Corporate Policies

Customer Grievance Redressal Policy

Objective:

The Company places high priority on customer satisfaction and aims to provide a satisfactory resolution to complaints of its customers. The policy aims to provide a platform to its customers to raise any issues/ concerns faced by them while getting their dream spaces designed and provide a proper, prompt, corrective and effective redressal mechanism for the same.

Types of complaint:

  • Delay in execution of the project (inclusive of site measurements, design preparation, raising orders, delivery and installation of products)
  • Quality issues
  • Payment related issues
  • Warranty and after sales services
  • Non receipt of documents
  • Behavioural issues of the employees
  • Any other issues
Grievance redressal mechanism:

1. Raising a complaint on My Account

In case of any grievance, the same may be raised on My Account by clicking on “Have an Issue” on Wudbell Hub. A unique reference number shall be immediately allocated against the same. The concerned Company representative shall respond within 48 hours of receipt of the complaint and collate complete details and documents related to the complaint. Accordingly, the Company representative shall clearly intimate the next steps and appropriate turnaround time (TAT) to the customer. The customer may track status of the complaint on Wudbell Hub under the heading “Existing Issues”. The customer may also keep a track of the conversations, updates and raise other queries on clicking on the concerned issue (s).

The Company shall provide necessary clarifications/justifications with respect to the Complaint within 7 business days of receipt of the complaint. On successfully resolving the issues in compliance with the policies of the Company, the concerned Company representative shall close the ticket. If the customer is not satisfied with the resolution provided, the customer may re-open the same on the conversation tracker itself. If any further/ other issues come up, the customer may again raise the same.

2. Raising a complaint via mail

If the customer is not satisfied with the resolution provided above, the customer may reach out to customer care service via mail (https://www.wudbell.com/) and provide details and documents related to the complaint. A unique reference number shall be immediately allocated against the same and the concerned Company representative shall connect with the customer within 48 hours of receipt of the complaint to collate all the details and documents related to the complaint and forward the same to the internal team. 

On receipt of complete details and documents from the customer, the Company representative shall also intimate appropriate turnaround time (TAT) for resolution of the complaint. The internal team shall analyse the situation and communicate the further steps of resolution within 72 hours of receipt of the complete details and documents related to the complaint. The customer may track status of the complaint on Wudbell Hub under the heading “Existing Issues”. The customer may also keep a track of the conversations, updates and raise other queries on clicking on the concerned issue.

The Company shall provide necessary clarifications/justifications with respect to the Complaint within 7 business days of receipt of the complaint. On successfully resolving the issues in compliance with the policies of the Company, the concerned representative shall close the ticket. If the customer is not satisfied with the same, the customer may request to re-open the same or if any further/ other issues come up, the customer may again raise the same by sending a mail [email protected].

3. Raising a complaint via call

If the customer wants to raise a complaint pertaining to any of the services provided by the Company, the customer may contact the Company via call ( 76191 23151 ) and provide complete details of the complaint. The Company representative shall promptly raise a ticket allocate a unique reference number, intimate further steps to the customer and also provide a tentative timeline/ TAT for providing an appropriate resolution.

The Company shall provide necessary clarifications/justifications with respect to the Complaint within 7 business days of receipt of the complaint. On successfully resolving the issues in compliance with the policies of the Company, the concerned representative shall close the ticket. If the customer is not satisfied with the same, the customer may request to re-open the same or if any further/ other issues come up, the customer may again raise the same by raising another complaint on call.

Maintaining repository:

As per the policy of the Company, the Company shall maintain a complete repository of all the escalations/ complaints received from its customers and the responses/ resolutions along with its turnaround time (TAT).

Internal review and process improvement:

All the complaints raised in a particular financial year (April- March) shall be reviewed on a quarterly basis to provide a root cause analysis and to minimise customer dissatisfaction and use feedback of the customers to improve the overall quality of the services provided by the Company. The review shall aim to monitor the nature of complaints, TAT and customer feedback and entail to provide expeditious and effective resolution of complaints.

*Important Note:

The average time stated above is subject to the complexity of the issues faced by the customer and the time taken by the customer to provide complete details and documents related to the complaint.

