iCandy Complaints Procedure

An effective complaints management system is a proven way of maintaining and building relationships with the people on whom the company depends.

• Handling complaints well demonstrates our commitment to our customers
• It demonstrates our commitment to providing the best possible service
• It helps us to find out about things that have gone wrong so we can fix them
• It helps us to prevent things going wrong again in the future

iCandy World Ltd views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person, (or organisation), that has made the complaint.

Our policy is:

• To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint
• To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint
• To make sure everyone at iCandy World knows what to do if a complaint is received
• To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way
• To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships with our customers are retained
• To gather information which helps us to improve what we do.

Definition of a Complaint  - A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of iCandy World Ltd.  

A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing.

All complaint information will be handled sensitively, informing only those who are required to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.  Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the iCandy management team and its Directors.

This policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required.  

Details for Complaints:

• Written complaints may be sent to iCandy World Ltd at Montgomery Way, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8UB, or by e-mail to complaints@icandyuk.com
• Verbal complaints may be made by telephone, to 01767 604400, Option 1.
• All serious complaint details received by telephone, email or letter will be logged on to our internal system and any appropriate paperwork received, will be scanned and uploaded.
• The case will be logged as a ‘Complaint’

The person who receives a telephone call complaint will –

• Write down the facts of the complaint, take the complainant's name, address and telephone number
• Note down the place and date of purchase of the faulty product, (if applicable), or other details, if not product related.
• Inform the complainant that we have a complaints procedure
• Provide the complainant with the iCandy case log number
• Tell the complainant what will happen next, who it has been passed on to (who will deal with it) and how long it should take.
• Where appropriate, ask the complainant to send a written account by post, or by email, so that the complaint is recorded in their own words.

In most cases, a complaint is best resolved by the person responsible for the issue being complained about, ie. Sales - Product availability, Customer service - Repairs/Spares/Warranty, Retailer – Sales/Account manager. If the complaint has been received by the appropriate person, they may be able to resolve it swiftly and will do so, if possible and appropriate.

Timescales

All complaints received, will be sent an initial acknowledgement within 48 hours (2 working days) 

Whether or not the complaint has been resolved, the complaint information will be passed to the manager of the appropriate department, within one week.

If it has not already been resolved, iCandy will delegate an appropriate person to investigate the complaint and to take appropriate action. If the complaint relates to a specific person, they will be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond.

Complaints should be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within two working days. The acknowledgement should state who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply. A copy of this complaints procedure will be attached. 

Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within 14 working days.

If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given. 

Whether the complaint is justified or not, the reply to the complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.

If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at this initial stage, they can request that the complaint is escalated. At this stage, the complaint will be passed to a Senior manager.

The acknowledgement will state who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply. The senior manager may investigate the facts of the case themselves, or delegate a suitably senior person to do so. This may involve us reviewing the case details and speaking with the person who dealt with the complaint at Stage One. 

If the complaint relates to a specific person, they will be informed and given a further opportunity to respond. The person who dealt with the original complaint at Stage One will be kept informed of what is happening.

Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply from us within two weeks, (14 working days). If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report will be sent, with an indication of when a full reply will be given.

Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the complainant will describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.

Monitoring and Learning from Complaints

 Complaints are regularly reviewed, to identify any trends which may indicate a need for us to take further action.