Complaints Procedure

Serviceteam’s Complaint & Quality Control Procedure

Not happy with your service?
If you’re not happy with the service we have provided, then please let us know?

Guarantenew

Our customer satisfaction Mission

An enormous amount of effort goes into serviceteam’s customer care programme to ensure you receive an excellent service delivered without a hitch

This includes accurately recording contact details at the point of booking, ensuring future communications run smoothly, to arriving on time within agreed time slots and of course completing the works to your total satisfaction. Serviceteam isn’t unique in its approach to customer service but we do pride ourselves in the service levels we consistently deliver.

When things go smoothly and a plan comes together without a hitch, the ‘unseen’ levels of service aren’t so obvious. However, when things don’t go to plan we all feel the pain!

In addition to delivering serviceteam’s ‘standard’ customer service levels (some of which exceed normal industry standards) we constantly think about the additional factors or marginal gains that benefit our customers, for example investing in the development of ‘user friendly’ software that lets you track our engineers route to your front door, UBER style. Not essential, but a nice to have.

Our aim is to continuously deliver a great service. We learn from our mistakes and implement improvements when we do.

However, we are not robots, and due to the huge volume of work we undertake human error will, and does happen even with the most experienced and well-trained team.

If you are not 100% satisfied with the service you have received, then all we ask is for you to give serviceteam the opportunity to put things right before entering our complaints procedure. Just follow the steps below to formerly lodge your complaint. Once received serviceteam will go out of its way to resolve it for you.

What category does your concern fall in?

Research tells us that the majority of concerns fall into one or both of the following categories:

Financially related

Workmanship related

When the concern is financially related.

We aim to be 100% transparent and upfront with our pricing policy and in advance, giving you full control at all times and eliminating any price ‘shocks’, upon completion of a job. We will always have a record of your job whether large or small quoted from photos (over the phone), or for that large project that must be formally surveyed, estimated and quoted for. All telephone calls are recorded in the interests of accuracy so we can (if needed) retrospectively review a conversation if you feel your invoice does not match the quotation provided. Replaying the recording & reviewing communications helps us to pin point accurately any misunderstandings and help correct any mistakes.

Where the concern is related to workmanship.

All our work comes with serviceteam’s 12 month workmanship guarantee (peace of mind). Naturally, if there is a fault with materials or the workmanship within a 12 month period then we guarantee to return ‘free of charge’ to put it right.

Follow these steps when raising a concern

Raising a concern, steps to follow.

For continuity purposes and in the interests of clarity when we thoroughly address your complaint we do ask that you adhere to the steps of our complaints procedure. By doing so we guarantee to keep on top of your concerns in a timely manner. Without a complaints procedure customers may randomly use WhatsApp, email or telephone phone, or all three to lodge their concerns making it difficult to keep the communication trail in one location for easy retrieval. With a structured complaints procedure the issue/s is ‘captured’ and logged in one place making it easy for serviceteam and the customer to track.

It must be taken up with the tradesperson, whilst still on site. Upon completion of a project (large/small) we ask the customer and tradesperson to visually inspect and assess the finished work to identify any issues, in ‘real time’ and agree the action needed by the tradesperson, to remedy the faults/issue/s if any are present. This avoids dealing with any issues retrospectively and gives the tradesperson the opportunity to resolve the issue/fault there and then.

If you have not been able to identify the concern on site or if the issue is a financial one your appointed office based Job Owner (who manages your project) can be contacted via email or telephone with whom you can discuss your concerns. Should it be an obvious serviceteam error, they have the authority to resolve the issue as quickly as possible without need to enter the complaints procedure.

Where it has not been possible to resolve your concern swiftly to your satisfaction by following the above guidelines, we invite you to submit (in writing) your concern via our website by clicking on the link below. When investigating an issue we review specific telephone recordings, emails and WhatsApp’ed communications, sign off reports, vehicle trackers, photos and job sheets and compare it with the information that’s been provided. Our internal investigation includes interviewing the tradesperson and the job owner (if required) in order to respond to your complaint and seek a resolution.


