COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Heathrow Energy Assessment Team Limited (HEAT) provide services that meet the standards of The Awarding Body of the Built Environment (ABBE) http://www.abbeqa.co.uk

We trust a complaint will never have to be made, but if we do fall short on any aspect of our service to you, please read on: -

How to make a complaint.

If you are the customer of HEAT and you are unhappy with any aspect of the service provided, you should contact the company via the link at the bottom of this page.

A complaint can be made verbally,in writing or by email and where appropriate, we will initially try to resolve any problems quickly and informally.

What to expect from us when we deal with your complaint.

We will acknowledge your complaint within five business days of it being received and if your complaint was made verbally we will include, within that acknowledgment, our understanding as to the nature of your complaint. If you believe that we have not understood the full nature of your complaint, we should be grateful if you could confirm, in writing, the issues that have affected you. If we have not resolved your complaint within four weeks we will write to you explaining the reasons why and indicating that further contact will be made within eight weeks of receipt of the complaint. In all our contact with customers, we aim to be polite and professional. To help with staff training we may monitor or record telephone calls.

Handling your case.

We will keep in touch with you regularly while we are looking into your complaint, by telephone, email or in writing, as you prefer. We will tell you how things are progressing and what you need to do next. You will always know the name of the person handling your case and you can contact them directly with any questions. We aim to resolve all complaints as quickly as possible, although in a few exceptional cases our investigations may take longer, particularly if we need to make wide ranging enquiries. In some situations we may ask you for further information to assist with our consideration of your complaint and your prompt attention to these matters would be gratefully appreciated. At your request, we will liaise with other organisations acting on your behalf.

Taking your views into account, and reaching our decision.

We will always take account of what you tell us about the complaint, as well as that of any HEAT representative involved. Our role is to clarify what has occurred based on the evidence presented to us. Complaints are also appraised based on the law and the HEAT terms and conditions that were in force at the time the service was instructed. Should you be seeking financial compensation, you must also have suffered an actual financial loss as a result of any such breach of regulations or inappropriate service. If it is established that no such loss has occurred we will not consider awarding a compensation payment. We will at the conclusion of an investigation provide you with a written response, by letter or email, which clearly explains the outcome of the investigation and, where relevant, details of any settlement which we may consider to be appropriate. Where we have determined that you have not received appropriate service, we hope in most circumstances to offer redress that puts you, so far as is practicable, in the position that you would have been in had you been provided with the appropriate service.

What happens if you disagree with our conclusions?

If you disagree with the view we set out about your complaint, you should refer back to us in the first instance. We will initiate an independent review of your complaint and will make a formal reply within 21 days of receipt of your appeal. If you do not accept the decision reached or there is no final response in 8 weeks you can take your complaint to ABBE. Please be aware that if you wish to refer the matter to the awarding body, ABBE, at www.abbeqa.co.uk, you must do so within three months of the date of our decision letter notwithstanding that there may have been further correspondence between us. We will co-operate fully with the independent adjudicator during the investigation and comply with any decision.