Complaints Policy

It is the policy of Construct Energy to provide a high quality service to everyone we deal with. In order to do this we need you to give us any comments about our service, and to tell us when we get things wrong.

We want to help you resolve your complaint as quickly as possible. We treat as a complaint any expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for a response. We listen to your complaints, treat them seriously, and learn from them so that we can continuously improve our service.

What is a complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not. Our policy covers complaints about:

  • The standard of service we provide

  • The behaviour of our staff, and

  • Any action or lack of action by staff affecting an individual or group

Our complaints policy does not cover

  • Comments about our policies or policy decisions

  • Dissatisfaction with our policies or decisions about individual cases

  • Matters that have already been fully investigated through this complaints procedure

  • Anonymous complaints

Our standards for handling complaints

  • We treat all complaints seriously, whether they are made by telephone, by letter, or by email.

  • Customers will be treated with courtesy and fairness at all times

  • We will treat all complaints in confidence within the company

  • We will deal with customer complaints promptly:

  • We will acknowledge receipt of a complaint within seven working days (and inform the customer of our Complaint Handling Procedure & Certification Body

  • We will send you a full reply within eight weeks of receipt

  • If we cannot send a full reply within eight weeks of receipt we will tell you the reason why and let you know when we will be able to reply in full

  • We will not treat customers less favourably than anyone else because of their sex or marital status:

  • this includes family status, responsibility for dependants, and gender (including gender reassignment, whether proposed, commenced or completed)

  • sexual orientation

  • colour or race: this includes ethnic or national origin or nationality

  • disability

  • religious or political beliefs, or trade union affiliation, or

  • other unjustifiable factors, for example language difficulties or age

Third Party Reporting

  • Complainants may wish to have a third party act on their behalf

  • A third party is any person or organisation acting on behalf of or making enquiries for the complainant

  • Representatives may include:

  • Advice organisations

  • Professionals such as social workers, community psychiatric nurses or doctors, solicitors, family members or friends

  • MPs and elected members of the Council – customers’ own MPs and elected members are assumed to have consent to act and information can be disclosed in response to their enquiries,

  • Attorneys are legally empowered to act on behalf of the complainant and consent to disclose information is not required.

  • Where a third party is helping a complainant with a particular complaint and written authority is held to that effect, if the representative asks to be kept informed of progress on the complaint all possible steps will be taken to ensure that this happens

Confidentiality

All complaints received will be dealt with confidentially and in accordance with the requirements of the data protection act 1998.

Statutory Rights

Our complaints policy does not impair your statutory rights.

Vulnerable Customers

  • We will take account of the needs of vulnerable customers, those with additional needs or special access requirements, when handling a complaint.

  • Choice and access – complaints can be raised verbally on the phone or in writing via the post or email. A customer can also visit us in Person to discuss their complaint if they wish. Dealing with Vulnerable Customers:

  • Recognising vulnerability – when a complaint is raised we will make every effort to establish if the customer is vulnerable, and adjust our process accordingly.

OUR COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

How to Complain

You can make a complaint in a number of ways:

  • By telephone – 0330 030 8998

  • By email = hello@construct.energy

  • In writing to Construct Energy

Timescales

Within 48 Hours of receipt of the complaint

  • Notify the complainant in writing/email/telephone that the complaint has been received.

Within 7 working days of receipt of the complaint

  • Notify the complainant in writing/email/telephone of our complaint handling procedure.

  • Notify the complainant in writing/email/telephone of any additional complaint handling procedures.

Within 28 days

  • Make reasonable endeavours to investigate and resolve the complaint

  • Notify the customer of our decision in writing, giving reasons

  • Where the complaint is made against one of our Installers or Assessors, we will obtain all necessary information from them and notify in writing their Certification Body

  • Ensure the Installer or Assessor co-operate in the investigation

  • Provide the customer with details of the Dispute Resolution Manager or Certification Body

  • If you are not satisfied with our decision, you may refer the complaint to the Certification Body, and we will assist you to do so, including referring the complaint to that ombudsman if the customer requests

Extending time limits

  • We aim to complete all complaints within the timescales above; however, if a complaint is very complex it may occasionally be necessary to extend the time limit. If this is the case we will keep the complainant informed of progress with the investigation, the reasons for the delay, and inform them of the new deadline.

  • If the Complainant is not satisfied with how a complaint has been handled by Construct Energy they have the right to escalate the complaint to RECC. RECC can be contacted at recc.org.uk