Lodge a Complaint

Hardly ever required (thankfully) and rarely offered by our competitors. This enables a customer to forward their complaint to a 3rd party if a satisfactory resolution has not been found having followed the above procedure. The Ombudsman will impartially reside over the information/evidence presented (by each party) to reach a fair and reasonable verdict. It’s the responsibility of the Ombudsman to provide balance to the hearing to reach a fair and reasonable outcome. This service is free to customers of serviceteam Ltd.


Dispute Resolution

Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that plans change due to unforeseen circumstances. If they do, and we’re not informed immediately you may be charged for the missed visit. Serviceteam of course want to avoid any charges due to circumstances that are outside of your control. Therefore, and as soon as you realise please telephone serviceteam to cancel your booking, change any details or reschedule it, so we can manage our timetables. If notification is not received, you will be charged a cancellation fee.

Serviceteam go further than most to minimise the chances of a missed appointment.

There must be no doubt, or ambiguity in a customer’s mind (including residents/tenants) that once a visit is booked, confirmed and a time slot given serviceteam commits its resources to conducting the visit.

In our industry most of the negative feedback received is related to unreliable tradespeople not meeting agreed arrival slots. We know how important it is for everyone to be in harmony (in advance) when it comes to booking appointments.

Whilst we cannot be everywhere, offering unlimited availability every minute of the day, or always meet your preferred time slot – we will always be honest and upfront and notify you when we can attend. This gives you the option to agree a different time slot (on the same day), re arrange for a different day, or cancel if the new appointment date does meet with your schedule.

How it works

    Serviceteam will agree an appointment date in advance directly with the resident/tenant 100% of the time, either by text/email or recorded message/telephone conversation.

    Serviceteam will confirm the appointment date via email at the point of booking (if an email address has been provided).

    Serviceteam will send a text message, the evening before the day of the appointment (using the mobile number provided) confirming your specific arrival slot (so you don’t have to wait in all day).

    Serviceteam will send an ‘Uber’ style ‘tracking link’ via email/text message so you can track the tradesperson journey whilst on route to your property.


We have invested heavily in our software systems to give you a clear understanding of the above steps and avoid any chance of a missed visit.

Serviceteam always endeavour to arrive within your agreed arrival slot. However, due to the nature of our business we cannot give a cast iron guarantee, should the job prior to your appointment slot overrun, or when difficult traffic conditions prevail.

Should either of the above look likely, your appointed tradesperson will always call and update you.

For a nominal fee, we may be able guarantee a specific/pre-agreed arrival slot. Please ask your job owner for details.

Finally, if a morning or afternoon appointment is your preference please inform your job owner. We will do our best to accommodate your request but please be advised we cannot give any guarantees as it relies heavily on cost effective route and journey planning with our tradespeople, not to mention the reduction in our carbon footprint.

If the three-hour appointment slot doesn’t meet with your schedule, please contact serviceteam the moment you receive our text, and we will rearrange the appointment to a date that does meet with your commitments.

If notification of cancellation is not received during the ‘lead in’ period to your confirmed appointment you will be charged a cancellation fee.

Please see our website Cancellation Terms at www.serviceteam.co.uk for clarification.

The appointment will only be agreed with the person who will be present in the property on the day of the visit. Having done so, we can only assume/hope the person will be there to give access on arrival of our tradesperson. Assuming serviceteam is not to blame for the missed appointment, the costs associated with a missed appointment would be payable by our client.

Naturally, if our client seeks reimbursement from the tenant/resident, serviceteam will provide them with all the evidence needed to support any claim i.e. vehicle tracker information, photographic/timed stamped/GPS tracked job sheets, telephone recordings, appointment confirmation emails, appointment confirmation text messages, on route tracker text plus email/s.

If only we could, by having every trade on ‘tap’, every minute of the day and night, in every location in and around London. Sadly, we can’t. It might be possible for an UBER driver who provides a simplified service to be available at any given time, but even they cannot give a cast iron arrival slot as it depends on supply and demand. Similarly, with our tradespeople who undertake multiple jobs (daily) we cannot estimate to the minute, how long each job will or won’t take, due to many unknown or understood factors.

However, what we can do is to be upfront with you in terms of how we work, leaving you in control at every stage of your service allowing you to reschedule/defer or cancel.

How our appointments work?

