Complaints Procedure for Peckham House Clearance
This Complaints Procedure describes how Peckham House Clearance and affiliated clearance teams handle concerns and disputes submitted by clients who use our house clearance, rubbish removal and waste clearance services. It is designed to be clear, fair and accessible, setting out the steps we take to investigate complaints, the timescales we follow, and the possible outcomes. Our aim is to resolve issues promptly while maintaining a professional standard of service across our service area.
Scope and Principles
We handle complaints about any aspect of our house clearance service, including scheduling, conduct of our operatives, disposal practices, billing queries, and damage allegations. This procedure applies whether the concern relates to a single collection or a larger clearance project managed by our clearance company. We operate under the principles of impartiality, confidentiality and proportionality: every complaint is treated seriously and investigated with independence.
How to make a complaint: customers should make their concerns known in writing or via their preferred channel used to hire the service, providing a clear description of the issue, relevant dates, job reference if available, and any supporting materials such as photographs. We will acknowledge receipt of a complaint within three working days and provide an initial indication of steps we will take to investigate. Records are kept of all correspondence and actions for compliance and quality review.
On receipt, an appointed complaints officer will review the information and decide whether the complaint can be resolved quickly by front-line staff or requires a formal investigation. Quick-resolution issues — for example, minor billing clarifications or scheduling misunderstandings — will be addressed within seven working days where possible. More complex matters that involve multiple teams, third-party contractors or site visits may take longer and will be managed under the formal investigation process described below.
Formal Investigation Process
If a complaint enters formal investigation, the process will normally include:
- a detailed review of job records and communications;
- interviews with employees or contractors involved;
- site inspection if required to assess any reported damage or environmental concern;
- consultation with third parties where necessary to establish facts.
Possible outcomes following investigation include: an apology where service fell short; a corrective action such as rework or removal of residual waste; a billing adjustment where an error is found; or a formal explanation where our practices are confirmed to be correct. We will issue a written outcome statement explaining findings, any actions taken and reasons for the decision, and whether further remedies are available within our governance framework.
Escalation and independent review: if the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, they may request escalation to senior management for further review. We will outline the internal escalation route and timescales in our outcome statement. Where disputes remain unresolved and a contractual or regulatory framework applies, information about available external dispute resolution or arbitration options will be provided in accordance with industry standards, while ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
Our record-keeping ensures that each complaint contributes to continuous improvement: trends are identified, corrective actions are implemented, and training or procedural changes are applied to reduce recurrence. We maintain confidentiality of personal data in line with legal obligations, and only retain complaint data for the period required by our retention policy and applicable law. Complaints about environmental or hazardous waste handling will be escalated to the appropriate compliance team for immediate action.
Monitoring and performance: we monitor complaint volumes, resolution times and outcome categories to measure service quality across our rubbish removal and clearance operations. Regular performance reviews are conducted to ensure accountability and transparency. This procedure is reviewed periodically to remain effective, accessible and aligned with best practice in waste and clearance services, and any material changes are recorded in our governance documentation.
The following commitments are provided to anyone raising a concern about our house clearance or rubbish removal work: we will treat the matter seriously and respond without undue delay; we will be objective and fair in our review; we will communicate the outcome clearly; and we will act to prevent similar issues where appropriate. Our objective is to achieve timely, proportional resolutions that respect customer rights and reflect responsible operational standards for clearance companies.
Limitations: this complaints procedure is not intended to replace legal remedies that may be available under statute or contract. It does not remove any rights a complainant may have to seek redress through the courts or through formal regulatory channels where such options are appropriate. It is, however, an internal mechanism for addressing and learning from issues arising within our house clearance and waste removal activities.
Review and updates: this document will be maintained as part of our legal and governance framework and updated as necessary to reflect procedural improvements, regulatory changes or operational developments in our waste clearance services. The aim is to provide a clear, fair and effective route for resolving complaints while supporting the safe, lawful and respectful delivery of all clearance jobs.