Before you complain

Be clear in your mind why you are dissatisfied.Was it the way you were treated? A wrong decision? Defective goods? What exactly went wrong?
Be clear in your own mind what you want to happen as a result of making a complaint. Do you want an apology? Do you want a different decision? Do you want the proper service that should have been provided in the first place? Do you want replaced goods? You should mention this to the organisation you are complaining to and ask for prompt action.
Who to complain to
This will be different depending on what type of organisation you are complaining to and the scale of your complaint. The following three steps are a general guideline. For more specific complaint procedures see the Information Section where you can find the specific steps for each organisation;
You should attempt to resolve your complaint directly with the parties involved: i.e. take the product purchased back to the shop, or attempt to have the service redone.
You should contact the relevant senior management or customer services department. It may be necessary to communicate with them several times before taking the next step. Most good organisations will have internal complaints procedures and complaints are often resolved using these. However sometimes they aren't and that's when you should consider the third step. It is worth mentioning that you are considering or have decided to take your complaint to the relevant authorities, sometimes this may provoke more serious consideration of a complaint
You should contact the relevant authority or overseer who will be able to give advice on how to exacerbate your complaint if you are still not satisfied. Ask the institution which is the relevant independent ombudsman or adjudicator to whom you can take your complaint (you can also find this information by browsing the Information Section of this site). Alternatively you can contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Trading Standards Office who will be able to help and give you advice on who you should contact next. Some Ombudsman or executive agencies such as Oftel or Ofgem may take complaints up for you.