Except for same day bookings, we work out our engineers’ route and journey plan the evening prior to the day of your appointment. This ensures our tradespeople follow the shortest possible route thus saving time, fuel and reduce our carbon footprint.

Not until the end of each working day, when all bookings have been secured can we begin to organise the tradespersons route and journey plan for the following day.

Once the tradespersons routes have all been agreed then, and only then, will we be in a position to offer you a confirmed time slot.

The evening before your appointment date you will receive a text message with a three-hour arrival slot for your appointment (so you don’t have to wait in all day).

On the day of the appointment you will receive an ‘Uber Style’ on route tracking link via the text message enabling you to track our tradespersons progress to your property. An email will also be sent confirming your time slot.

Serviceteam always endeavour to arrive within your agreed arrival slot. However, due to the nature of our business we cannot give a cast iron guarantees if the job before your appointment slot over runs, or if difficult traffic conditions prevail.

Should we fall behind schedule your appointed tradesperson will always call and update you.

If you prefer a specific and pre-agreed arrival slot, we may be able to cater for this at an additional cost, please discuss with your job owner.

Finally, we know schedules and plans change. If a morning or afternoon appointment is your preference let your job owner know, although please be advised we cannot give any guarantees.

If the three-hour appointment does not meet your expectations, please call serviceteam as soon as you receive your text message and we will agree a more convenient date.

If we don’t receive notification of cancellation with a confirmed appointment (in the run up to the appointment) or notice to reschedule you will be charged a cancellation fee.

Please go to our cancellation terms on our website serviceteam.co.uk for further information.

On the rare occasion that something goes wrong, let us know as soon as you know, and we will attend to investigate. Of course, if the fault is found to be with materials, parts or the quality of our workmanship supplied by us within the last 12 months, then the visit will be free of charge.

However, if the reported fault is not connected to any of the above then it will not be covered under warranty making the visit chargeable at our standard rates (visit our website for details).

We adopt this approach due to the technical nature of the works we complete to establish (via an on-site visit) if the fault is or isn’t covered under warranty.

Please remember when booking in ‘ongoing’ works this must be done directly with our Call Centre (not the tradesperson) for the guarantees and our insurance to be legally binding. Failure to follow this procedure puts serviceteam’s guarantee and you at risk.

For appliance diagnostic repairs we guarantee to diagnose the fault within the first hour (as a minimum), otherwise you won't be charged for the visit. If we are able to fix the issue within the first hour we will.

However, if the repair requires specialist parts or extra time on-site, we will provide you with a fixed price quote for the additional works and wait for your authorisation before proceeding.

We do have to draw the line somewhere when it comes to our ‘call out’ charge and we do that by allowing up to the 1st hour on-site.

This is standard within the industry and is necessary to cover the costs of our tradesperson's salary, vehicle costs and office overheads.

If we have been unable to resolve the issue within the 1st hour through no fault of our own, then you will be charged for the time. Any further works required will be quoted for, so you are always in control.

As standard and in 95% of cases (unless requested otherwise) serviceteam seek to consolidate our prices with a scoped, Fixed Price Quote presented for your approval in advance of the work commencing. We do this as most of our customer prefer ‘cost certainty’ that a ‘quote’ gives as opposed to an ‘estimate’.

However, it is vitally important to understand the difference between the two.

Quotes V’s estimates explained

Serviceteam provides a range of bespoke services and prices (unlike a retailer offering a set product price) providing our customers with an idea of what they should expect to pay for a specific job.

For the benefit of our customers, understanding the difference between a quote and an estimate and selecting the right one is key to your complete satisfaction.

So, we’ve written an easy to understand guide to ‘estimates’ V’s ‘quotes’ in the pursuance of clarity and avoid any misunderstandings.

So, what's the difference between an estimate and a quote? The first thing to understand about quotes and estimates is that they are NOT just two different names for the same thing. Estimates and quotes serve different purposes, benefits, and advantages/disadvantages. Knowing the difference is vital to avoid disappointment. Let’s consider estimates, first:

What does a Serviceteam estimate look like?

    An estimate is made without using adequate or complete information, or to put it bluntly an estimate is arrived at by ‘guesswork’ or ‘conjecture’. In other words, a ‘guesstimate’ or a rough educated guess based on what a job may cost. Often it is supplied either before all the details of a specific job are assessed, as would be the case when gathering information during a telephone conversation with a prospective customer.

