Complaint Handling Procedure for Tradespeople

Quick Answer: Use a documented 7-step procedure: log → acknowledge within 24h → investigate within 5 working days → respond in writing within 10 working days → remediate or refund per the Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.55 (right to repeat performance) or s.56 (right to price reduction) → close in writing → review for systemic issues. A documented procedure is required by most TrustMark and Competent Person Schemes and is your strongest defence at Trading Standards or court.

Summary

A complaint is not a failure — it is a process. The tradespeople who survive long-term are not those who never get complaints, but those who handle them predictably and professionally. The cost of a badly-handled complaint is not just the refund; it's the negative review, the Trading Standards report, the Section 75 Visa chargeback, and the time spent in dispute when you could be earning.

This article gives the step-by-step procedure: what to do on day one of receiving a complaint, what to investigate, when to refund, when to remediate, when to escalate. It is the operational sibling to complaint handling (the LEAP method and Consumer Rights Act framework). Where that article covers the legal framework, this one covers the workflow — the days, the documents, the decisions.

A documented complaint procedure is also a TrustMark requirement, a Gas Safe Register expectation, and required by the major Competent Person Schemes (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, RECC). Without one, your accreditation is at risk if a complaint is escalated.

Key Facts

• 24-hour acknowledgement — written response confirming receipt of the complaint within 24 hours (1 business day).
• 5 working day investigation — site visit, evidence review, and root cause analysis completed within 5 working days of acknowledgement.
• 10 working day written response — formal written outcome within 10 working days of acknowledgement (12 working days max from complaint receipt).
• Consumer Rights Act 2015 hierarchy — under s.55, the customer's primary remedy is repeat performance; only if repeat performance is impossible or not done within a reasonable time can the customer demand a price reduction (s.56).
• 6-year complaint window — Limitation Act 1980 s.5; the customer has six years to commence court proceedings on a contract dispute.
• TrustMark requirement — registered firms must have a documented complaints procedure and submit to TrustMark's dispute resolution if internal handling fails.
• Competent Person Schemes — NICEIC, NAPIT and similar require a procedure and may run their own investigation.
• Section 75 Consumer Credit Act 1974 — for jobs paid £100-£30,000 by credit card, the card issuer is jointly liable; customers can chargeback through the card issuer without your consent.
• Visa/Mastercard chargeback — for debit card payments, a 120-day chargeback window typically applies.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) — for some sectors (renewables under RECC), ADR is mandatory before court.
• Citizens Advice consumer service — many customers route complaints via Citizens Advice, which then refers to Trading Standards.
• Verbal complaints count — under the Consumer Rights Act, a complaint does not have to be in writing to be valid.
• Cooling-off period — Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give a 14-day cancellation right for off-premises and distance contracts; complaints during this window may be cancellation rather than a defect claim.
• Records retention — keep complaint files for at least 6 years (Limitation Act) and ideally 12 years (deed of contract limitation).
• Right to inspect before refund — you have the right to inspect alleged defective work before agreeing to any refund or remedy.

Quick Reference Table

Detailed Guidance

Step 1: Log the complaint (Day 0)

The instant a complaint is received — by phone, email, text, voicemail, in person, or by review — log it. Every complaint, however trivial, goes in a register. A simple spreadsheet or notebook works. Fields:

• Complaint ID (sequential: 2026-001, 2026-002...)
• Date received
• Channel (phone, email, text, in person, review)
• Customer name and contact details
• Project address and job reference
• Brief description of complaint (one paragraph)
• Date job completed
• Date due for acknowledgement (Day 0 + 1)
• Date due for resolution (Day 0 + 12 working days)
• Assigned handler (you, or specific staff member)
• Outcome (filled in later)

This register is the single source of truth. It also surfaces patterns — same trade, same supplier, same type of complaint — that you can address structurally.

Step 2: Acknowledge within 24 hours (Day 1)

A written acknowledgement within 24 hours signals professionalism and de-escalates emotion. Template:

Subject: Complaint received — Reference [2026-XXX]

Dear [Customer first name],

Thank you for getting in touch about the [job description] completed at [property address] on [date].

I'm sorry to hear there's an issue. I want to investigate this properly and put it right if I can.

Here's what happens next:

1. I'll come to the property within 5 working days to look at the issue — let me know which dates work for you between [date] and [date].
2. After my visit, I'll be in touch within a further 5 working days with a written response setting out what I'll do.
3. If you'd prefer to speak by phone in the meantime, please call me on [number].

Your complaint reference is [2026-XXX]. Please quote this in any reply.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Trading name]

If you cannot reach the customer to arrange a visit, send a follow-up two days later, then a final attempt after five days. Document each attempt.

Step 3: Investigate (Days 2-5)

The investigation has three parts.

Site visit: Inspect the alleged defect personally. Take dated photographs from multiple angles. Test, measure, compare against specification, drawings or industry standard (BS 5750, BS 8000 tolerances, manufacturer instructions). If safe and possible, demonstrate the issue to the customer in person to confirm you've understood it correctly.

