Customer complaints and feedback policy
At The Pet Vet, we value customer feedback. It helps us understand what we do well and where we can improve. We are committed to listening to customers’ concerns and handling any complaints fairly, respectfully, and promptly.
How to share feedback or raise a concern
If you have any feedback or concerns about your experience, we encourage you to speak informally to the relevant member of the surgery team as soon as possible.
If the matter cannot be resolved straight away, you can request a senior member of the surgery team (the Head Vet, Head Nurse or Customer Experience Manager) to contact you. They will usually within 24–48 hours, to discuss your concerns further.
If you are not at the surgery when you wish to raise your concern, you can contact the surgery team using the surgery telephone number or email address.
Making a formal complaint
If you remain unhappy after speaking with the surgery team, you may submit a formal complaint in writing by email to the surgery. This allows us to fully understand your concerns and investigate them properly.
Once we receive your written complaint:
- We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint.
- We aim to provide you with a written response within five working days.
- Your complaint will be reviewed by senior members of the surgery team, and where appropriate, by Area Managers also.
Our response
Our written response will address the points you have raised and explain the outcome of our investigation, including any proposed resolution. Our aim is always to be open, fair, and transparent.
If you are satisfied with our response, the complaint will be closed. If you are not satisfied however or have further questions or concerns after receiving our response, you may reply to us so we can clarify or review the matter further.
If you remain dissatisfied after our additional written response:
- Non-clinical complaints (for example, customer service or administrative issues) can be referred by yourself to an independent third-party mediator of your choice.
- Clinical complaints will be reviewed in line with our internal escalation process and, where appropriate, by our Central Feedback pathway.
We will always explain the next steps clearly and keep you informed throughout the process.
Central feedback pathway
Your escalated clinical complaint will be transferred to our central feedback team and assigned to a dedicated complaint handler.
Your complaint handler will carry out a further review of the information available and will provide a written response outlining the outcome, along with any relevant explanations relating to your concerns. We aim to issue this response within 10 working days.
Throughout this process, your complaint handler will keep you informed by email, including confirmation of any internal escalation and the expected timescale for completion of the review.
Once your complaint has entered this stage, all communication will be managed directly between you and your complaint handler to ensure clarity, consistency, and continuity of care.
The outcome of the investigation will be clearly explained to you in writing.
Pet insurance complaints
If your complaint relates solely to pet insurance processes, rather than care received at the surgery, we may direct it to the appropriate team to ensure it is handled efficiently.
Our commitment
We take all feedback and complaints seriously and use them to help improve our services. Your concerns will not affect the care your pet receives, and any outstanding financial or administrative processes will be handled fairly while a complaint is under review.
