Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure for Social Media WOW!

At Social Media WOW, we are committed to providing exceptional service and support to all our clients. However, we understand that sometimes things may not go as expected. We take concerns seriously. If you have a complaint, we are here to listen and resolve the matter promptly and professionally.

Who can make a Complaint?

Any person who has a legitimate interest in Social Media WOW! may make a complaint. This will include members of Social Media WOW!

Social Media WOW! will not accept complaints from legal representatives.

Under administrative law, complainants will be allowed to complete the complaints procedure in full unless Social Media WOW! has clear evidence that the complainant meets our serial and unreasonable complaints criteria.

If that is the case and the complainant contacts us again on the same issue, the correspondence may be viewed as ‘serial’ or ‘persistent’, and we may choose not to respond. We will not mark a complainant as ‘serial’ before the complainant has completed the procedure.

Anonymous complaints will not usually be investigated. However, Social Media WOW! if appropriate, will determine whether the complaint warrants an investigation.

Purpose of the Complaints Procedure

The purpose of our Complaints Procedure is to provide a comprehensive, open, transparent, fair and timely process through which:

• Something that may have gone wrong can be identified, acknowledged, and where necessary, corrected;
• An apology may be made where appropriate.

Social Media WOW! accepts that a complainant should generally be expected to lodge their complaint within 30 calendar days of the event being complained about. The 30 calendar day limit has been established because investigation is more difficult after some time; memories may not be as clear as they would have been earlier, records may not be as readily available, and witnesses may no longer be part of Social Media WOW! A delay in making a complaint may also disadvantage any person who is the subject of it, making it more challenging for them to defend themselves for the same reasons.

In exceptional circumstances, Simon Clark, acting on behalf of Social Media WOW, will consider complaints submitted outside this timeframe. In such instances, the complainant will need to explain why there has been a delay in making a complaint.

Where several complaints are made in one letter of complaint, some of which lie outside the timeframe, Simon Clark will determine which complaints can be considered, taking account of their relevance to the substantive complaint or complaints made within the timescale.

Where it is clear that published timescales cannot be met, new time limits will be set, and the complainant will be sent details of the new deadline and an explanation for the delay.

If the complaint is against Simon Clark, the complainant form should be sent directly to Marina Hilton. The procedures set out still apply.

How to Raise a Complaint:

If you have a concern or complaint, the complainant should only use the official email address for the complaint support@socialmediawow.co.uk and not any other Social Media WOW! email. In your email, please include the subject line to read ‘Formal Complaint’ and the following information:

• Your name and contact information.
• A clear description of the issue.
• Any relevant details or supporting documents to help us understand the situation better.

What Happens Next:

Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within two working days.

Investigation: Our team will investigate the matter thoroughly, reviewing all relevant details.

Response: We will provide a full response within ten working days of receiving your complaint. If more time is required, we will keep you updated on the progress.

As part of the investigation, a team member of Social Media WOW! will make contact with the complainant and propose a face-to-face or Zoom meeting to discuss the issues raised.

Expected Outcomes: The member of the team who has been investigating the complaint will report in writing on the extent to which s/he considers the complaint to be wholly or in part:

• Substantiated – where there is sufficient evidence to uphold the complaint.
• Malicious – where it is proven that the complainant has no case and where, also, there is evidence that the complainant deliberately tried to deceive Social Media WOW!, made the complaint as part of a deliberate attempt to cause distress or otherwise acted with malice.
• False – where there is sufficient evidence to prove that there was no legitimate basis for the complaint. or
• Unsubstantiated – where there is insufficient evidence to conclude.

Regarding future actions, there are two possible outcomes from the complaint. These are:

• Social Media WOW! took action to make matters right. This might include one or more of the following:
  • a review of policy or procedure;
  • changes to routines;
  • restorative work involving a complainant and complaintive and a member of staff;
  • risk assessment to determine the likelihood of similar problems recurring;
  • an apology;
• a decision with a full explanation that no action is necessary or justified.

The letter from Social Media WOW! represents the conclusion of their consideration of the complaint. No member of Social Media WOW! will respond to the complainant after this point.

Complaint about a member of Social Media WOW!

If the complaint is against an individual member of Social Media WOW! the complaint should be addressed to Marina Hilton by email at Marina@socialmediawow.co.uk and marked as a Formal Complaint.

Communicating the Outcome

The matter should remain confidential. Marina Hilton will promptly communicate the outcome and set out the reasons for it in a letter to the complainant. The review decision must be sent to the complainant and, where relevant, the person who complained simultaneously. This will be in the form of an email. Whilst the email should avoid unnecessary detail, there should be sufficient information to demonstrate that the review was considered in full, provide an explanation of the decisions taken and include details or any actions or recommendations that will be brought to resolve the complaint.

A written record of the complaint will be kept. Correspondence, statements, and documents relating to the complaint will be filed confidentially. The actions taken due to the complaint will be recorded (regardless of whether they are upheld).

The issue of the decision letter concludes Social Media WOW! complaints process, and Social Media WOW! will not enter into any further correspondence with the complainant.

Our Commitment to You

We value your feedback and will always aim to resolve complaints in a fair, transparent, and timely manner. Your satisfaction is important to us, and we see every complaint as an opportunity to improve our service. Social Media WOW! where appropriate, learns from the process, making it less likely that a similar investigation will be brought.

A written record of all complaints and details of how they were resolved following a formal investigation will be kept.

Thank you for your patience and for allowing us the opportunity to make things right.

Simon Clark
Founder | Social Media WOW!