    Estimates would be our first port of call regarding costs. However, things will change once further and detailed information comes to light. For example, when unexpected complications arise during the work or when the scope of what we have been asked to do changes. This could be in the form of an addition, substitution, or omission from the original scope of works.

    Key point: Therefore, an estimate is ‘just that’ – an estimate of the cost of a specific job. An informal idea of price based on limited information. Consider it a starting point in terms of costs, which can go up or down. Estimates CANNOT be used as a legal standpoint for price.

    Serviceteam ‘estimates’ come with a breakdown/overview of labour plus material/s, how long the work/s will take and how much. Plus, the rates and uplifts that may or may not be applied to the final invoice.



What's a Quote?

    A quote (or quotation) is an ‘exact’ price for the pending works and as such is fixed and CANNOT be changed, once it has been accepted by the customer (unless of course the customer changes the amount or type of work required, or there’s something outside the scope of what wasn’t agreed).

    Quotes will only be issued, and prices confirmed when we are confident that all the relevant facts have been established. Understandably, quotes give our customers peace of mind; safe in the knowledge that they know exactly how much the work/s will cost before work begins.

    Serviceteam ‘quotes’ do not come with any form of labour or material breakdown. Should the work/s take longer or less time to complete than first expected be assured, our price will not change.

    Our quotes allowed for the labour, materials, plant, and equipment and are based on standard working hours i.e. between 8am and 6 pm Monday to Friday. No restrictions will be applied to the hours our operatives may work. If your preference is for the work to be completed ‘Out of Hours’ (the hours must comply with local council working time restriction) additional surcharges apply. All detailed within the ‘Quote Options’ section in your proposal.



Can you retrospectively choose between an estimate or quote?

    The short answer is NO. We do not offer a ‘best of both worlds’ approach.

    Often, and in retrospect, we are asked to treat a fixed price quote as an estimate, or vice versa after the work/s have started or have been completed.

    This retrospective approach, based on hindsight effectively leaves serviceteam in a ‘worst of both worlds’ position without the capacity to manage the relationship between ‘risk and reward’ when work/s take slightly longer than we thought we can't ask for more money (as it’s a fixed price guaranteed), but when it takes less time customers want to pay less. The fixed price guarantee must be fair to both parties.

    We are happy to approach any job on an ‘estimate’ basis and in 95% of cases a ‘fixed price quote’ basis. However, our policy is not to retrospectively look at breakdowns for fixed-price work assuming the cost of the work/s comes within 25% of the cost of our hourly rates (as seen on our website).

As standard and in 95% of cases (unless requested otherwise) serviceteam seek to consolidate our prices with a scoped, Fixed Price Quote presented for your approval in advance of the work commencing. We do this as most of our customer prefer ‘cost certainty’ that a ‘quote’ gives as opposed to an ‘estimate’.

However, it is vitally important to understand the difference between the two.

Quotes V’s estimates explained

Serviceteam provides a range of bespoke services and prices (unlike a retailer offering a set product price) providing our customers with an idea of what they should expect to pay for a specific job.

For the benefit of our customers, understanding the difference between a quote and an estimate and selecting the right one is key to your complete satisfaction.

So, we’ve written an easy to understand guide to ‘estimates’ V’s ‘quotes’ in the pursuance of clarity and avoid any misunderstandings.

So, what's the difference between an estimate and a quote? The first thing to understand about quotes and estimates is that they are NOT just two different names for the same thing. Estimates and quotes serve different purposes, benefits, and advantages/disadvantages. Knowing the difference is vital to avoid disappointment. Let’s consider estimates, first:

What does a Serviceteam estimate look like?

    An estimate is made without using adequate or complete information, or to put it bluntly an estimate is arrived at by ‘guesswork’ or ‘conjecture’. In other words, a ‘guesstimate’ or a rough educated guess based on what a job may cost. Often it is supplied either before all the details of a specific job are assessed, as would be the case when gathering information during a telephone conversation with a prospective customer.

    Estimates would be our first port of call regarding costs. However, things will change once further and detailed information comes to light. For example, when unexpected complications arise during the work or when the scope of what we have been asked to do changes. This could be in the form of an addition, substitution, or omission from the original scope of works.

