COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
COMPLAINTS
At Cogent Hire we understand things don’t always happen the way they are intended to and, when this happens, we look to ensure any concern is addressed with a view to finding the most fair and reasonable outcome. As a business we understand it is important to learn from any shortcoming, whether this relates to an individual or a process, in order to continually improve the service we provide our customers. In order to do this, we ensure that all issues are raised, recorded, and investigated in a timely manner.
In addressing complaints, our Complaints Team work with the philosophy of ensuring the most fair and reasonable outcome is reached. They treat all customers fairly and work with the view to finding the right outcome, not the easiest.
RAISING A COMPLAINANT
We take any complaint very seriously and welcome any feedback. We accept complaints by any means, whether post, email, verbally, in person or via social media platforms such as LinkedIn. All complaints received are all handled with the same level of care.
WHEN WE RECEIVE A COMPLAINT
STAGE 1: Any complaint, whether made in writing or verbally, is initially referred to the Case Manager. The Case Manager will work hard to resolve any dissatisfaction within 24 hours of the complaint being registered.
STAGE 2: Any complaint that cannot be resolved by the Case Manager within the first 24 hours is immediately escalated to their Line Manager who will attempt to resolve matters within 48 hours of the escalation.
If either your Case Manager or their Line Manager is able to resolve the complaint before the close of the third business day, then you will be sent a Summary Resolution Letter confirming that the complaint is resolved and explaining the escalation process if you wish to re-open the complaint at a later date.
STAGE 3: Any complaint that cannot be resolved by the Line Manager will be escalated to the Complaints Team who will acknowledge your complaint in writing. They will investigate the complaint and aim to respond within four weeks of receiving the complaint and, if we cannot complete the investigation within four weeks, they will write to you to explain the delay.
In the unlikely event that they can't resolve your complaint within 8 weeks then the Complaints Team will write to you again explaining the reasons for the delay and give an update on their investigation.
Once the Complaints Team have concluded their investigations, they will issue a final response letter to you which will explain the outcome of their investigation and their decision regarding the complaint.
If you're not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint then the final response letter will outline the next steps you can take.
Please note that Cogent Hire are not regulated by the FCA so the Financial Ombudsman Service will not assist with complaint resolution.
If the complaint remains in dispute, we can offer access to an Arbitration Service. This service will be provided by an independent company who specialise in Alternative Dispute Resolution. As there is a cost involved when utilising this service, we may ask all parties to contribute towards the fees incurred.
If you decline to enter into Alternative Dispute Resolution with us we would suggest contacting Citizens Advise. They may be able to provide advice on how the complainant can progress their complaint further and whether there is a legal route available to you.
CONTACT DETAILS
The best way to contact us in regard to your complaint is by emailing customercare@cogenthire.co.uk