Complaint Handling Procedure

We endeavour to be open, transparent and compliant with all relevant legilations, regulations and industry best practices.

1  Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to ensure handling of complaints raised by clients of Assure Visa in a fair, efficient and effective manner. In resolving complaints, we will seek to respond to issues in a timely and cost-effective way.

2 How do we identify a complaint?

For the purposes of this procedure, a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with our services made by a client where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected or required.

Opinions, comments and expressions of interest or concern, made directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly, about our services where a response is not explicitly or implicitly expected will be regarded as feedback.

3 Our key principles

3.1   Objectivity and fairness

We will address each complaint with integrity and in an equitable, objective and unbiased manner. Conflicts of interests, whether actual or perceived, will be managed responsibly.

3.2    Responding flexibly

We will assess each complaint on its merits and involve people making complaints and/or their representative in the process as far as possible. We will adopt flexible approaches to service delivery and problem solving to enhance accessibility for people making complaints and/or their representatives.

3.3    Confidentiality

We will protect the identity of people making complaints where this is practical and appropriate. Personal information that identifies individuals will only be disclosed as permitted under the relevant privacy laws, secrecy provisions and any relevant confidentiality obligations.

4 How will we manage complaints

Our complaints management process comprises of the five steps outlined below:

4.1    Receipt of complaints

When a complaint is received, or a client raises an issue in a manner that we consider meets the above definition of a complaint, we will make a file note on the clients’ file that a complaint has been received. Relevant details will be recorded to the extent reasonable and practicable.

4.2   Acknowledgement of complaints

We will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 2 business days. Our receipt of your complaint may not state that we have received your complaint (unless you have expressly lodged a complaint) but we will advise you that we will consider the issues you have raised and provide a response.

4.3   Initial assessment and investigation

As the next step, we will determine whether the issues you have raised is/are within our control. If there is more than one issue raised, we will make this determination for each issue. If it is determined that some or all of the issues raised by you are within our control, we will objectively and professionally assess our role in the handling of your matter.

We will then consider how to manage your complaint. In doing so we may:

a. give you information or an explanation as to the reasons for our actions that may have led to your dissatisfaction

b. ask you for further information if there is insufficient or no supporting evidence provided by you as to the reasons for your dissatisfaction

c. keep you updated on progress, particularly if we expect delays.

4.4   Provide reasons for decisions

Once we have considered all the issues raised in your complaint, we will provide you written advice outlining:

a. outcome of the issue raised in the complaint and any action taken by us;

b. the reason/s for our decision; and

c. the remedy or resolution/s that we propose or have put in place.

4.5   Closing the complaint and record keeping

Once the matters raised in the complaint have been addressed, we will keep comprehensive records about how we managed the complaint and the outcome/s of the complaint, including whether it or any aspect of it was substantiated.

5 Unreasonable conduct by complainants

We are committed to being accessible and responsive to clients who provide feedback or make a complaint. However, our attempts to constructively resolve complaints depend on our ability to work in an effective and efficient way.

When people behave unreasonably in their dealings with us, their conduct can significantly affect the progress and efficiency of our work. As a result, we will take proactive and decisive action to manage any conduct that negatively and unreasonably affects us.

6 Procedure review

The next review date for this procedure is 1 July 2022.