Whistleblower Policy
Objective:

The Company is committed to adhere to the highest standards of ethical, moral and legal conduct of business operations. To maintain these standards, the Company encourages its employees who have concerns about suspected misconduct to come forward and express these concerns without fear of punishment or unfair treatment. This policy aims to provide an avenue for employees to raise concerns on any violations of Company policies, legal or regulatory requirements, incorrect or misrepresentation of any financial statements and reports, misconduct or violation of the Company Code of Conduct, etc.

Purpose / Scope 

This Policy governs the process of reporting inappropriate behaviour and violation of company policies. It does not apply to procedures regarding individual employee’s grievances or complaints relating to job performance, terms and conditions of employment, etc. Such matters fall within the jurisdiction of the Human Resources Policy of the company.

To ensure implementation of this Policy, the Company shall publish this Policy on its intranet and company websites. The company shall also communicate this Policy to its employees (as defined hereunder) on an annual basis. 

Background

To create enduring value for all stakeholders and ensure the highest level of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour in all its operations, the Company has formulated this Whistle blower Policy in addition to the existing Code of Conduct that governs the actions of its employees. This Whistle blower Policy aspires to encourage all employees to report suspected or actual occurrence(s) of illegal, unethical or inappropriate events (behaviours or practices) that affect Company’s interest /image.

Definitions

“Employee”: “Employee” means any person on the rolls including those on deputation, contract, temporary, probationer, apprentice, trainee, part time employees / workers, full time consultants, holding permanent, honorary, ad hoc, voluntary or short-term positions. For the limited purpose of this policy term “Employee” includes vendors, agents, contractors, suppliers, customers and generally anyone who has business relationships with the Company.

“Whistle Blower”: A Whistleblower is an employee who raises a concern about any wrongdoing, event or information about an actual, suspected or anticipated Reportable Matter. The Whistleblower is not expected to prove the truth of the allegation; but s/he needs to demonstrate sufficient grounds for concern and good faith.

“Whistle Blower Officer”: For the purpose of this Code, Whistle Blower Officer will be the Head of Legal and Secretarial

“Reportable Matter”: Any communication made in good faith (with a genuine belief in the truth of the matter reported) that discloses information evidencing any unethical or improper action, wrongdoing, misconduct or violations of the Company Policies, any applicable laws, rules and regulations. An illustrative list of general malpractices that can be reported under this policy are as follows:

  • Misuse or abuse of authority
  • Breach of contract
  • Negligence causing substantial and specific danger to public health and safety
  • Manipulation of company data/records
  • Financial irregularities, including fraud or suspected fraud or Deficiencies in Internal Control and check or deliberate error in preparations of Financial Statements or Misrepresentation of financial reports
  • Any unlawful act whether Criminal/ Civil
  • Deliberate violation of law/regulation
  • Wastage/misappropriation of company funds/assets
  • Breach of Company Policy or failure to implement or comply with any approved Company Policy
  • Conflict of interest
  • Information and data breaches
  • Any other action or unprofessional conduct not expressly listed above but that could adversely affect the interest of any employee or external stakeholders of the Company or otherwise cause damage to the Company’s interests and reputation.

Reporting Channels & Procedures

A Whistle Blower can make a complaint in multiple ways:

  • Writing to the Whistle Blower Officer (E-mail – www.Wudbell.com) or Chief Human Resource Officer. 
  • Additionally, in case the subject matter of the disclosure in any way involves anyone in the senior management, the Whistle Blower shall have the right to report, in writing, directly to the CEO of Wudbell Group.
  • Additionally Whistle Blower can send a written complaint via mail to “The Whistle Blower Officer, Wudbell , 3rd Floor, Aurbis Business Park, Survey No. 58, 7, Outer Ring Rd, Devarabisanahalli, Bellandur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560103”

Considering the highly confidential and sensitive nature of the matters reported under this policy, the Company recognizes that the Whistle blower may choose to remain anonymous while making a disclosure. However, it is encouraged that the Whistleblower reveals their identity so that the investigation team may contact him / her for obtaining more information during the investigation.

However, if a Whistleblower chooses to be anonymous, they shall be required to provide all details (including any supporting evidence) relating to the Reportable Matter, to support investigation. The Whistle Blower Officer shall acknowledge the receipt of a Whistle-blower complaint within 5 working days of the receipt of such a complaint. Any additional information required to establish the veracity of the allegations may be requested from the Whistle blower including a request for a meeting, if required.

