Customer Complaints Procedure

We try to provide the highest standard of customer service at all times.  But we recognise things do go wrong on occasion, in which case our customers may wish to complain.

We have developed a procedure to ensure all complaints are dealt with consistently, efficiently and in a timely manner.

How to contact us
Who to contact
Our response
If our response upholds your complaint
If our response does not uphold your complaint
Timings
Still not satisfied?

How to contact us

You can let us know of your complaint:

In person:
at our offices in Tonbridge

By letter:
to The Charity Bank Limited, 194 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1BE

By phone:
on 01732 774040 (Tonbridge)

By fax:
on 01732 774069 (Tonbridge)

By email:
at enquiries@charitybank.org

Suggestions to help us deal with your complaint more easily:
1)if possible, please provide copies of any relevant paperwork
2)Tell us what you think we should be doing for you.

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Who to contact

You should try to contact the person at Charity Bank who you normally deal with. They may refer you to someone else – and will tell them and you – if your complaint relates to another function in Charity Bank.

If your complaint relates to the person you normally deal with, it will be handled by the head of that function. If it already relates to the head of the function, it will be handled by the Chief Operating Officer.

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Our response

Once we have received your information, we will try to find out what happened, by investigating our own records. This may involve interviewing some of our staff, and in this case the time it takes to complete the process may vary.

We will then confirm to you in writing our understanding of your complaint. We may ask you for further information at this point.

We know that people do not normally make a complaint lightly, but we are obliged to consider whether our records do or do not support your complaint. We shall then communicate our response, which will be aimed at settling the matter with you.

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If our response upholds your complaint

We shall offer redress in the form of a formal apology and, where appropriate, arrange compensation. In making such a response, we will consider the level of financial loss you have incurred as well as the material distress and/or material inconvenience that you may have suffered.

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If our response does not uphold your complaint

We will provide you with a clear and reasoned explanation as to why we were unable to agree that the complaint was justified.

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Timings

We undertake to respond to you with the minimum delay, and will adhere to the following timing.

Day 1: the day we receive your complaint.
Day 1-2: We will aim to satisfy you with an answer within 24 hours.

If you are satisfied by the close of business on day 2 no further action will be taken.

If we are unable to satisfy you and draw the matter to a close by the time our offices close on day 2, then by…

Day 5
We will contact you in writing, setting out our understanding of your complaint and advising you who is dealing with it.

Then by…

Week 4
We will contact you in writing EITHER detailing the final agreed outcome and to settle the complaint.

Or, if we cannot give you satisfaction, then the Chief Operating Officer will take the responsibility of managing your complaint, giving reasons for the delay and advising when we shall next contact you.

Then by…

Week 8
If we have been unable to resolve the matter by the end of week 8, we shall continue to work towards a mutually acceptable solution.

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Still not satisfied?

At this stage, if you are feeling dissatisfied with our response, you may seek the assistance of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). We will provide you with the details of how to contact the FOS. Charity Bank is legally obliged to co-operate with the FOS and will provide all details and documents as requested by them. Charity Bank will comply with the FOS ruling.

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