Suffolk Boat Services – Complaints Procedure

1. Purpose

· To ensure that any complaints from customers, boat owners or other stakeholders are handled promptly, fairly, and transparently. We want to resolve any issues in a way that maintains trust and helps us improve our services.

2. Scope

This procedure applies to complaints about:

· Boat maintenance or repair services

· Engineering work carried out by Suffolk Boat Services

· Sales or brokerage services (when trying to sell a boat through you)

· Customer service, communication, damage, delays, or any dissatisfaction with how work was conducted

3. How to Make a Complaint

3.1 Informal Stage

· Talk to us directly: Often, concerns can be resolved fastest by speaking with the person or team responsible (e.g. your technician, engineer, sales rep).

· On the spot resolution: If you’re at our premises (Unit 1, Horn Hill, Lowestoft, NR33 0PX), ask to speak to a manager or supervisor.

3.2 Formal Complaint

If the issue is not resolved informally, you can make a formal complaint in writing using one of the following channels:

· Email: info@suffolkboatservices.co.uk 

· Letter: Write to us at our business address:
Suffolk Boat Services, Unit 1, Horn Hill, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0PX 

When submitting a complaint, please provide:

· Your name, contact details, and boat details (e.g. registration, service history)

· The nature of your complaint: what happened, when, who was involved

· Any evidence (photos, invoices, reports)

· What outcome or resolution you are seeking

4. Acknowledgement

· We will acknowledge receipt of your formal complaint within 5 working days of receiving it.

· In our acknowledgement, we will let you know who is handling your complaint and an expected timeframe for investigation.

5. Investigation

A designated complaints manager will be appointed to investigate.

The investigation may involve:

· Reviewing job sheets, work orders, service reports or invoices

· Speaking to the technician(s), engineer(s), or sales staff involved

· Examining physical evidence (e.g. the boat, repaired parts) if necessary

· Requesting further clarification from you

Timescale: We aim to complete our investigation and issue a full response within 20 working days. If more time is needed due to complexity, we will inform you and propose a new deadline.

6. Outcome

After investigation, we will provide a written response (via your preferred contact method) that includes:

· A summary of the complaint, as we understood it

· Our findings (what we discovered, why things happened)

· Any remedial actions or corrections we intend to take (e.g., re-work, compensation, training)

· An apology, if appropriate

· What we will do to prevent similar issues in future

7. Appeal / Escalation

If you are not satisfied with our response:

· You can request a review / appeal within 10 working days of receiving our response.

· In your appeal, please explain:

· Which parts of our response you disagree with

· Why you feel the investigation was incomplete or unfair

· Any further evidence or points you want us to reconsider

· The appeal will be reviewed by a senior manager or director who has not been involved in the original investigation

· We will aim to provide the appeal decision within 20 working days, and this decision will be final

8. Confidentiality & Record Keeping

· All complaint details and personal data will be handled in accordance with data protection law (e.g., GDPR)

· Records of complaints, investigations, outcomes, and learning will be kept securely for at least 3 years

· Only relevant staff will have access to complaint documentation.

9. Learning & Improvement

· We will review all complaints periodically (e.g. quarterly) to identify common themes or recurring issues.

· Where appropriate, we will:

· Update our processes or policies

· Provide additional staff training

· Make changes in how we communicate with customers