Code of Conduct

Our Code of Conduct

You have been selected to be on our site because you are a reputable, local heating business that prioritises high standards of workmanship and strives for customer satisfaction.

The Heating Hub brand is here to support you and in turn present our website visitors with a trusted network of independent local suppliers.

As part of your membership we ask you to sign up to our Code of Conduct.

We know that your business is your livelihood and our code is probably already an integral part of your business.

We want to make sure our visitors know what you stand for and feel confident to use your services.

• What is the Code of Conduct?

1.1 The Code of Conduct is an articulation of our ethics and standards.

1.2 The Code of Conduct is what we stand for as local heating businesses.

1.3 The Code of Conduct gives confidence to our visitors to book with a local company.

Requirements of the Code of Conduct

• Your Customers

2.1 To always do the right thing by your customers. This is a broad scope term and requires you to think about what constitutes fair treatment in any given situation. Where a customer has suffered genuine loss or inconvenience, we want you to consider how you would wish to be treated under those circumstances.

2.2 To put right what went wrong. Of course things go wrong when working on heating systems. From a radiator leaking to discovering a hidden undersized gas pipe that was not quoted for. Where the loss or inconvenience is outside of your control, we think solutions should be fair to both parties. A pragmatic and helpful approach will secure you a happy customer, great feedback and enhance your reputation. Where losses are significant you may need to call on your insurance or request that the customers relies on theirs, depending on the circumstances.

2.3 To communicate your intentions. We all appreciate honesty and being kept informed. Mistakes happen, from getting an appointment wrong to causing unintentional damage. Customers can forgive most things if they are communicated in a timely fashion. Good communication is key to mitigating the impact of mistakes or changes. We require you to keep in touch with your customers and keep them informed when things change.

2.4 To respect your customers and their homes. Whether you are there for a few minutes or a week, how you behave in the home shows your customer how much you value their custom and how serious you are about your business. Dust sheets, shoe covers, polite conduct, no swearing and no negative conversations are a suggested minimum.

2.4 To respect the confidentiality of your customers’ information. You must treat your customers’ information confidentially at all points of contact. A well written privacy statement on your website must be clear about how you use your customers’ information. Under GDPR legislation it is not possible to remarket or sell on their information without their permission.

2.5 To follow up any complaints. In most instances, as reputable business, you will resolve your customers’ dissatisfaction without any formality. Customer complaints are always an opportunity to exceed their expectations and make them an advocate of your company. If you cannot resolve their complaint, you must have a complaints procedure that you can issue.

3 Your Quotes

3.1 To provide a written quote in advance of the works. Your quote should be clear about what you are charging for, with itemised products and materials and breakdown of costs, including VAT. If you are taking a deposit, the quote should clearly show the percentage and amount of the deposit and balance payment(s). Your quote should show when the balance is due, e.g. on completion of the works.

3.2 To be upfront about potential additional works. A small percentage of jobs will reveal additional works once on site that were not quoted for. In most instances it is possible to forewarn your customers at the quote stage and give an estimate of cost. This is preferable to remaining silent about possible ‘extras’ in order to keep your price low. Customers must understand that your experience leads you to believe there may be additional works and you are doing the right thing by them in bringing it to their attention early. If the additional works could not have been foreseen, then still make your customer aware of your hourly rate for unforeseeable works.

3.3 To provide a written quote for additional works. Provide a separate written quote for any works requested by your customer whilst on site using the same principles as 3.1 and 3.2.

3.4 To notify your customer of their ‘right to cancel’ the contract. Customers should be given full details of their right to cancel a contract with you

3.5 To provide a set of clear and easy to read Terms & Conditions. Your customer must know in advance, for example, any exclusions to your standard quotes, their responsibilities as the home owner and situations that you do not cover, e.g. a ‘fixed price quote’ will not include the cost of asbestos removal if only revealed on site. You must give your customers the opportunity to read them thoroughly and explain them if necessary. Good practice is to leave your customers with a signed copy.

4 Your Services

4.1 To only take on work you are qualified to do. The complexities of our industry qualifications and registrations are not always obvious to our customers. You must act responsibly to only take on work that you are qualified to do and hold sufficient experience to execute those works competently with due care and skill.

4.2 To specify appropriate products for the job. Good quality, appropriately specified products represent long term value for your customers. The products you use must match the specification you have given on the quote. It is advisable to state the manufacturer of the products you are supplying.

4.3 To give appropriate workmanship warranties and assurances. Your customers must have faith that you will return to correct a fault within a defined period. A minimum 1 year workmanship warranty and honouring the replacement of parts supplied under the manufacturer’s warranty must be included. If you wish to charge labour for honouring the manufacturer’s warranty then be clear in advance of how much that will be.

4.4 To comply with appropriate H&S requirements and the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015. Do not put yourself, your employees or your customers at risk. Ensure you and your staff carry appropriate PPE and risk assess your jobs at the survey stage. Asbestos and dust from domestic drilling for example will cause lift long damage. We want you to stay safe and protect your customers.

5. Your payments

5.1 To look after your customers’ money. Where you take a deposit it must be held in a separate bank account until you have completed the works.

5.2 To return your customers’ deposits if required. If your customer cancels the works within the cooling off period you must return as much of the deposit as is legally required.

5.3 To set out staged payments in advance. Where works take place over a long period, for example on a building site, it is acceptable to agree staged payments for works as they are completed. The payments must be agreed in writing in advance so that the customer knows when they are liable to make each payment.

5.4 To comply will all FCA requirements if you provide a finance facility. Your customers must be aware of the cost of finance. We expect you to provide a clear breakdown of monthly costs and the total paid in interest, even where this is an interest free deal.

6. Your Business

6.1 To support your local area. We expect that as a local business you serve your local area. It is beneficial, where competitive to do so, that you support other local businesses in your area.

6.2 To employ your workforce. We are here to support sustainable business models that provide great local job opportunities. We do not support companies that employ large sub contracted workforces, but we appreciate you may require flexibility at busy times or during expansion and that you may need to use sub contracted labour. Where this is the case you must continue to honour a direct relationship with your customer and at no point refer your customer to the sub-contractor to deal with faults, complaints or claim on their insurance.

6.3 Invest in your workforce. We want to see companies investing in their employees and in particular giving opportunities to young people through apprenticeships scheme where they can.

6.4 To provide customer reviews. We expect you to have at least one review site with current reviews.

6.5 To maintain adequate insurance. Your insurance cover must include, but not limited to, employers and public liability insurance. Your certificate must be available on request