The Whistle Blower must be acting in good faith and must have reasonable grounds for believing the information provided. No action shall be taken against the Whistle Blower where the claims made could not be established after an investigation. However, allegations made with a malicious intent or with the knowledge of their falsity shall be liable for disciplinary action.

Confidentiality

All information received under the Whistle blowing mechanism shall be treated with complete confidentiality. Details of the investigation as well as its outcome will not be disclosed or discussed with anyone other than those who have a legitimate need to know. The identity of the whistle-blower, if known, shall remain confidential as far as possible.

The whistle blower shall be expected to keep the nature of the concern raised and the identity of those involved confidential. S/he must refrain from discussing the matter with any other person or contacting the suspected individual to determine facts, collect evidence or demand restitution (unless specifically asked to do so).

Protection of Whistle Blower

Wudbell is committed to protect any person who reports any illegal or improper conduct, in good faith, from any kind of retaliation. Complete protection will be given to bona fide whistle blowers against any retaliation, threat or intimidation, discrimination, harassment or victimization on account of raising concerns under this Policy. No unfair treatment (viz. termination, suspension, disciplinary action, transfer, demotion, refusal of promotion, any other detrimental action) will be meted out to a whistle-blower.

Anyone involved in targeting a Whistleblower shall be subject to disciplinary action. If you suspect that you or someone you know may have faced any such retaliation, we encourage you to promptly contact the Whistle Officer. While the policy offers complete protection to bona fide whistle blowers, any abuse of this protection will warrant disciplinary action. The Policy does not protect employees from disciplinary action for engaging in unrelated fraudulent behavior. Assessment of Whistleblowing reports and Investigation

All reports under this Policy shall be promptly and appropriately investigated. A preliminary review aimed at establishing whether the alleged act constitutes an unethical activity or misconduct, and whether the allegation appears to be genuine and is supported by information specific enough to be investigated, will be carried out by the Whistle Officer.

An investigation will be carried out in an independent and unbiased manner, while ensuring confidentiality. An investigation team may be formulated consisting of personnel having experience and specialized knowledge for handling such situations. External organizations with expert knowledge may be appointed if required. The investigation team shall have the right to request any data or documents and require the presence of any employee for discussion. The whistleblower may be asked to participate in the investigation by way of giving a written statement / providing any documentation.

A detailed report containing all the findings and recommendations, if any, based on the investigation carried out shall be presented to the Chairman of the Company. Post finalization, relevant extract of the report shall be shared with the affected business units to ensure mitigation measures. Information shall be shared on a strictly need to know basis.

The investigation of matters reported under this policy shall be completed within 60 days from the date of appointment of an investigator. Extension of timelines can be obtained from the CEO of Wudbell Group for reasons recorded in writing.

Outcome of the Process

The Whistle Officer shall submit a report to the Chairman of the Company on an annual basis or at such other frequency as may be deemed fit about all concerns reported to him during the period since the last report together with the results of investigations, if any.

Disciplinary Actions

Where, after proper investigation, any employee is found guilty of such misconduct, the management, in discussion with the Human Resources and the Legal Department, shall have discretion to undertake appropriate disciplinary action, at the recommendation of the Investigation Team. Depending upon the facts and seriousness of each individual case, action against the offender may include:

• Verbal or written warning

• Loss of benefits, docked or no pay

• Suspension / probation

• Termination

• Reporting to law enforcement and initiating legal proceedings for recovery of losses if any

In case where any customer, vendor or any other business partner is involved in the violation / misconduct, the management shall consider the need to terminate the contract with such customer, vendor or business partner, blacklist the party for future associations and initiate proceedings for recovery of losses, if any.

Document Retention:

All concerns raised in writing and the results of investigation thereof shall be retained by the Company for a minimum period of seven years.

Code of Conduct – Business Partners
Document Title:Code of Conduct – For Business Partners (“Code”)
Version No:1.0 (February, 2024)
Policy RevisionOnce in two years
Reviewed & Approved By:Board of Directors
CoverageWudbell India Private Limited (formerly known as Home Interior Designs E-Commerce Private Limited), Ehomemaker Solutions India Private Limited, Indepot Technologies Private Limited and Ukeyo Technologies Private Limited (together known as “the Company” or “Wudbell ”)

1. Vision

Our vision is to deliver a beautiful home for everyone with a never-seen-before experience and offer a happier experience to homeowners.

