TICo Group Ltd and TICo Postal Services Ltd: Code of Practice for handling customer complaints relating to post.

1. Scope

This Code of Practice covers the handling & reporting of complaints, methods of compensation to customers, the methods available to customers for complaint and the methods of appeal available regarding loss, theft or damage to items entrusted to TICo for postal management purposes, until a final decision is reached and approved by both the client & TICo.

1.1 This Code of Practice shall be available via the TICo website or by request by the customer.

1.2 This Code of Practice applies to all verbal and written complaints received by TICo in respect of postal services utilised by our customers.

1.3 Statutory rights are not affected by this Code of Practice.

2. Complaint lodging and acknowledgement

In the nature of the business carried out by TICo the service is only carried out on behalf of existing customers or new customers with whom a relationship is established, therefore, all users of our services will have a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), who is known to them, and with whom a relationship has been established. We would therefore expect that the first point of contact in the case of a complaint will be the customer's CRM, who will accept (probably by phone) the complaint from the customer and will escalate it if necessary while remaining as the primary point of contact for the complainant. However, all the following methods listed in 2.1 of this document are available to the complainant and any other method that is made available by future technologies. Employees of TICo are issued with the company’s standard operating procedures as well as the Code of Practice for complaints which contains all relevant information pertaining to complaint resolution.

2.1. A complaint can be lodged by:

(a) Contacting your CRM by Telephone on 01 2959077 between the hours of 09:30 and 17:00 Monday to Friday. Outside these hours a message may be left on the answering machine which will be responded to by the relevant CRM on the next business day.
(b) Letter addressed to Complaints Manager, TICo, Unit T8, Maple Ave, Stillorgan Industrial Park, Blackrock, Co Dublin L6A 36LT
(c) Email directly to the relevant CRM or to complaints@tico-group.ie
(d) Fax at 01 2959079
This information is integrated into the Terms and Conditions agreed to by the Customer when a Job is quoted and undertaken by TICo.

2.2 In accordance with the guidelines as issued by the Commission for Communications Regulations (COMREG) a customer may lodge a complaint in line with the following timescales;

• for domestic mail one month from date of receipt of item and three months from date of posting of item
• for international mail up to six months
• within one month for all non mail related complaints

Notwithstanding, TICo will do all in its power to resolve any complaint received irrespective of the time scale involved

2.3. On receipt of the complaint a Complaint Form will be filled out by the relevant CRM and returned to the complainant for approval that the complaint has been recorded correctly. The Complaint Form is reviewed by the customer, who may amend details as they see fit. When satisfied with the details recorded, the customer must sign the form and return it to the CRM. At this point the complaint is deemed to be received.

2.4. All complaints lodged will be acknowledged by TICo on day of receipt either by telephone, in writing or by e-mail. Such acknowledgement will state the timescale within which the specific category of complaint will be addressed and resolved (see section 3 below).

3. Complaint handing and resolution

3.1. Following receipt and acknowledgement of all complaints, the following procedure will be followed by TICo in responding to complaints:

Initial investigation of the complaint to establish responsibility (Whether TICo or relevant Universal Service Provider of Postal Services).

Notification of the resolution, (see 3.2.)

Internal escalation (if necessary) and

Final response.

3.2. TICo shall endeavour to investigate and respond to the bona fide dispute as soon as reasonably practicable. The table below states the time frames for resolution and the compensation guidelines:

Category of Complaint	Responsibility	Target Response Time within	Compensation guidelines
Non Delivery (Loss or theft) Damage	TICo	2 days	If TICo are found to have failed to provide the service in question, then subject to force majeure and excluding consequential loss, we will at a minimum put the customer in the position it would have been in had the service been satisfactorily provided.*

*The compensation scheme we offer in accordance with the ‘Guidelines for Complaint and Dispute Resolution Code of Practice’, under Regulation 15(1) of the European Communities (Postal Services) Regulations, 2002.

• Provides for the user to receive some compensation in the form of a number of stamps/credit note and/or a cash amount provided it is reasonable and in proportion to the full cost of the mailing.
• Covers the full cost of the mailing, which includes recompense for the following elements:
  • The cost of the postage fee paid
  • The cost of the material in the mailing, which will reflect the current cost of the replacement/reproduction of the packaging and contents
  • A small compensation to cover any other relevant and reasonable costs incurred.

We will accept a claim from any natural or legal person benefiting from universal service provision as a sender or addressee.

We define delayed as being 7 days within Ireland and 10 days for International postal items.

We also offer compensation amounts when response times and/or maximum handling times are not met.

3.3. If the complaint is not resolved within the above timeframes or the customer is not happy with the progress of the complaint, they may request that the complaint be escalated within the TICo organisation to the appropriate supervisor, manager or the Managing Director. TICo may also escalate such complaint internally without having received a request from the customer if it believes escalation is necessary.

The escalation process is as follows:

3.4. It may not be possible to resolve all complaints within the stated timeframes, however, in such cases TICo will keep the customer informed of the timeframe (or any revised timeframe) within which it expects the complaint to be resolved.

4. Independent advice

4.1. You have the right to seek independent advice at any time, including, but not limited to the following:

(a) Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), Irish Life Centre, Lr Abbey Street , Dublin 1;
(b) Small claims court: To contact the small claims court, see your local telephone directory under court services;
(c) Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs: 4 Harcourt Road , Dublin 2.

5. Record of complaint and file retention

5.1. TICo will retain records relating to the complaint(s) for at least 1 year following its resolution. All Data will be handled by TICo in line with the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003.

5.2. The complaint will be recorded by TICo in a central database and may include details of the complaint such as the assigned reference number, the date of the complaint, a brief description of the complaint, the category of the complaint, customer details, any action planned and/or carried out by TICo to resolve the complaint and details of any communications with the customer or any person acting on the customer's behalf. These records may also include details of any previous complaints made by a customer.