewise, persistent complaints that have already been through the complaints handling process will be disregarded if we feel that we have taken the matter as far as we are reasonable able.
