Complaints Procedure for Business Waste Removal Hackney

This document sets out the formal complaints procedure for Business Waste Removal Hackney and related commercial waste services. It is designed for businesses and organisations that use our commercial refuse collection or trade waste removal services and need a clear, timely route to raise concerns. The aim is to resolve issues fairly, consistently and with minimal disruption to service delivery. Please read this policy carefully to understand what to expect when making a complaint and how we will manage the process.

We accept complaints about the full range of commercial waste removal services, including commercial waste collection in Hackney, container maintenance, missed collections, and safety concerns. Complaints may be submitted by authorised representatives of a business or by property managers acting on behalf of clients. Our approach is to treat every complaint with respect and neutrality, ensuring an independent review where appropriate. We emphasise confidentiality and impartiality throughout the procedure.

Complaints should include a clear description of the concern, relevant dates, the location of the service, and any reference number or invoice relating to the event. When you provide specific details we can investigate faster. We will record each complaint in our management system and issue an acknowledgment. All complaints are logged as part of our quality assurance and used to improve our trade waste services and refuse collection operations.

Complaints can be raised through the designated complaints channel provided at the point of service; this procedure avoids including direct contact details in this policy. Please ensure you have the following information ready: account or service reference, description of the issue, times and dates, and any supporting documents or photographs. Complaints submitted without sufficient information may take longer to resolve, as additional investigation will be required.

On receipt we will provide an acknowledgement within our published timescale. The complaint will be assigned a unique reference and allocated to an investigator who has no direct operational role in the incident where feasible. Our investigator will review records, collection logs, vehicle tracking data and any photographic evidence to determine root causes and appropriate remedies. We aim to keep the complainant informed of progress.

Possible outcomes include corrective action (such as rescheduling a collection), remedial measures (repair or replacement of containers), targeted staff training, or a formal apology if service failure is confirmed. Where appropriate we will propose operational improvements and timelines for implementation. Any agreed actions will be documented and shared with the complainant for transparency.

We categorise complaints by severity and complexity to ensure proportional response. Simple issues are usually resolved within the initial investigative period, while more complex disputes may require extended review. Typical timescales are published internally and will be communicated when your complaint is acknowledged. Escalation pathways exist if a complainant is not satisfied with the initial outcome.

Escalation steps include:

• internal review by a senior operations manager,
• formal reconsideration by a compliance officer,
• independent audit for systemic issues.

These steps help ensure fairness and offer an additional level of scrutiny where required. We maintain records of all decisions and the rationale for chosen remedies.

If a complaint reveals a breach of regulatory obligations or significant safety concerns, we will carry out a priority investigation and involve the appropriate internal governance functions. Our objective is to mitigate risk swiftly and to restore agreed service standards. Where a complaint identifies recurring issues, it will inform our continuous improvement programme for commercial refuse and trade waste removal.

Record keeping is central to the complaints procedure. All files are retained in accordance with our data retention policy and relevant regulations; retention periods are determined by the nature of the complaint and any associated contractual or legal requirements. Access to complaint records is controlled and only provided to authorised personnel for the purpose of investigation or quality assurance.

We commit to learning from complaints: trends are reviewed quarterly, and findings are used to refine training, update operational protocols, and improve contractor oversight. This ensures that our commercial waste collection and business rubbish removal services progressively reduce the likelihood of repeat incidents. Continuous improvement is a key part of our service governance.

Finally, complainants who remain dissatisfied after internal escalation will be advised of any further independent review options that may be available in accordance with statutory or contractual frameworks. We will offer a clear statement of the outcomes and reasons for the final decision, and we will document any agreed follow-up actions to ensure accountability.