1. Our commitment

Oxford Environmental Consultants Limited treats every complaint as a genuine opportunity to improve. Our Complaints Procedure is aligned with the guidance contained in BS ISO 10002:2018 — Quality management — Customer satisfaction — Guidelines for complaints handling in organisations. All complaints are taken seriously, investigated thoroughly, and answered in writing.

2. How to complain

You can submit a complaint by:

Email: enquiries@oxford-ec.co.uk with the subject line "Complaint — [Project / Site name]".
Telephone: 03456 868 868 (a written record will be made).
Post: addressed to "Quality Manager, Oxford Environmental Consultants Limited".

Please include: your name, organisation and contact details; the project, site address or report reference; a clear description of the issue; and the outcome you would like to achieve.

3. Stage 1 — Acknowledgement

We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 3 working days of receipt. The acknowledgement will confirm the reference number, the member of staff handling the complaint, and the next steps.

4. Stage 2 — Investigation

We will carry out a full investigation and provide a written substantive response within 10 working days of acknowledgement. If the matter is complex and requires longer, we will update you with a revised timescale; we commit to a full response within 28 working days in all cases.

Our investigation will include: a review of the complaint in context of the contract, scope and deliverables; interviews with the relevant project team; technical peer review where appropriate; a root-cause analysis; and an agreed set of corrective and/or preventive actions (CAPAs).

5. Stage 3 — Escalation

If you are dissatisfied with the Stage 2 outcome, you may escalate the complaint to a Director. A Director-level review will be carried out and a written final response issued within a further 10 working days.

6. Stage 4 — External referral

Where a complaint cannot be resolved internally, you have access to the following external routes, depending on the subject matter:

Data protection complaints — the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
Health and safety complaints — the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at hse.gov.uk.
Professional conduct (fire consultancy) — the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) or the Fire Protection Association (FPA).
Fire-door installation — Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) / UK Fire Doors.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) — the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) for mediation.
Civil claim — the courts of England & Wales, subject to the contract's jurisdiction clause.

7. Record-keeping and continuous improvement

All complaints are recorded in our central Complaints Register and reviewed monthly. Trends and root causes are reported to the Senior Leadership Team and fed into the Annual Management Review, where they contribute to the setting of quality objectives and improvement initiatives.