Merton Carpet Cleaners Complaints Procedure

At Merton Carpet Cleaners we are committed to delivering reliable, consistent and professional cleaning services. We recognise that occasionally things may not go as planned. When this happens, we want to hear from you so we can put things right, learn from the issue and continuously improve our services. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will handle it and what you can expect from us.

Scope of this complaints procedure

This procedure applies to complaints about our carpet, rug, upholstery and related cleaning services, including any associated customer service before or after a visit. It covers work carried out in homes, offices and commercial premises within our normal service area. It does not cover matters that are already the subject of legal action or insurance claims, or issues that fall outside our reasonable control, such as pre-existing damage or wear that cannot be remedied by cleaning.

Our complaints principles

We handle all complaints in line with the following principles:

We treat every complaint seriously and with respect. We aim to respond promptly and keep you informed. We investigate fairly, listening to all sides and reviewing relevant evidence. We focus on practical solutions and clear outcomes. We use complaints as an opportunity to review and improve our services, systems and staff training.

How to make a complaint

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our cleaning service or communication, please raise your concern as soon as possible. Providing information promptly helps us investigate while the details are still clear and enables us to respond more effectively.

When making a complaint, please include the following information where possible. Your full name and, if applicable, the name of the person who booked the service. The service address and the date and approximate time of the appointment. A clear description of what went wrong, including the area, item or room affected. Any relevant supporting information, such as photographs or written notes. Your preferred outcome, for example a re-clean, correction of an error, clarification, or a refund assessment.

You can make a complaint verbally or in writing. Written complaints are often easier for us to track and respond to, but we will accept and record complaints made in any reasonable way.

Time limits for raising a complaint

We ask that you report service concerns as soon as you reasonably can. For most cleaning quality issues, we request that you contact us within 48 hours of the service so that we can inspect the work while it remains in substantially the same condition. For issues that become apparent later, such as concerns about odours or drying, please contact us as soon as they are noticed. Complaints raised after a significant delay may be more difficult to assess and could limit the options available for resolution, but we will always consider the circumstances fairly.

What happens after you make a complaint

Once we receive your complaint, we will follow a clear process.

First, we will acknowledge your complaint. Where contact details are provided, we aim to acknowledge complaints within two working days. In this acknowledgement we may ask for further information or clarification to help our investigation.

Second, we will investigate. This may involve speaking with the cleaning team or operative who attended your property, reviewing job records and any notes from the booking, examining photographs or other evidence, and where appropriate offering a site visit or follow-up inspection. Our goal is to understand what happened, whether our standards or agreed specifications were met, and what can be done to resolve the matter.

Third, we will respond with our findings. Once the investigation is complete, we will explain our understanding of the issue, any contributing factors, and the outcome we are able to offer. We aim to provide a substantive response within ten working days of receiving all relevant information. If we need more time, we will let you know and explain why.

Possible outcomes and resolutions

Where a complaint is upheld in whole or in part, we will seek a fair and proportionate resolution. Depending on the circumstances, this may include one or more of the following. A re-clean of the affected area, particularly where the work has not met our usual standard and a re-visit is practical. A partial or full adjustment to the invoice, where appropriate and in line with our terms and conditions. Advice and explanation about what can and cannot be achieved through cleaning due to the condition, age or type of material. An apology and clarification where there has been a misunderstanding or breakdown in communication. Internal actions such as staff training, process changes or closer quality control to help prevent a similar issue in the future.

Where we do not uphold a complaint, we will explain the reasons, including any limitations identified, relevant service conditions and the evidence we have considered.

Escalating your complaint

If you are not satisfied with the initial outcome, you may ask for your complaint to be reviewed. When requesting a review, please set out the reasons you remain dissatisfied and any additional information you would like us to consider. A more senior member of our team, who was not directly involved in the original work where possible, will reassess the complaint, the evidence and the decision. We will then provide a final response, outlining our position and any further options available.

Confidentiality and data protection

We treat complaint information sensitively and only share it with staff or representatives who need it to investigate and resolve the issue. Any personal data collected as part of a complaint is handled in line with our data protection responsibilities and is used only for managing the complaint, improving services and meeting legal or regulatory obligations.

Continuous improvement from complaints

Feedback and complaints are an important part of how we maintain and improve standards across our cleaning services. We review complaint patterns periodically to identify trends, training needs and opportunities to refine our procedures. By raising a concern, you help us keep our services responsive, safe and professional for all customers in our service area.

This complaints procedure is designed to be fair, clear and accessible. If you have any questions about how it works or need assistance in making a complaint, please let us know and we will do our best to help.