Storage Bankside Complaints Procedure
Storage Bankside is committed to providing a reliable and professional service for storage and removals. We recognise that, on occasion, things may go wrong. When this happens, we encourage customers to let us know so we can put matters right and improve our services. This Complaints Procedure explains how to raise a concern, what information we need, how we will respond, and what you can do if you remain dissatisfied.
Our approach to complaints
We treat all complaints seriously and handle them with fairness, courtesy, and respect. Our aims are to resolve problems as quickly as possible, learn from any mistakes, and maintain clear communication throughout the process. We will always try to resolve issues informally at the earliest opportunity, especially in relation to moving dates, storage access, packing standards, or conduct of our removals team.
We define a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction about our storage facilities, removals services, handling of your belongings, or our customer service, where a response is explicitly or implicitly expected.
Raising a complaint
You can raise a complaint verbally or in writing. Complaints can be made by the customer named on the storage or removals agreement or by an authorised representative. To help us investigate your concerns efficiently, please provide the following information when you contact us:
Your full name and any reference or booking number connected to your storage or removals service.
The date and location of the service you are complaining about, including any collection, loading, transport, or delivery details.
A clear description of what went wrong, including relevant dates, times, and the names or descriptions of any staff involved where known.
Details of any impact on you or your belongings, including damage, delay, access issues, or failure to follow agreed instructions.
What outcome you are seeking, for example, an explanation, an apology, a specific action, or a review of charges or compensation where appropriate under our terms and conditions.
Informal resolution
Where possible, we encourage you to raise your concern as soon as it arises with the team member on site or the coordinator you have been dealing with. Many issues about storage access, packing, moving schedules, or vehicle arrival times can be resolved quickly and informally with a discussion and practical adjustments.
If your concern is resolved at this stage, we will record the key points of the issue and the agreed outcome. This helps us identify any training or process changes needed to improve our service.
Formal complaints process
If your complaint cannot be resolved informally, or if you prefer to make a formal complaint straight away, we will follow the process below.
Stage one – Acknowledgement and initial review
Once we receive your formal complaint, we will acknowledge it within a reasonable time frame. In our acknowledgement, we will confirm that we have received your complaint, outline the next steps, and explain if we need any additional information or supporting documents such as inventories, photographs, delivery notes, or packing lists.
An appropriate member of our team, who was not directly involved in the matter wherever possible, will be assigned to review your complaint. They will examine relevant records, speak with staff involved, and consider any applicable terms and conditions relating to storage or removals.
Stage two – Investigation and response
We will carry out a thorough investigation. This may include reviewing job sheets, vehicle logs, access logs to storage units, inventory lists, and any previous correspondence or discussions with you.
When the investigation is complete, we will provide a written response setting out:
A summary of your complaint and the issues you have raised.
The steps we took to investigate your concerns.
Our findings, including whether we uphold your complaint in full, in part, or not at all.
Any actions we will take as a result, which may include an apology, a practical remedy, a review of charges, consideration of a claim under our terms, or changes to our procedures.
We aim to do this within a reasonable and proportionate timescale. If the matter is complex, we will provide updates so you know when to expect a final response.
Stage three – Further review
If you remain dissatisfied after our formal response, you can request a further review. Your complaint will then be escalated to a more senior member of our team who has not been involved in the earlier stages. They will review the file, the investigation carried out, and the outcome reached to ensure that the process was fair and that our decision was reasonable in light of the evidence.
Following this review, we will provide a final response, explaining whether any aspects of the decision have changed and why. This marks the end of our internal complaints process.
Time limits for complaints
We recommend that complaints are made as soon as possible after the event you are concerned about. This helps us gather accurate information and provide a meaningful response, particularly where issues relate to a specific removals date, transport of items, or use of a storage unit.
Complaints raised after a very long period may be more difficult to investigate fully, as records and recollections may be limited. In such cases, we will still consider your concerns but may not be able to provide the same level of detail or reach a definitive conclusion.
Fairness and confidentiality
We handle complaints fairly and without discrimination. Your complaint will not adversely affect any ongoing or future services you receive from us. We record complaint information securely and use it only for the purposes of handling the complaint, improving our storage and removals services, and meeting our legal or regulatory obligations.
Personal information obtained in connection with a complaint is processed in accordance with our policies and applicable data protection requirements.
Using complaints to improve our services
We view complaints as an important source of feedback about our storage and removals operations. We regularly review complaint records to identify trends, recurring issues, or areas where communication could be clearer. Where appropriate, we use this information to provide staff training, revise procedures, and improve the way we plan moves, manage storage access, protect belongings, and communicate with customers before, during, and after a service.
By following this Complaints Procedure, Storage Bankside aims to resolve individual issues as fairly and quickly as possible, while continuously improving the quality and reliability of our services for all customers.
