Complaints Procedure

Docklands Cleaners Complaints Procedure

Docklands Cleaners is committed to providing reliable, professional cleaning services and to resolving any concerns promptly and fairly. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise an issue with us, what you can expect in response, and how we work to prevent similar issues in the future.

Purpose and Scope

This procedure applies to all customers using Docklands Cleaners for domestic or commercial cleaning services, including regular cleaning, end of tenancy cleaning, deep cleaning, after-builders cleaning, office cleaning and specialist cleaning services. It sets out the steps for raising a complaint about any aspect of our work, conduct of our cleaning teams, scheduling, billing or customer service.

We treat every complaint as an opportunity to review our standards, improve staff training and enhance the quality and reliability of our cleaning services.

Definition of a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our services where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected. This may relate to the quality of completed cleaning tasks, punctuality or reliability of cleaners, behaviour or attitude of staff, damage to property or items, communication or booking issues, or invoicing and payments.

We distinguish a complaint from general feedback, but we welcome both and encourage customers to let us know whenever our service does not fully meet expectations.

How to Make a Complaint

You can raise a complaint through any of our usual contact channels. To help us investigate and resolve your concern efficiently, please provide the following information wherever possible:

The name under which the booking was made, the service address, the date and time of the cleaning service, a clear description of the issue, including affected rooms, items or areas, any relevant photographs of the problem, particularly for cleaning quality or damage, and your preferred outcome or how you would like us to put things right.

Complaints should ideally be raised as soon as possible and, in any event, within a reasonable time after the service, so that we can investigate effectively and, where necessary, inspect the property while the condition is still representative of the work performed.

Initial Acknowledgement

We aim to acknowledge your complaint promptly. In our acknowledgment, we will confirm that we have received your complaint, provide a reference point for any future communication and outline the next steps in the process, including any need for additional information or a site visit.

If the complaint relates to an urgent matter, such as significant damage, health and safety concerns or serious conduct issues, we will prioritise the case and aim to respond as quickly as reasonably possible.

Investigation Process

Once we have acknowledged your complaint, we will conduct a fair and objective investigation. Depending on the nature of the complaint, this may include reviewing your booking details and service history, speaking with the cleaning staff or supervisor involved, examining before and after service notes and checklists, considering any photographs or evidence you have shared, and arranging a follow-up visit where appropriate to inspect the premises.

Our aim is to fully understand what has happened, whether our service fell short of our standards, and what action is needed to address the issue and prevent recurrence.

Response and Outcome

Following our investigation, we will provide a clear response explaining our findings and, where applicable, any corrective actions we propose to take. Possible outcomes may include a complimentary re-clean of specific areas, a partial or full adjustment to the service fee, practical advice or clarification where there has been a misunderstanding about the service scope, or changes to our processes, training or supervision where a service failure has occurred.

Where we do not uphold the complaint or only partially uphold it, we will explain the reasons and the evidence relied upon. Our response will be written in a clear and respectful manner, with a focus on restoring trust and ensuring transparency.

Timeframes

We aim to resolve complaints as quickly as possible. Straightforward matters may be resolved within a few working days. More complex complaints, such as those involving alleged damage or multiple visits, may require additional time for investigation and evidence gathering.

If, for any reason, we are unable to provide a final response within a reasonable timeframe, we will update you on the progress of the investigation and indicate when you can expect a full reply.

Escalation of a Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the way your complaint has been handled or with the outcome, you may request that it be reviewed at a higher level within Docklands Cleaners. When asking for an escalation, please explain why you remain unhappy, referencing any aspects of the original response that you believe are incomplete or inaccurate.

The escalated review will be carried out by a senior staff member who was not directly involved in the original handling of your complaint. They will reassess the information, consider any additional details you provide and issue a further response. This review is our final internal stage.

Customer Responsibilities

For effective resolution, we rely on customers to provide accurate and complete information, report issues promptly after the service, allow reasonable access to the property for inspection where needed, and interact with our staff respectfully and constructively. We reserve the right to decline or limit services where abusive, threatening or discriminatory behaviour is directed towards our employees or representatives.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

We treat all complaints in confidence. Information is only shared internally with those who need it to investigate and resolve the matter or to implement service improvements. Any personal data we process when handling a complaint will be managed in line with our data protection obligations and used only for legitimate business purposes.

Continuous Improvement

Complaints are an important source of insight for Docklands Cleaners. We regularly review complaint patterns and outcomes to identify training needs, improve cleaning checklists and equipment, refine our booking and communication processes, and enhance the overall reliability and consistency of our domestic and commercial cleaning services.

By following this complaints procedure, we aim to ensure that all concerns are dealt with fairly, promptly and professionally, supporting long-term customer relationships built on trust, quality and accountability.