Why You Should Complain to Your Umbrella Company

It's Your Money - Don't Accept 2nd Best

You should complain to your umbrella company if you're not getting the service you've paid for. Study after study shows that a happy customer is a loyal one and, in turn, a loyal customer boosts sales & profits. You'd be excused for believing all the umbrella company services understand this concept.

Common 'sense' doesn't mean it's common 'practice'. There's still some umbrella companies where the drive to improve has leveled out in the past three to 4 years.

Umbrella Company Complaints: "Will someone just listen to me?"

There may be times when you want to vent your frustration at your umbrella company. All umbrella companies realise this but there are still some who make it difficult for you to complain.

"Ask your umbrella company about their complaints procedure before you sign up."

Can you say ‘Yes' to these questions?

1. "In the first place, I know how and to whom I should complain to, at my umbrella company."

2. "If I'm still unhappy with the answer, I know how to take it higher."

3. "The issue is fully investigated and the matter is resolved to my satisfaction."

How to make a complaint to your Umbrella Company

In the first instance follow their formal complaints procedure.

Your umbrella company will act quicker if they just have to check your story, rather than have to uncover all the detail themselves.

Instead of a large block of text, try putting the facts down in bullet points for your umbrella company account manager. Start at the beginning and simply detail, in date order, exactly what happened. 

• You should first of all notify your personal account manager. If you're not happy with the response, quickly escalate the complaint to a senior manager within the umbrella company.

If you feel your concerns are still not being addressed by your umbrella company send your bullet points, plus the reasons why you remain unhappy with the response, directly to the umbrella company's Managing Director.

This is as high as you can go. In the majority of cases your complaint will be addressed and, if the umbrella company really cares, you should feel you have got a just and fair result.

Example Complaint to an Umbrella Company

1. 3rd March: sent in time-sheet. Receipt acknowledged by umbrella company.

2. 4th March: sent in expenses. Receipt acknowledged by umbrella company.

3. 12th March: no payslip received and net pay not in bank account. Called personal account manager at umbrella company to find out what was happening. Was advised my paperwork had been mislaid. Tried unsuccessfully to get salary advance.

4. 13th March: Operations manager at umbrella company says it was my fault, and I should resubmit time-sheet and expenses. I explained I couldn't and anyway, the company had already acknowledged receipt therefore the fault must be the umbrella company's.

This is an extreme example and in the rare case a mistake is made, the umbrella company's formal complaints procedure will usually resolve any issues.