Getting in touch
We want to be sure you get great service each and every time you contact us, and we publish our performance every quarter to show our commitment to great service.
We treat all of our customers fairly and with respect. If you need any additional assistance, please let us know and we’ll make sure we communicate with you in the way that suits you.
When you call us
- We’ll aim to answer your call within 60 seconds
- Our staff will always give you their name
- If we need to ring you back, we’ll return your call as soon as we can and within two working days.
When you complete an online form
- We’ll usually respond to you within two working days.
When you write to us
- We’ll get back to you as soon as possible and within five working days
- If we can’t solve your issue in that time, we’ll let you know who is dealing with it and when you can expect a full reply.
If you need us to visit you at home
- We’ll always agree an appointment time with you in advance
- We’ll make sure our staff and contractors always show you their identity badge.
Code of conduct
Our code of conduct covers all contact we have with our customers, whether we are meeting face to face, talking on the telephone, exchanging emails; or communicating on social media or live chat.
We expect Guinness employees and customers to each:
- be respectful and courteous
- be reasonable
- be honest
- help us to provide the best services we can.
We will take appropriate action when either employees or customers behave inappropriately.
For employees, inappropriate behaviour includes accepting bribes, or benefiting personally from the service they provide.
For customers, behaviour could become inappropriate when making unreasonable demands. It also includes behaving unacceptably towards our employees.
We’ve explained below what we mean by unacceptable behaviour and unreasonable demands.
Unacceptable behaviour
Unacceptable behaviour is aggressive or abusive behaviour towards our employees. By aggression we don’t just mean physical harm. Aggression also includes behaviour or language that may make our employees feel afraid, intimidated, threatened, or abused. Some examples of what we consider to be aggressive behaviour are:
- threats of violence or harm
- physical violence
- personal abuse
- shouting
- derogatory or discriminatory remarks (on the grounds of, but not limited to, ethnicity, colour, age, religion, political beliefs, disability, illness, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, learning difficulty, appearance or employment status)
- malicious or otherwise inflammatory statements, or unsubstantiated allegations e.g. about our employees or other customers.
Unreasonable demands on our employees
What appears to be acceptable behaviour also becomes unacceptable if that behaviour negatively affects our ability to do our work. This might be because of the excessive amount of information requested or provided, the unreasonably high level of service expected above our agreed service standards, or the excessive number of approaches made to us.
Examples of what we consider to be unreasonable demands are:
- demanding a response within an unreasonable or unattainable timescale
- insisting on communicating with one particular employee and no one else
- an excessively high volume of contact
- repeatedly changing the substance of a complaint or request for service, thereby preventing us from resolving the issue or issues
- unreasonably complaining to us about matters that are not our responsibility.
Our approach to unacceptable behaviour
How we respond to unacceptable behaviour depends on the nature and extent of it. When we do respond we will aim to bring the unacceptable behaviour to an end and protect our employees.
We recognise that sometimes there are health or welfare reasons which have contributed to a customer behaving in a particular way. We will try to ascertain whether this is the case and work with them to provide additional support wherever we can.
On rare occasions, bringing the unacceptable behaviour to an end may include restricting the method or frequency of contact. This could include taking legal action and/or reporting the action to the police. We call this a contact restriction.
If we put a contact restriction in place we will always respond to the customer in the appropriate way if an emergency occurs.
Customer appeals and review periods
If we put a contact restriction in place, a customer may appeal against our decision to do this.
Any contact restriction put in place will be for a limited time and reviewed, usually after 12 months.
Making a complaint
We work hard to provide a great service for all our customers but there may be times when we don’t get things right.
Find out more about what to expect from us when making a complaint.
About our financial services
We are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of certain types of consumer credit activity, these are:
- debt administration,
- debt counselling; and
- having a right to exercise lender’s rights and duties under a regulated credit agreement.
We hope you are happy with any financial service we provide, but if not, please let us know so we can put it right.
How can I make a complaint about a Guinness financial service?
The best way to contact us is in writing, but you can also speak to us via our customer service team.
Write to:
The Guinness Partnership
Bower House
1 Stable Street
Hollinwood
Oldham
OL9 7LH
What's the process?
If you make a complaint, we will be in touch within five working days to let you know we have received it.
We will investigate your complaint and get a full response back to you within eight weeks.
We may need to review your personal details or ask you for further information.
What if it's not fixed?
If we do not respond within eight weeks, or you are not happy with our response, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Please do give us the full eight weeks to put this right before contacting them. Their details are as follows:
Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
Tel: 0800 023 4567
Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
It is worth contacting them to discuss your complaint before referring it because the FOS doesn’t deal with some types of complaints.
You should contact the FOS as soon as you can after our final response, and certainly within six months. After this, the FOS has the discretion to review your complaint or not.