Evidence review: Pull the job file. Original quote, signed acceptance, signed variations, daily records, before/after photos, materials delivery notes, certificates (gas, electrical, FENSA, etc.), warranty documents, the original receipt or RAMS document if relevant. Read it all.

Root cause analysis: Why did this happen? Options:

• Workmanship — substandard execution. Your responsibility under Consumer Rights Act s.49.
• Materials — defective product. Pass through to manufacturer warranty; you remain liable to the customer under CRA s.49 but can recover from the supplier under contract.
• Design — wrong specification chosen. If you advised, your responsibility; if customer-specified, theirs.
• Customer abuse — wear and tear, misuse, third-party damage. Not your responsibility.
• Latent defect from prior works — not your responsibility unless your scope covered that area.
• Settlement / environmental — natural movement; investigate against BS 8000 tolerances.

Record the root cause in writing. This determines the remedy.

Step 4: Apply the Consumer Rights Act hierarchy (Days 5-7)

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out a specific hierarchy of remedies for consumer service contracts:

Section 49 — reasonable care and skill: The trader must perform services with reasonable care and skill. If not, the consumer has rights under s.55 and s.56.

Section 55 — right to require repeat performance: The consumer's PRIMARY remedy. If service is not performed with reasonable care and skill, the consumer can require the trader to perform the service again, at no cost, to bring it up to standard. The trader must do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience.

Section 56 — right to price reduction: ONLY available if:

• Repeat performance is impossible, OR
• Trader fails to perform repeat performance within a reasonable time or without significant inconvenience.

The price reduction can be up to 100% of the contract price (i.e. a full refund) depending on the severity.

Section 50 — binding pre-contract information: Statements made before the contract (in the quote, brochure, or conversation) that the consumer relied on are binding terms of the contract. A breach allows claim under s.55/s.56.

Section 51 — reasonable price: If no price was agreed, a reasonable price is implied.

Section 52 — reasonable time: If no time for performance was agreed, a reasonable time is implied.

The practical implication: offer to remediate first. Only offer refund if remediation is genuinely impossible or you would prefer to settle rather than re-visit.

Step 5: Send the outcome letter (Days 8-10)

The outcome letter is the formal written response. It must acknowledge the complaint, summarise findings, state root cause, set out the proposed remedy with timeline, and explain the customer's options if they disagree (ADR, Trading Standards, court).

Outcome letter template (remediation):

Dear [Customer name],

Re: Complaint reference [2026-XXX] — [property address]

Thank you for raising the concerns about [brief description] on [date]. I visited the property on [date] and have now completed my investigation.

What I found
[Summary — be specific. Reference photographs, measurements, standards. E.g. "silicone seal at bath-to-tile junction separated in two places, 2-3mm gaps. This is outside BS 8000:Part 11 tolerance (1mm)."]

Root cause
[Workmanship / materials / design / customer / latent / environmental]

My response
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 section 55, I'd like to remedy this by repeat performance. I will:
1. Re-strip the existing silicone seal
2. Re-apply sanitary-grade silicone
3. Leave the bath panel detached 24 hours for proper cure
4. Re-attend to confirm

Proposed date: [date], duration: half day. I will carry out this work at my own cost. Please confirm by reply.

If you don't believe my proposed remedy is satisfactory, your options are:
- Discuss alternatives with me
- Refer to TrustMark's dispute resolution (trustmark.org.uk)
- Contact Citizens Advice consumer service (0808 223 1133)
- Issue a claim through Money Claim Online

Yours sincerely,
[Your name] [Trading name] [Phone] [Email]

Outcome letter template (refund / price reduction under s.56):

If repeat performance is genuinely impossible (e.g. the customer has had another trade in to fix it; materials no longer available; remedy would cause significant disruption), offer a price reduction:

[As above through "Root cause"]

My response
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 section 56, where repeat performance is not practical, the appropriate remedy is a price reduction. I propose a refund of £[amount] which reflects [reasoning].

Payment by BACS within 7 working days of your acceptance.

This is offered in full and final settlement of complaint [2026-XXX]. To accept, please reply: "I accept £[amount] in full and final settlement of complaint reference [2026-XXX]."

Step 6: Carry out remedy and close (Days 11-26)

Do the remedial work on the agreed date. Take before/after photographs. Get the customer to sign off the remedial work — a simple signed and dated note saying "I confirm the remedial work to complaint [2026-XXX] has been carried out to my satisfaction" is sufficient.

After sign-off, send a closure letter:

Subject: Complaint [2026-XXX] — Closed

Dear [Customer name],

Thank you for your patience while we resolved the issue with the [brief description].

I confirm the remedial work was completed on [date] and you signed it off as satisfactory.

The complaint is now formally closed. The 12-month workmanship warranty in our original contract remains in force from the original completion date. Please get back in touch if anything else arises.

