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We hope that you will be entirely satisfied with the way you are treated by the Society. If any problems do arise, we seek to resolve them through our internal complaints procedure. The Society is a member of the Financial Ombudsman Service, to which most complaints can be referred if we are not able to resolve the matter to your satisfaction. However, the Ombudsman will not consider complaints referred to him that have not first been considered under this internal procedure. | How do I make a complaint?In the first instance, you may complain in writing, by e-mail, orally in person or by telephone. Where your concern or displeasure cannot be relieved immediately by the first member of staff involved in the complaint, you will be referred to the member of staff's line manager, or in their absence, to the manager's superior. Where immediate referral cannot be made, your details will be taken so that the manager can contact you as soon as possible.
All complaints received in writing or by e-mail will also be dealt with by a manager. The manager will attempt to resolve the issue before close of business on the following day.This may not be possible for a number of reasons; for example, where the complaint concerns a policy or procedure over which the manager has no control, or where you are not satisfied with the manager's apology, explanation or offer of redress. In these circumstances, the manager will forward details of the complaint to the Complaints Officer, a senior executive based at the Society's Head Office, and the matter will be treated as a formal complaint.Depending on the nature of the complaint, you may prefer to write direct to the Complaints Officer in the first instance.However, smaller problems can often be resolved at local level in the manner described above.How long will you take to deal with my complaint? Once a complaint has been referred to the Complaints Officer, it becomes a formal complaint. It will be acknowledged promptly and the Complaints Officer will ask the appropriate Head Office department manager or executive to investigate your complaint and respond within fourteen days. This is the first stage of the formal complaints procedure.If you are not happy with the response that you have received, you should write to the Chief Executive and ask him to review your case. He will normally do so within four weeks from the date that your original complaint was received. This is the second stage of the formal complaints procedure.If you remain dissatisfied at this point, you can ask for your case to be considered by the Society's Board of Directors. A minimum of three non-executive Directors will review your complaint and determine the Society's final response, which will be communicated to you within eight weeks from the date that the original complaint was received.
How can I refer my case to the Ombudsman?
Unless the complaint relates to a matter outside the jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service you may, if you are still dissatisfied after the Society's final response, refer the issue to the Ombudsman. You should do this within six months of receiving the final response.
A copy of the explanatory leaflet issued by the Financial Ombudsman Service will be sent to you if your complaint reaches this stage.
Not all complaints can be referred to the Ombudsman. You will usually have to show that you have suffered some loss as a result of the Society's actions.
If a final response is not issued to you within eight weeks, you will normally have the right to refer the matter to the Ombudsman without further delay.
However, if you take more than a week to respond to correspondence during the course of the complaints procedure, the additional time in excess of one week may be excluded when calculating the eight week final response deadline.
If I need more information what do I do?
We will always be pleased to help. Please call 01858 412250 or email CustomersFirst@mhbs.co.uk
This information can be made available in Braille, Large Print and Audio format.
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