    Key point: Therefore, an estimate is ‘just that’ – an estimate of the cost of a specific job. An informal idea of price based on limited information. Consider it a starting point in terms of costs, which can go up or down. Estimates CANNOT be used as a legal standpoint for price.

    Serviceteam ‘estimates’ come with a breakdown/overview of labour plus material/s, how long the work/s will take and how much. Plus, the rates and uplifts that may or may not be applied to the final invoice.



What's a Quote?

    A quote (or quotation) is an ‘exact’ price for the pending works and as such is fixed and CANNOT be changed, once it has been accepted by the customer (unless of course the customer changes the amount or type of work required, or there’s something outside the scope of what wasn’t agreed).

    Quotes will only be issued, and prices confirmed when we are confident that all the relevant facts have been established. Understandably, quotes give our customers peace of mind; safe in the knowledge that they know exactly how much the work/s will cost before work begins.

    Serviceteam ‘quotes’ do not come with any form of labour or material breakdown. Should the work/s take longer or less time to complete than first expected be assured, our price will not change.

    Our quotes allowed for the labour, materials, plant, and equipment and are based on standard working hours i.e. between 8am and 6 pm Monday to Friday. No restrictions will be applied to the hours our operatives may work. If your preference is for the work to be completed ‘Out of Hours’ (the hours must comply with local council working time restriction) additional surcharges apply. All detailed within the ‘Quote Options’ section in your proposal.



Can you retrospectively choose between an estimate or quote?

    The short answer is NO. We do not offer a ‘best of both worlds’ approach.

    Often, and in retrospect, we are asked to treat a fixed price quote as an estimate, or vice versa after the work/s have started or have been completed.

    This retrospective approach, based on hindsight effectively leaves serviceteam in a ‘worst of both worlds’ position without the capacity to manage the relationship between ‘risk and reward’ when work/s take slightly longer than we thought we can't ask for more money (as it’s a fixed price guaranteed), but when it takes less time customers want to pay less. The fixed price guarantee must be fair to both parties.

    We are happy to approach any job on an ‘estimate’ basis and in 95% of cases a ‘fixed price quote’ basis. However, our policy is not to retrospectively look at breakdowns for fixed-price work assuming the cost of the work/s comes within 25% of the cost of our hourly rates (as seen on our website).

    Our engineers endeavour to carry as much van stock as is possible as our preference would always be to complete your repair quickly during the initial visit.

    We attempt to provide a diagnosis (based on information received) prior to enter the property to maximise the chances of a 1st time fix, reducing costs and speed up repair time. However, in every case, we would prefer to complete a site diagnosis.

    It is an industry misnomer to believe a tradesperson carries every spare/replacement part as ‘van stock’ to cover every eventuality, it’s just not possible even if to some a part may seem generic. There are 100,000’s of parts that could be considered ‘generic’ that a plumber or heating engineer may need to cover every job.

    The limited space on vehicles would not allow this, neither would serviceteam be able to get competitively priced insurance to cover the stock. The knock-on effect would increase prices, which we prefer to avoid.

    Furthermore, many of our suppliers do not always stock ‘generic’ parts they rely on centralised distribution centres and next day delivery to local branches. Therefore, it’s not surprising if a part you might consider as ‘standard/generic’ may not be carried on our tradesperson's van.

    If our tradesperson doesn’t have the part, they will check online for stock availability. There are numerous stockists with whom we have accounts that may hold a specific part. If time permits (once authorisation is received) we can collect the part and complete the repair/s.

    If a return visit is required and the part is not in the van stock inventory or available from a local supplier, there will be a charge for the visit. We have to draw a line when it comes to our charges and do so by allowing up to the 1st hour on-site, which is standard within the industry.

    If you know precisely the specific part required for your repair, then inform the office and we will attend with it. However, should the part be incorrect and the repair unable to proceed as a result a restocking charge will be applied plus the cost of the visit.

    Yes, with some of the more common/repetitive jobs we do day in day out. We are confident to advise over the phone, providing the work is as stated and free of any secondary issues (we can never be 100% accurate until a site investigation has been completed).