If you'd be willing to leave an honest Google review reflecting how the matter was resolved, the link is here: [g.page/r/XXX/review]

Best regards,
[Your name]
[Trading name]

Step 7: Systemic review (Day 30+)

Every quarter, review the complaint register:

• How many complaints per quarter?
• What proportion by trade, by supplier, by job type?
• Which were workmanship, materials, design, customer abuse?
• Average days to resolution?
• Average cost of remediation?
• Are any individuals or suppliers showing patterns?

This is the most-skipped step and the highest-value one. Five small complaints that all point to the same supplier mean the cost-saving on cheap materials is being eaten by remediation costs. Three workmanship complaints from the same trade mean it's time for retraining. Without this review, you don't learn from complaints; you just pay for them.

Escalation pathways

If the customer rejects your remedy, the formal pathways are:

Trading Standards (via Citizens Advice consumer service): Trading Standards is a referral body, not a complaints-handling one. They will investigate patterns of unfair commercial practice (Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008) but won't typically intervene in a single contract dispute.

TrustMark Dispute Resolution: For TrustMark-registered firms, an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme is available. Decisions are binding on the trader. Free for the consumer.

Competent Person Scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, RECC, Gas Safe): Each scheme has its own complaints procedure for accredited members.

Financial Ombudsman Service: Where the customer paid by Section 75 (credit card £100-£30,000), the card issuer becomes jointly liable. FOS hears disputes about the card issuer's handling.

County Court: Money Claim Online for sums up to £10,000 (Small Claims Track). Above £10,000 typically Fast Track or Multi Track.

Defamation: If the customer's complaint becomes public (review, social media) and contains false statements of fact, you may have a claim under the Defamation Act 2013 — though the honest opinion defence (s.3) protects most genuine customer opinions. See handling negative reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to refund if the customer demands it?

No, not as the first step. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives the consumer the right to require repeat performance first (s.55). Only if that's impossible or you fail to deliver it within a reasonable time can they demand a price reduction (s.56). A customer demanding "give me my money back" is asking for s.56 directly — you can lawfully respond "I'd prefer to fix it under s.55 first; here's my proposal." If they refuse remediation unreasonably, this strengthens your position later.

Can I refuse a complaint if it's outside warranty?

No. Workmanship warranties are typically 12 months for cosmetic items, longer for structural elements, but the Consumer Rights Act gives the consumer 6 years to bring a claim regardless of warranty (Limitation Act 1980 s.5). However, the burden of proof shifts as time passes. Within 6 months of completion, defects are presumed to have existed at completion. After 6 months, the customer must prove the defect existed at the time of work. After 6 years, no court claim can be issued.

The customer recorded our conversation without telling me — is that allowed?

For domestic recordings, the customer can lawfully record their own conversations with you for their personal use. Sharing them publicly engages the Data Protection Act 2018 and your image/voice rights, but the recording itself is admissible in court. Assume every conversation may be recorded — speak as if it is.

What if the customer threatens to leave a bad review unless I refund?

This is extortion territory if explicit. Document the threat in writing, respond calmly: "I'll handle your complaint on its merits under the Consumer Rights Act. Threatening reviews is not a factor in my decision." If they post the review and the threat preceded it, you have evidence for both a defamation claim (under the Defamation Act 2013, if false) and a malicious communications complaint. In practice, most threats fizzle if you don't capitulate.

How long do I keep complaint records?

A minimum of 6 years from complaint closure (Limitation Act 1980 s.5). For complaints involving certified work (gas, electrical, fenestration), keep records as long as the certification chain remains in force — often 12+ years.

Regulations & Standards

• Consumer Rights Act 2015 (s.49) — services to be performed with reasonable care and skill.

• Consumer Rights Act 2015 (s.50) — pre-contract statements binding.

• Consumer Rights Act 2015 (s.55) — right to require repeat performance.

• Consumer Rights Act 2015 (s.56) — right to price reduction where repeat performance impossible.

• Limitation Act 1980 (s.5) — 6-year limitation period for simple contract claims.

• Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 — bans misleading commercial practices.

• Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 — 14-day cooling-off period.

• Consumer Credit Act 1974 (s.75) — joint liability of credit card issuer for purchases £100-£30,000.

• TrustMark Code of Conduct — requires documented complaints procedure and ADR access.

• BS 8000 — Workmanship on Building Sites — tolerances and standards used as evidence.

• British Standards for specific trades — e.g. BS 7671 (electrical), BS 5572 (sanitary pipework), BS 5839 (fire detection).

• Consumer Rights Act 2015 (legislation.gov.uk) — primary legislation

• Citizens Advice consumer service — referral pathway for consumers

• Trading Standards (CTSI) — regulator overview

• TrustMark Dispute Resolution — ADR for registered firms

• GOV.UK: Consumer rights and credit — Section 75 and Chargeback overview

• complaint handling — LEAP method, Consumer Rights Act framework, language for difficult conversations

• snagging list management — Managing defect lists at completion before formal complaints arise

• bad review response — Public reply templates when complaint becomes a review

• handling negative reviews — Defamation Act 2013 framework