Our aim:

Jane Earl Estate Agents is committed to providing a quality service for its customers. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our customers and in particular by responding positively to complaints, and by putting mistakes right.

Therefore we aim to ensure that:

* making a complaint is as easy as possible;

* we treat a complaint as a clear expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for an immediate response;

* we deal with it promptly, politely and, when appropriate, confidentially;

* we respond in the right way - for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, or information on any action taken etc;

* we learn from complaints, use them to improve our service, and review annually our complaints policy and procedures.

We recognise that many concerns will be raised informally, and dealt with quickly. Our aims are to:

* resolve informal concerns quickly;

* keep matters low-key;

* enable mediation between the complainant and the individual to whom the complaint has been referred.

An informal approach is generally appropriate when it can be achieved. But if concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved informally, then the formal complaints procedure should be followed.

Preamble

Definition: Jane Earl Estate Agent defines a complaint as 'any expression of dissatisfaction (with Jane Earl Estate Agent or with a member of staff) that relates to Jane Earl Estate Agent and that requires a formal response'.

Purpose: The formal complaints procedure is intended to ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, consistently and wherever possible resolved to the complainant's satisfaction.

Jane Earl Estate Agent's responsibility will be to:

* acknowledge the formal complaint in writing;

* respond within a stated period of time;

* deal reasonably and sensitively with the complaint;

* take action where appropriate.

A complainant's responsibility is to:

* bring their complaint, in writing, to Jane Earl Estate Agent's attention normally within 8 weeks of the issue arising;

* raise concerns promptly and directly with a member of staff in Jane Earl Estate Agent;

* explain the problem as clearly and as fully as possible, including any action taken to date;

* allow Jane Earl Estate Agent a reasonable time to deal with the matter;

* recognise that some circumstances may be beyond Jane Earl Estate Agent's control.

Responsibility for Action: All Staff, of Jane Earl Estate Agent.

Confidentiality: Except in exceptional circumstances, every attempt will be made to ensure that both the complainant and Jane Earl Estate Agent maintain confidentiality. However the circumstances giving rise to the complaint may be such that it may not be possible to maintain confidentiality (with each complaint will be judged on its own merit). Should this be the case, the situation will be explained to the complainant.

Monitoring and Reporting: Jane Earl Estate Agent will review annually a report of complaints made and their resolution.

Formal Complaints Procedure

Stage 1

In the first instance, if you are unable to resolve the issue informally, you should write to the member of staff who dealt with you, so that he or she has a chance to put things right. In your letter/email you should set out the details of your complaint, the consequences for you as a result, and the remedy you are seeking.

You can expect your complaint to be acknowledged within 4 working days of receipt. You should get a response and an explanation within 15 working days. If you are unsure which member of Jane Earl Estate Agent staff to write to, your complaint should be sent to the Senior Administrator, Jane Earl Estate Agent.

Our contact details can be found on the Contact Us part of the Jane Earl Estate Agent Website.

Stage 2

If you are not satisfied with the initial response to the complaint then you can write to Operations Manager, Jane Earl Estate Agent's and ask for your complaint and the response to be reviewed. You can expect the Operations Manager to acknowledge your request within 4 working days of receipt and a response within 15 workings days.

Jane Earl Estate Agent's aim is to resolve all matters as quickly as possible. However, inevitably some issues will be more complex and therefore may require longer to be fully investigated. Consequently timescales given for handling and responding to complaints are indicative. If a matter requires more detailed investigation, you will receive an interim response describing what is being done to deal with the matter, and when a full reply can be expected and from whom.

Final Stage

If you are not satisfied with the subsequent reply from the Operations Manager, Jane Earl Estate Agent's, then you have the option of writing to the Executive Secretary, Jane Earl Estate Agent, stating the reason why you are dissatisfied with the outcome. You must do this within 10 days of receiving the written response from Jane Earl Estate Agent's Operations Manager.

The Executive Secretary will respond normally within 10 working days to inform you of the action which will be taken to investigate your complaint, and when you can expect to hear the outcome of the investigation.

Note. If you are still dissatisfied with the responses from Jane Earl Estate Agents you can direct your complaint to:

The Property Ombudsman
Beckett House
4 Bridge Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire SP1 2LX

Jane Earl Estate Agents are member agents of the Property Ombudsman Scheme scheme for dispute resolution and we are bound by decisions and fully insured to provide any compensation due as a result of the Ombudsman's decisions.