    We attempt to provide a diagnosis (based on the information received) prior to entering the property to maximise the chances of a 1st time fix, reducing costs and speed up the repair time. However, in every case, we would prefer to complete a site diagnosis.

    There are potential risks for serviceteam if we attempt a diagnosis prior to attendance. Therefore, and please be aware, that diagnosis and quotes prepared without a site inspection will always be subject to review.

    In the eventuality that the engineer identifies variations in the works, culminating in an ‘abortive call’ then all unnecessary materials will be returned to our suppliers for a refund. Charges will only apply to the associated labour costs (at our standard labour rates) and include any material restocking fees levied by our suppliers.

    Estimates prepared from photos/emails/telephone conversation/s are limited to the accuracy of the information provided and will always be subject to a site survey.

    Within the first 30 minutes on site our engineer will assess and compare the quoted works with the actual/live circumstances, prior to commencing work. If there are any anomalies with our estimate that suggest a financial loss for serviceteam, the tradesperson will discuss these with you before commencing work.

    We allow a maximum of one hour for the draining down and refilling of central heating systems. In the vast majority of cases, this is more than adequate.

    However, on rare occasions, the draining down of water tanks, radiators and pipework can cause airlocks during the refill process, either as a result of pre-existing sludge settling or solidifying, or the condition/routing of existing ‘concealed’ pipework not visible/evident before the works have commenced.

    On these occasions we will always provide you with a report and further works quote for your approval before proceeding.

    As a serviceteam favour we will collect keys when access cannot be physically provided, especially in times of an emergency e.g. when a GSC is near its expiry, or when urgent repairs are needed related to safety. However, we always expect/request a responsible person to be present, not only to provide access but to sign off the completed work/s.

    Furthermore, a responsible person present will be able to clarify instructions and avoid any potential errors and/or disputes regarding the finished product, regardless of written instructions. Therefore, if a responsible person is not in attendance serviceteam accepts no liability or any loss or errors that could have been easily clarified by a responsible person on site.

    Whilst all our Field Team Members are DBS checked and completely trusted by serviceteam. We will not accept liability in respect of any loss, damage or injury suffered as a result of a responsible person not being present to witness the works.

    Serviceteam need confirmation/sign off, that the completed works meet with the customer satisfaction and are within the scope of the quotation. Sign-off is a contractual and necessary part of the service we provide. We want to ensure you are100% satisfied with the completed work/s.

    From a resident's or owners’ perspective, it's vital that sign off is obtained, as it informs us that you are satisfied with the completed work/s. Without sign-off, the tradesperson’s salary will be held in an ESCROW account until sign off has been obtained. Serviceteam prefer to avoid any payment delays to our tradespeople, hence the urgency attached to sign off.

    If the finished quality of workmanship does not meet 100% with your expectations, then please inform us immediately so we can arrange to return and correct any snags.

    It is mandatory for the resident, whether they are the bill payer or not, to confirm that the completed works have been visually inspected (where practically possible) and signed-off. By doing so gives assurance and cover against any defective materials or workmanship that fail to perform satisfactorily over the warranty period.

It is the resident’s responsibility (and risk) to remove any fragile, or items of value from within the work and surrounding area to prevent damage.

Assistance can be provided with the repositioning and/or removal of bulky furniture or white goods.

Please follow the step by step quality and complaints procedure by clicking on this link Complaints Procedure

The quote we have provided does not include the cost of parking and/or congestion charge, which will be added to the final invoice (if applicable).

As you know parking in and around London can be problematic and extremely costly (depending on the area) If a parking space can be reserved for our tradesperson it would be appreciated and increase efficiency of the service (no feeding of meters).

Please let your Account Manager know of any special instructions, or if a parking permit or free parking bay can be provided.

For properties on the rim of the congestion zone and where it is not reasonably practical for our engineer to attend without entering/clipping the charge zone, we may need to add the charge to the final bill; please check with your account manager in advance of your appointment for clarification if you’re not sure?

Work will be completed as carefully as possible by the appropriately skilled tradesperson.

Of course, where possible we will always try to avoid damage to the surrounding areas, however, even with the best and most careful intentions this cannot always be avoided.

Where damage is evident but not directly attributable to our tradesperson, then serviceteam will provide a quote to make good any damage.

