The Guild of Master Craftsmen has continued its tradition of bringing together skilled artisans engaged in a trade, craft or professionals in order to safeguard the public’s interest and ensure a premium service from recommended tradesmen. Rogue tradesmen can produce substandard work, this can be hard to spot when you are meeting a supplier for the first time,
and without using a carefully vetted member of The Guild of Master Craftsmen you may be putting yourself at risk. The Guild of Master Craftsmen provides the public with skilled, local tradesmen you can trust. If you see the Guild emblem you can be sure that you will be working with a trusted tradesman who is highly skilled, reliable and accountable.
Contact: 01273 478449 Email:
theguild@gmcgroup.com Follow on Twitter: @Guild_MasterC
The Guild’s conciliation process eases courtroom conundrums
THE Guild’s conciliation process is a benefit for members through saving a good sum of money over troubling the courts. While it is understood members pay to belong to The Guild of Master Craftsmen, the organisation acts as an impartial third party and provides its members with credence. Having examined the facts at the Guild’s disposal, the organisation suggests to both parties practical action by which a dispute may be resolved.
So, what is conciliation?
It is an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process but unlike other dispute resolution processes it is more informal and not a legal process. The Guild’s Conciliation Services manager listens to parties’ points of view after asking for written evidence. After suggesting a way forward, it is up to both parties to accept this advice, or discuss alternatives which suits both parties.
A Guild conciliation process usually starts after receiving a complaint about one of its members. At this stage the
complainant is advised to write to the organisation’s member listing all their concerns, while asking for the member to confirm in writing their
considerations. This letter must
be sent by recorded delivery and a reply received within 14 days.
Failing a response or an unsatisfactory response from the member, the complainant is advised to telephone the Guild after the 14-day period. The conciliation department will then arrange to send out a Guild’s Complaint Notifi cation Form (CNF) to the complainant, which includes a guide to the conciliation service. On receipt of the Guild’s completed CNF – as well as any evidence provided – it is scanned and downloaded on to the Guild’s computer system. The Guild then write to the member enclosing a copy of the CNF and ask for the member’s response in writing within seven days. After an exchange of correspondence, the Guild is then able to suggest action to resolve those diff erences and to use its best endeavours to persuade the parties to reach an amicable settlement. Reply by dates are included on most of the Guild’s correspondence to both parties. Failing a response, the Guild standard chase letters are sent out at the appropriate time. This, the majority of the time, will lead to a written response. By complying with the above procedures and with a little good will and compromise from both parties will lead to an amicable settlement. The Guild’s conciliation process can work quite quickly if all parties respond quickly, or as requested. Some cases take a little longer but it is always the Guild’s
aim to use best available endeavours to persuade both parties to reach an amicable settlement. Alternative action
However, not all disputes can be settled by the exchange of correspondence alone. In these cases, it is usually possible to bring about a resolution through an Independent Inspection usually carried out by expert in that craft, for example, if it is a building dispute, a RICS Chartered Surveyor is used. The member and the complainant is sent a standard form to sign and date agreeing to this process and the recommendation of the expert. Only when this form is signed, dated and returned to the Guild, will they arrange for a series of quotations from the experts in that fi eld. Final agreement is then sought from both parties to use the recommended expert. Both parties will give written authority to proceed and send to the Guild the cost of the expert’s visit and report. The in-the- right party will have their cost returned. Relevant paper work is sent to the expert, and soon after the expert arranges to meet both parties and visit the premises or workshop where the element of work or item can be inspected. The expert will then produce a report showing who is in the right and who is in the wrong. On rare occasions the report indicates partial blame to both parties. The Guild will then make the appropriate refund in the light of the expert’s fi ndings.
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