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Complaints policy

Last updated: 28/05/2024

Our policy

The intention of this policy is to ensure that all complaints from research participants are handled efficiently and effectively.

This policy covers formal complaints from participants who have engaged with or received a call or other contact by Savanta as part of a survey.

Exceptions

Data Subject Access Requests are not covered by this Complaint Handling Policy and participants should instead refer to our Privacy Statement available here.

Savanta will not consider a complaint if there are active legal proceedings ongoing relating to the same issue. Savanta reserves the right to disapply this policy to any complaint submitted if it considers it reasonable to do so.

If your complaint is about a client company's business, please contact that client directly.

Stage 1 - Formal written complaint

In most cases a complaint or issue can be resolved during the initial contact by Savanta explaining who we are and why we are/were contacting you. To find out more on how we use your personal information, check our Privacy Policy.

If you are not satisfied that your question(s) and issue(s) have been addressed to your satisfaction, you can submit a formal written complaint to [email protected]. To allow us to understand your complaint and investigate it fully, you should set out:

  • a description of the nature of your complaint;
  • any relevant facts, dates and the name(s) of individual(s) involved; and
  • the telephone number or email address that you were originally contacted on (without this we may not be able to deal with the complaint).

The project manager and/or project director will investigate the complaint. The amount of any investigation required will depend on the nature of the complaint and will vary from case to case. An investigation may include, for example:

  • requesting further information from you about your complaint;
  • liaising with external parties including the client;
  • interviewing relevant Savanta staff; and
  • reviewing emails or call recordings.

Participants acknowledge that by submitting a formal complaint, Savanta may be required to share information about the participant and the complaint to external third parties in order to thoroughly investigate the complaint.

The project manager and/or project director will provide a written outcome of the investigation by email. We endeavour to respond within 15 working days from when we receive the complaint. If it is not reasonably practicable to respond in full to the complaint within this time, we will provide an interim response to the complainant explaining this and providing an estimate of when a full response will be given.

Stage 2 - Appeal

If dissatisfied with the outcome, you can ask for the decision of the outcome to be reviewed. You must email the project manager and/or project director who provided the initial outcome, confirming your desire to appeal the outcome and set out your full grounds of appeal. This must be sent within 10 working days of receiving the initial outcome. If a request for an appeal is not received by the deadline, then the outcome will not be reviewed and the original decision remains final.

The Business Assurance Committee will receive and review the complainant's grounds of appeal. Their decision is final and this will be the end of the procedure.

Throughout the handling of the complaint, Savanta will keep internal records of actions that have been taken. We will maintain these records in line with our data protection procedures, as set out in our Privacy Statement available here.

Complaints to the MRS

MRS is the professional body for market research practitioners and all MRS Members and Company Partners are bound by its Code of Conduct. Savanta is an Accredited Company Partner.

If you are dissatisfied with Savanta's final response you may make a formal complaint to the MRS: https://www.mrs.org.uk/standards/complaint-handling#page-52

Savanta's details

Compliance team email: [email protected]

Business Assurance Committee email: [email protected]

Savanta Group Limited is registered in Scotland with company number SC281352 and registered office at C/O Bellwether Green Limited, 225 West George Street, Glasgow, Scotland, Scotland, G2 2ND

Trading name: Savanta

Company no: SC281352

VAT no: GB 749 7521 90

ICO registration no: Z9612525