For example, on occasions removing light fittings to replace a bulb can cause caulking around the fitting to flake away needing a decorator to ‘make good’. This is due to the way the fitting has been decorated adjoining the ceiling, as opposed to the process used by our electrician to remove the fitting.

Also, drilling a hole in an external wall to the inside wall of the property may cause local cracking/lifting to the area surrounding the hole. This is as a result of the condition/age of the existing plaster/wallpaper as opposed to the workmanship.

When material choices need to have an aesthetical appeal, it is the responsibility of the customer to provide (in writing) a description of the exact or acceptable equivalent (product name, colour, manufacturers specification part number/s/serial number) to guarantee the product meets the customer’s expectations. In circumstances where a product does not meet the client’s expectations due the match not close enough to blend naturally with the existing surroundings, and having followed diligently the customers written instructions, serviceteam will not be responsible for any financial liability, any re-working or supply of material/s. If a customer is not satisfied with the end result serviceteam will provide a further works quote for consideration before proceeding.

    Our engineers endeavour to carry as much van stock as possible as our preference would always be to complete your repair quickly during the initial visit.

    It is a misnomer within the industry to believe a tradesperson carries every spare/replacement part as ‘van stock’ covering every eventuality, it’s just not possible, even if to some a part may seem generic. There are 100,000’s of parts that could be considered ‘generic’ that a plumber or heating engineer may need on every job.

    The limited space on vehicles would not allow this, neither would serviceteam be able to obtain ‘reasonably’ priced insurance to cover the parts. The knock-on effect in terms of vehicle insurance costs would be higher prices to our customer’s, which we prefer to avoid.

    Furthermore, many of our suppliers do not always stock ‘generic’ parts they rely on centralised distribution centres and next day delivery to local branches. Therefore, it’s not surprising if a part you might consider as ‘generic/standard’ may not be carried on our tradesperson's van.

    If our tradesperson doesn’t have the part, they will check online for stock availability. There are numerous stockists with whom we have accounts that may hold a specific part. If time permits (once authorisation is received) we can collect the part and complete the work/s.

    If a return visit is required and the part is not a van stock item or available from a local supplier, there will be a charge for the visit. We have to draw a line when it comes to our charges and do so by allowing up to the 1st hour on-site, which is standard within the industry.

    If you know exactly the specific part required for your repair, then inform the office and we will attend with it. Should, the part be incorrect and the repair unable to proceed as a result a restocking charge will be applied plus the cost of the ‘unproductive’ return visit.

No, unless you have specified in advance for serviceteam to dispose of the waste the cost will be added to the final invoice (if applicable).

Any work serviceteam undertakes on behalf of a client that produces waste is by definition classed as ‘domestic waste’ and can therefore be disposed of directly by the customer (free of charge) at your council’s waste disposal depot (a contribution you pay for in your council taxes).

However, if you want to avoid the inconvenience of disposing of the waste and prefer serviceteam to do so, the waste becomes ‘Commercial’ Waste’ and carries a cost.

On completion of the works with the customer in attendance our tradesperson/s will ask if you require serviceteam to dispose of the waste or not. If you prefer to make your own waste disposal arrangements, please confirm with serviceteam.

If a customer is not in attendance, upon completion of the work/s, and removal of the waste has not been agreed or included in the quote, serviceteam will contact you (on the number provided) for a decision. If we are unable to make contact, and to avoid disappointment serviceteam will automatically clear the site of any waste associated with the work/s and charge accordingly.

Please let your account manager know of any particular waste disposal requirements. Our tradespeople must know in advance of your work/s.

If you decide to dispose of the waste yourself, provide our tradesperson with suitable sturdy rubble sacks and they will bag up’ the waste for you. Please instruct our tradesperson accordingly.

When serviceteam is requested to dispose of waste, the cost will be added to the final invoice in line with our Waste Cost Table. Please note, if the amount of waste is too great and cannot fit on the tradespersons vehicle, the surplus will be stored at a location (agreed with the customer) and collected by serviceteam’s specific waste disposal vehicle when it is convenient to do so. Please click on the link below to access our waste disposal charges.

Waste Disposal Charges

Card details are kept safely and securely with our payment gateway provider ‘Sage Pay’.

