Complaints Policy

This policy establishes a clear, fair, and effective process for handling customer complaints in a timely and professional manner. It ensures that all customer complaints are received, recorded, investigated, and resolved to achieve customer satisfaction and continuous improvement of products and customer experience.

Scope

This policy applies to all Leader Online employees involved in receiving, handling, and resolving customer complaints.

Policy Statement

Leader Online is committed to providing high-quality products, exceptional customer experience, and a positive shopping service to its customers. Recognising that customer satisfaction is essential to our success, Leader Online is dedicated to resolving customer complaints promptly, fairly, and effectively. Leader Online welcomes customer feedback and views complaints as opportunities to identify areas for improvement and enhance the overall customer experience.

Complaints Procedure

1. Receiving Complaints

Leader Online provides multiple channels for customers to submit complaints:

  • Online Form: Customers can submit complaints through each of the websites.
  • Telephone: Customers can call the customer service team on 01429 241 270, where they will go through the form with the customer.
  • Email: Customers can email their complaints to help@leadergroup.co.uk

All complaints, regardless of the chosen channel, will be recorded promptly and accurately, including:

  • Customer contact information.
  • Clear description of the complaint.
  • Date and time the complaint was received.
  • Preferred method of resolution.

2. Acknowledging Complaints

Leader Online aims to acknowledge complaints within 24 hours of receipt.  The acknowledgment confirms receipt of the complaint and provides an estimated timeframe for resolution. If immediate resolution is not possible, the customer is informed of the next steps and kept updated throughout the process.

3. Investigating Complaints

Leader Online investigates all complaints promptly and thoroughly. The investigation involves:

  • Gathering information from the customer: This may include obtaining additional details about the complaint, reviewing any relevant documentation provided by the customer, and asking clarifying questions.
  • Reviewing relevant documentation: This may include order details, product information, customer records, and any internal communication related to the complaint.
  • Conducting interviews with employees involved: This may involve speaking to the staff member directly involved with the customer, their supervisor, or any other relevant personnel.

The investigation aims to determine the root cause of the complaint, identify any contributing factors, and assess the appropriate course of action for resolution.

4. Resolving Complaints

Leader Online works with the customer to resolve the complaint to their satisfaction. The resolution may involve:

  • Providing a replacement product or service: If the complaint involves a defective or unsatisfactory product or service, Leader Online will offer to replace it with a similar or comparable item.
  • Offering a refund or partial refund: If the complaint cannot be resolved by replacing the product or service, Leader Online will offer a refund or partial refund, depending on the circumstances.
  • Providing additional support or compensation: In some cases, Leader Online may offer additional support, such as extending warranties or providing discounts, to compensate the customer for their inconvenience.

Throughout the resolution process, Leader Online keeps the customer informed of the progress, addresses any further concerns, and ensures prompt implementation of the resolution.

5. Closing Complaints

Once a complaint has been resolved to the customer's satisfaction, Leader Online closes the complaint record. The closed complaint record is retained for a specified period for reference purposes, ensuring that any recurring issues can be identified and addressed promptly.

6. Monitoring and Review

Leader Online regularly monitors the number, types, and trends of complaints received. This information is used to:

  • Identify recurring issues or patterns in customer complaints.
  • Assess the effectiveness of the complaints handling process.
  • Implement corrective actions and preventive measures to address underlying issues and prevent similar complaints from reoccurring.

Escalation

Initially all complaints will be dealt with the customer service team, with the CSM acting the person who progresses and monitors the complaints.  Depending on the complaint, and its severity, the CCO would be informed, or it would be resolved by them.  The next and final step would be the complaint being escalated to the CEO.

Communication

Leader Online effectively communicates its complaints policy and procedure to all employees:

  • Clear guidelines on how to receive, acknowledge, investigate, resolve, and close complaints.
  • Training sessions to equip employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle customer complaints effectively and professionally.
  • Regularly updated information on the complaints process and any changes or improvements made.

Continuous Improvement

Leader Online utilises customer complaints as opportunities to identify and implement corrective actions:

  • Analyse customer feedback to identify recurring issues or areas for improvement.
  • Develop and implement corrective actions to address identified issues and prevent similar complaints from reoccurring.
  • Ensuring that product meets the standards required of Leader Online products.
  • Monthly reviews of the complaints received to ensure that the complaints policy and procedure to reflect the best way to resolve complaints, as well as, routing out the cause of the complaints being raised, eg faulty product, packaging or handling issues, individual inaction.
  • Leader Online reviews its complaints policy and procedure annually or as needed to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with ISO 9001 best practices.

On the rare occasion that we do receive a complaint, we take it very seriously. If you are unhappy with the any aspect of the goods you purchased with us or the service you have received you may contact us in any way you prefer. Our contact details are as follows;

If your complaint relates to your finance agreement

If your complaint relates to the finance linked to your purchase you can still let us know about this, but we will forward it on to your finance provider V12 Retail Finance. V12 will acknowledge your complaint and investigate it thoroughly and issue their response within eight weeks

What can I do if I can’t reach an agreement on my complaint?

If you are not satisfied with V12’s response to your complaint relating to the finance agreement, you may be able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You must contact them within six months of the date of V12’s final response letter to you.

They can be contacted in the following ways:

  • Telephone: 0300 123 9 123
  • Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
  • Write: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London, E14 9SR

Further details can be found on the Financial Ombudsman Service website:

www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Complaints Process

Our team will get to the bottom of your issue and help put things right.

Just contact us or call on 01429 241 270 9am – 5pm, Mon - Fri.

If you are still unhappy with our response, you can escalate your issue.