Complaints Handling Procedure

We are committed to providing you with exceptional levels of service and customer care.

We want to provide you with the highest level of customer service and by listening to our customers’ feedback we can continue to improve our standards of service for the future. We are sorry that you have received a less than satisfactory service but thank you for bringing this to our attention and giving us the opportunity to put things right. We recognise that occasionally things do go wrong so this procedure outlines the process we will use to deal promptly and fairly with the issue you have raised.

To make sure we monitor, and learn from, any complaints we record them centrally thus ensuring that any matter is dealt with properly and that action is taken to avoid a similar problem happening in the future.

How to complain

If you need to make a complaint you can contact us in one of the following ways:

• Should you have any complaints about the service provided, please, in the first instance contact the individual who arranged the policy for you.
• Alternatively you may write directly to or email: Angela Brown, Hensure Business Insurance Consultants, The Grove, Mill Lane, Wheelock, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 4RD, angela@rkhenshall.com or telephone us on 01270 758070.

Please be aware that a complaint that can be resolved by the close of business on the third business day following receipt of the complaint is not subject to the communications noted below.

There are a few things we will need from you to find out about your policy/claim:

• Your policy number. This is the most important of all as it will help us to find your details easily and where possible understand how best to rectify the situation.
• Details of what went wrong. Please give us as much detail as possible. Where necessary please include the dates of your interactions with us and key events which are relevant to your complaint.
• How can we contact you? Just in case we need to speak to you further, please include some contact details and a preferred method of contact (e.g. phone or email).

What we will do  

Our complaint investigation will follow all regulatory rules and guidelines, and the minimum standard you should expect from us is as follows:  

For United Kingdom Customer Complaints

Acknowledgment early resolution  

We will endeavour to resolve your complaint within 3 working days of receipt and subject to your agreement that we have resolved this matter to your satisfaction we will issue you with a summary resolution letter confirming the matter has been closed and the agreed action we have/will be taking to resolve.  

If we are unable to resolve your complaint by close of business on the third working day, we will send you a written acknowledgement within five working days after receiving your complaint. This will tell you who is dealing with the matter, their job title and when you may expect their response.

Keeping you informed  

No later than 4 weeks from us receiving your complaint we will confirm in writing whether we:  

a) accept the complaint, issue our final response letter confirming what steps we will/have taken to resolve the matter, or  

b) have been unable so far to resolve the complaint and provide the reason e.g. that our investigations are ongoing. We will also tell you when you should expect a further response, or  

c) reject the complaint and issue our final response letter giving a full explanation of our reasons.

Providing our final response  

No later than 8 weeks from receiving your complaint we will either:  

a) provide you with our final response letter accepting or rejecting your complaint. If rejecting we will give you a full explanation of our reasons, if accepting we will confirm what steps we will/have taken to resolve the matter, or  

b) if matters still remain unresolved, we will provide you with an appropriate update.

The Financial Ombudsman Service  

Should you remain dissatisfied with our final decision or more than 8 weeks have passed since receipt of your complaint, you may be an eligible complainant within the rules of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and if you wish, you may contact the FOS by telephone on 0800 023 4567 or via their website, www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.  

The FOS is a free service available to consumers for the impartial resolution of complaints. You may contact the FOS at any stage of your complaint, and they will let you know how they can help you. Following our internal complaints procedure and seeking a review by the FOS does not affect your right to take legal action.

The Financial Ombudsman eligible complainants: 

An individual customer – or joint customers – of a financial business that provided service or products in the UK. Customers can ask someone else to help bring a complaint to us, e.g. family member, a friend, Citizen Advice, local MP, solicitors, or a claims company. If you are complaining on behalf of someone who’s died, we might ask to see a copy of the will and the grant of probate. 

Individuals who act as personal guarantors for loans to businesses they’re involved in 

Small businesses, charities, and trusts: 

• a ‘micro-enterprise’ (a type of small business) with an annual turnover or balance sheet that does not exceed €2 million and fewer than ten employees. 
• a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) with an annual turnover of no more than £6.5 million and fewer than fifty employees 
• a charity with an annual income of less than £6.5 million 
• a trust that has a net asset value of less than £5 million 

For Lloyd’s Customers Complaints  

If your insurance is provided by Underwriters at Lloyd’s, and you are unhappy with our response, you may be entitled to refer the matter to the complaints team at Lloyd’s.

Lloyd’s will investigate the matter and provide a final response. Lloyd’s service is provided free of charge

Who to Contact

Detailed information on who to contact is provided in your policy wording, however if you are having difficulty finding this, please speak to us for assistance.

Alternatively, you can speak to Lloyds, their address and contact details are:

Lloyds Complaints
Fidentia house
Walter Burke Way
Kent
ME4 4RN

Telephone lines are open 9-5, excluding bank holidays and weekends.

Telephone number: 0207 327 5693 or Email: complaints@lloyds.com

Keeping you informed  

The Lloyds Underwriter will aim to provide you with a response within 2 weeks of the complaint being received. If this is not possible, they may ask for a further 2 weeks to continue their investigation. If you are happy to wait, there is nothing you need to do.

Providing our final response  

If you have not received a response from the underwriter by the end of week four, Lloyds will escalate your complaint so they can provide you with a final response.

Lloyds aim to provide you with a final response within the regulatory guideline of 8 weeks.

Lloyds can only review complaints where policyholders are eligible to escalate their complaints to either the:

UK Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Full details of Lloyd’s complaints procedures are available at www.lloyds.com/complaints.