Serviceteam can only see the last four digits on your card.

However, you can request your card details to be deactivated.

Payment

Payment details will be taken from you at the time of booking.

If a deposit is due it will be taken from the credit/debit card provided at the point of booking.

The final payment will be taken from the card provided (at the point of booking) upon completion the work/s.

If you prefer to use a different card to make the final payment, it is your responsibility to make payment to the tradesperson whilst still on site.

A copy of the paid invoice and a job-sheet will be emailed to you once the payment has been approved.

Our dedicated Operations Team are on call to discuss any job/s needing attention, as well as manage your booking through to completion.

For jobs under £3,000, payment in full is required upon completion of your work/s and after receiving your invoice.

For jobs between £3,000 and £20,000 the payment structure is as follows: -

40% deposit payable on agreement of the quotation and signed paperwork/contract.

40% becomes due midway through the project.

10% payable on practical completion.

Final 10% payable on the satisfactory completion of any snagging work.

For jobs over £20,000 a mutually agreed payment plan will be put in place.

Any discounts applied to a quote will be subject to serviceteam receiving payment on any outstanding bills in line with our standard payment terms and conditions. If payment terms are not met any ex gratia discounts offered pre works, will be deemed null/avoid and removed from the final invoice.

It is your responsibility to inform us of the trade required when arranging an initial visit.

Most of the time, this is obvious; however, on rare occasions, a fault may be connected to one or more trades. It is not possible without a site investigation by a tradesperson to be 100% sure. We can only be guided by your assessment of the situation. So, for a tradesperson to attend site there will be a charge.

As an example, ‘my boiler shows no power, do I need an electrician or a gas safe engineer?’

The fault could be related to a power supply issue to the boiler (in which case an electrician would be needed) or an issue with a component within the boiler, in which gas a gas safe engineer would be required. In this instance we wouldn’t know in advance without a site visit.

Whilst we are happy to provide recommendations over the phone, we cannot give guarantees without completing a site inspection.

Therefore, it is your risk (not serviceteam’s) and your responsibility to make this decision regardless of advice provided.

The type of tradesperson that has been arranged is confirmed at the point of booking, in your appointment confirmation email.

Please check this prior to your appointment to be sure.

Serviceteam endeavour to arrive within your agreed arrival slot.

We understand the importance of arriving on time, which is why we have invested heavily in an Uber style on route tracking, appointment confirmation, text messages the day prior, appointment confirmation emails at the point of booking.

However, due to the nature of our business, we cannot give cast-iron guarantees if previous works overrun, or when difficult traffic conditions prevail.

Should your appointed tradesperson fall behind schedule you will receive a call updating you. You will also receive a text/email notification that enables you to track the tradesperson’s progress to your property.

Important -

 

As this quote has been provided without the advantage of a site visit, it is important you thoroughly review and understand our process when quoting from images: -

We have reviewed the photographs and information provided and have done our best to prepare your quotation (attached) based on the same.

However, there is no substitute for a site visit to get 'eyes on' the complete scope of the work's with a tradesperson focused on the job at hand.

Quoting from photos, together with a thorough explanation of the work's isn't always enough to cover the entire scope. Therefore, there is an element of risk that the quote may be subject to alteration.



How it works:


 The tradesperson arrives on site, assesses the quotation against the 'actual' scope of the work's. If the 'actual' scope of the work's matches the quotation without any variations, the tradesperson will proceed with the work's during the same visit.

If any variations are revealed, we will inform you immediately before commencing work, and will not proceed without your authorisation.

In all cases, and in advance we would prefer a site survey/quotation visit. However, please don't be disappointed if on the first day of the planned work's we find something not identified in the information you have provided or that we simply missed (we're only human and there is no substitute for a tradesperson on-site focused on the job hand). Remember, you are always at liberty to reject the revised quotation.

Of course, we would like to get the job underway on the first visit without any adjustments, but it's not a perfect world we live and work in.

If you prefer a pre-site survey to firm up the scope and price, before booking the work/s then why not request a 'site survey and quote visit'?. Inform your job owner who will arrange a visit to suit your diary. For more information click on this link https://serviceteam.co.uk/scoped-work-quotations/