Complaining About Poor Service

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a service provider must:

• Carry out the service with reasonable care and skill
• Complete the service within a reasonable time (if no specific time was agreed)
• Charge a reasonable price if no specific price was agreed
• Carry out the service in accordance with any specific information provided before contracting, which you relied upon

If the service fails to meet these standards, your remedies are:

• Repeat performance: Ask the provider to redo the service (or the defective part) at no extra cost, within a reasonable time
• Price reduction: If repeat performance is impossible or would take too long, you can claim a price reduction — up to a full refund if the service is wholly inadequate

When you are unhappy with a service:

• Put your complaint in writing as soon as possible, specifying exactly what went wrong and what you want done about it
• Photograph any defective work before attempting any remediation
• Keep copies of your original quote or contract, any agreements about timescales, and all invoices
• Give the service provider a reasonable opportunity to remedy the problem before seeking an alternative contractor

If you bring in another contractor to fix poor work without first giving the original contractor the opportunity to remedy it, this may limit your ability to claim the cost from them. Always give written notice of the defect and a reasonable period to rectify it before using a replacement.

Regulated professions have their own complaint routes:

• Solicitors: First raise with the firm's complaint partner; then refer to the Legal Ombudsman if unresolved after 8 weeks
• Financial advisers: First raise with the firm; then refer to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)
• Surveyors: Raise with the firm; then escalate to the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) complaints service
• Architects: Raise with the firm; then complain to the Architects Registration Board (ARB)
• Accountants: Raise with the firm; then complain to the relevant professional body (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, etc.)

When a service provider and a consumer cannot reach agreement through direct negotiation, structured escalation routes are available that are faster and cheaper than litigation. Understanding which route applies to your dispute — and what evidence you need — substantially improves your chances of a good outcome.

Sector ADR schemes for services: Many service sectors have approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes that are mandatory for businesses in that sector. For home improvement and furniture, the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO) handles disputes about member businesses. For domestic appliance repair, the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman covers member firms. For construction work, TrustMark-registered traders must offer dispute resolution. If your service provider is a member of a trade body, check whether the body offers a conciliation or arbitration service — many do, and these are faster than the courts.

The Equality Act 2010 and service complaints: Service providers — including tradespeople, gyms, hotels, and professional advisers — are subject to the Equality Act 2010. They cannot refuse to provide a service, provide a worse service, or impose different terms because of a protected characteristic (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation). If you believe a service provider has treated you less favourably because of a protected characteristic, you have rights under the Act. Raise the discrimination as part of your formal complaint. The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) provides free advice on Equality Act claims (equalityadvisoryservice.com). In serious cases, you can bring a county court claim for discrimination — time limits apply (generally six months).

Building your case for the small claims court: For service disputes taken to the small claims track, the key evidence is: the original written quote or contract; photographs of defective or incomplete work, taken before any remediation; an independent assessment from a qualified tradesperson or professional confirming the defect and the cost to remedy it; written records of your formal complaint and the service provider's responses; and evidence of any consequential losses (for example, hotel bills if you could not use a room while work was incomplete, or costs of emergency repairs). The independent assessment is often the most important document — without it, the court must rely on your word against the contractor's.

Limitation periods: Claims under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for breach of implied service terms are subject to the standard six-year limitation period for contract claims (Limitation Act 1980). Do not delay commencing proceedings if a significant amount is involved, as delay can also be held against you in terms of the court's assessment of your conduct.