Complaints Procedure

Our Customer Complaints Procedure

We are a member of The Property Ombudsman Service (TPOS) and aim to provide the highest standard of service to all our customers. In order to ensure that your interests are safeguarded, we have put into place a set process by which any raised complaints are handled; this allows us to handle any issues or concerns effectively and wherever possible, as soon as they are raised.

You may find below our guidance for making a complaint in relation to:

  • Estate Agency
  • Residential Lettings & Property Management
 

Residential Estate Agency – Making A Complaint

Stage One – Branch Manager

All complaints should, in the first instance, be directed to the manager of the branch you have been dealing with. They will endeavour to resolve your complaint as soon as possible, otherwise no later than five working days from when they received notification of the issue.

Stage Two – Area/Regional Partner

If you remain dissatisfied, you may then further your complaint in writing to the Area/Regional Partner responsible for the branch in question; the Branch Manager will supply you with their name and contact details. Where necessary, if the situation remains unresolved, we recommend that the issue is raised within one month of completing Stage 1.

Your escalation will be acknowledged within three working days of receipt and the Area/Regional Partner will work with you to try and resolve any issues raised as promptly as possible. A written response to summarise any investigations and steps taken will be sent within fifteen working days.

Stage Three – Customer Relations Manager

If you remain dissatisfied and wish to further escalate your complaint, you may write to the Customer Relations Manager at the address below, or via [email protected] Your letter will be acknowledged within three working days of receipt and a full review of your complaint will be undertaken, including how it has been handled to date, which may include further investigations into the background of your concerns. Within fifteen working days the Customer Relations Manager will detail their findings and recommendations in a written response to you, to confirm our     ‘final viewpoint’ on the matter.

Robert Smith (Customer Relations Manager)
28 Castle St
Swansea
SA1 1HY

Stage Four – The Property Ombudsman

After you have received our final viewpoint letter, if you are not satisfied with the proposed resolution, you may approach The Property Ombudsman Service (TPOS). Details of how to do this are contained within the final viewpoint letter alongside a link to The Property Ombudsman Service (TPOS) consumer guide at www.tpos.co.uk

Please note that if you do wish to contact The Property Ombudsman Service (TPOS), you must do so within 12 months of the date of the final viewpoint letter. It is also important to note that The Property Ombudsman Service (TPOS) will not consider your complaint until our internal complaints procedure has been exhausted.

Residential Lettings & Property Management – Making A Complaint

We are a member of The Property Ombudsman Service and we aim to provide the highest standards of service to all our Residential Lettings and Property Management customers.

In order to ensure that your interests are safeguarded, we have put into place a complaints procedure which we will follow in dealing with your complaint and which is in line with The Property Ombudsman’s Code of Practice. Our aim is to handle any issues or concerns as quickly as possible; in order to achieve this we will, wherever we can, try and resolve your issues at Branch level or within the Property Management Team.

Stage 1 – Area Director or Property Management Manager in conjunction with the Lettings Branch
Manager or Property Manager

All complaints should, in the first instance, be directed to the Manager of the Branch or the Property Manager of the Property Management Team you have been dealing with. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt and following a full investigation you will receive a written response within 15 working days.

Stage 2 – Company Final View Point – Customer Relations Manager or Head of Lettings or Regional
Property Management Manager

Should the concerns raised still remain, or if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our handling of the complaint at Stage 1, you may escalate the complaint by writing to either the Customer Relations Manager, at the below address or to the named person whose contact details will be in the final paragraph of your Stage 1 response.

Smiths Sales & Lettings

28 Castle st

Swansea

SA1 1HY

We will acknowledge your escalated complaint within 3 working days. A full review of the complaint will be
undertaken, including how it has been handled to date, which may include further investigations into the background of the concerns.

Within 15 working days from receipt of the escalation, the findings and recommendations will set out, in writing, as a ‘final viewpoint’ on how it is believed the complaint can be resolved.

Stage 3 – The Property Ombudsman

After you have received the company’s final viewpoint, as outlined above, and are still not satisfied with the proposed resolution, you may approach The Property Ombudsman Service (TPOS).

Details of how to do this are contained within the final view point letter alongside a link to the TPOS consumer guide at www.tpos.co.uk. If you wish to contact TPOS, it must be done within 12 months of the date of the final viewpoint letter. It is also important to note that TPOS will not consider a complaint until our internal complaints procedure has been exhausted.

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