Complaints

Complaints and
Escalation Procedure

We want to get things right for our customers. If you are unhappy with our service, please tell us so we can investigate and put things right.

Making a complaint is free. We will listen, explain what happens next and keep you informed.

Our complaints process has two stages:

Stage 1 — Investigation and response
Stage 2 — Senior review and final response

If you remain unhappy, independent help is available. The organisation you contact depends on whether your complaint concerns services in England, Wales or Scotland.

Stage 1 — Tell us what has gone wrong

You can make a complaint by email, telephone or post, or speak directly to your Account Manager.

Email: Complaints@ConservAqua.co.uk

Telephone: 03330 16 56 56

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, excluding bank holidays.

Write to:
Customer Services
ConservAqua Limited
Riverbridge House
Guildford Road
Fetcham, Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 9AD

You do not need to contact several teams or submit your complaint more than once. Whichever member of our team you contact, we will arrange for it to reach the right person.

What to tell us

Please provide, where available:

Your name, business name and contact details.
Your account number or the address of the affected property.
What has gone wrong and when it happened.
What you would like us to do to resolve the problem.
Any relevant bills, photographs or correspondence.

We can help you make your complaint if you do not have all this information.

What we will do

We will:

Acknowledge your complaint within two working days.
Give you a complaint reference and confirm who is handling it.
Investigate the issues you have raised.
Respond within 10 working days of receiving your complaint.

Our response will explain our findings, any action we will take and how to request a senior review if you remain unhappy.

If we need information or action from your wholesaler, we will coordinate this and remain your point of contact.

Stage 2 — Ask for a senior review

If you are unhappy with our Stage 1 response, tell the person handling your complaint that you would like a Stage 2 review.

You can also email:

Customer-Relations@ConservAqua.co.uk

Please explain which points remain unresolved and, if available, include your complaint reference. You do not need to resend information we already hold.

Your complaint will be reviewed by our Head of Customer Relations or another appropriate senior manager who was not responsible for the original decision.

We will acknowledge your request within two working days and respond within 10 working days of receiving your escalation.

Our final response will explain:

The outcome of the review and the reasons for our decision.
Any action, correction or remedy we will provide.
How to seek independent help if you remain dissatisfied.

Stage 2 is the final stage of our internal complaints process.

If an investigation takes longer

If we cannot complete our investigation within the response times above, we will contact you within that time to explain:

Why more time is needed.
What further action is required.
When we expect to complete the investigation.
When you will next hear from us.

We will keep you updated. Moving your complaint between teams does not restart the time elapsed since you first complained.

How we can put things right

Depending on the circumstances, we may provide an apology, an explanation, a billing correction or refund, action to correct a service failure, or appropriate compensation.

Where applicable, we will also make any payment due under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme.

We use complaints to identify improvements and help prevent the same problems happening again.

Independent help — England and Wales

Consumer Council for Water — CCW

CCW provides free, independent advice and helps customers resolve complaints about water companies and retailers.

You can ask CCW to take your complaint forward if:

You have received our final response and remain unhappy; or
Eight weeks have passed since you first complained to us and the complaint remains unresolved.

You do not need to wait eight weeks if you have already received our final response. You can also contact CCW for advice at any time.

Website — www.ccw.org.uk/advice-and-support/make-a-complaint
Telephone — England — 0300 034 2222
Telephone — Wales — 0300 034 3333
Post — CCW, 23 Stephenson Street, Birmingham, B2 4BH.

ADR Group — Independent mediation

If your complaint remains unresolved after CCW’s involvement, you may be able to use ADR Group’s independent mediation service, subject to the scheme’s rules and eligibility requirements.

A mediator helps you and ConservAqua try to reach an agreement. The mediator does not impose a decision. A settlement becomes binding when it has been agreed and signed by both parties.

Website — www.consumer-dispute.co.uk
Email — consumer-dispute@adrgroup.co.uk
Telephone — 020 3600 5050

Independent help — Scotland

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman — SPSO

If your complaint concerns services in Scotland and you remain unhappy after our final response, you can ask the SPSO to consider it.

The SPSO is independent, and its service is free.

The SPSO normally expects you to have completed our complaints process and to complain within 12 months of becoming aware of the problem. It may consider exceptions. It normally cannot investigate matters that have been or are being considered in court.