The Code is designed to provide guidance to all our Business Partners regarding Wudbell’s standards of integrity and compliance in our business dealings. This Code is an integral element of the Wudbell ethos.

2. Scope

Wudbell is committed to conducting its business in an ethical, fair, legally, socially and environmentally responsible manner. We believe that our Business Partners are an integral part of our ecosystem, and we encourage our Business Partners to be responsible corporate citizens.

This Code of Conduct (“Code”) applies to each and every Business Partner, irrespective whether consideration is involved in the engagement with the Company. The Code is built around the recognition that everything you do in connection with the work of Wudbell will be, and should be, measured against the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct.

The key area of focus for this Code is:

(a). Governance and Ethical Business Conducts

(b). Human & Labour Right

(c). Environment Management

Business Partners are expected to adopt or establish a management system designed to ensure compliance with the expectations of this Code’s fundamental principles and all applicable laws and regulations for identifying and mitigating associated operational risks, establish opportunities and facilitate continual improvement.

For the purpose of this Code, “Business Partner” includes suppliers/dealers/service providers/vendors/agents/franchisee/consultants/contractors/sub-contractors/third parties, acting directly and/or through their representatives, engaged by Wudbell , in normal course of business.

(a). Governance and Ethical Business Conduct

(i) Compliance with Laws

Business Partners shall ensure compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations including those related to domestic and international trade, data privacy & personal information protection, and antitrust/competition laws/industrial, labour and environment protection laws, to ensure that their dealings are conducted legally and with integrity. 

(ii) Bribery, Kickback and Corruption

Business Partners are expected to refrain from any form of unethical behaviour including theft, fraud, forgery, bribery, corruption, anti-competitive practises, extortion, or embezzlement. No Business Partners (including their immediate family members) are expected not to offer any bribes, gift or any other kind of direct or indirect benefits to Wudbell employees or their appointed agents and vice versa. If a gift is inadvertently sent or received it should be promptly returned by either side, with a note explaining that its contrary to the Code.

(iii) Avoid Conflict of Interests

Business Partners are expected to avoid participating in any business activity that can create a conflict of interest, actual or perceived. Business Partners are expected to have established measures to prevent any conflict of interest that improperly influences any business judgement. In the event any conflict of interest arising at the time of prior/post/during engagement, Business Partners are required to promptly disclose such situations to the Company, even if its an actual or potential conflict.

(iv) Quality

Business Partners are expected to provide goods and services that consistently meet the prescribed standards and are safe for their intended use and perform as intended. Business Partners must meet the specifications agreed upon in the applicable agreement, purchase orders or other contractual relationship with Wudbell .

(v) Privacy and Intellectual Property

Business Partners shall ensure that confidential or proprietary information about Wudbell , our customers, employees or other parties, which have been gained through engagement with Wudbell , is used only for its intended purpose as decided and agreed upon by Wudbell and the Business Partner in a fair, transparent and secure way, ensuring protection of privacy and valid intellectual property rights. Such information shall always be kept secure from unauthorised usage, damage and disclosure.

(b). Human and Labour Right

(i) Child and Forced Labour

Business Partners shall not employ any labour/workmen less than 18 years of age or use forced labour. Wudbell does not engage with Business Partners employing child or bonded labour or those that use any form of mental or physical compulsion as a form of discipline.

(ii) Anti-Discrimination

Business Partners shall not engage in any discrimination or distinction, exclusion, or preference made on basis of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion, political affiliation, union membership, national origin, or marital status in all aspects including hiring, promotions, assignments, wage hikes, training, and termination. 

(iii) Fair Working Conditions and Humane Treatment

Business Partners must provide its employees with safe and humane working conditions, and maintain compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations including but not limited to fair compensation, hours worked, equity, safety etc. Business Partners must respect the right of employees to freedom of association and recognition of employees’ right to collective bargaining were allowed by law.  Business Partners must be committed to establishing a workplace free of harassment and should not threaten workers or employees with or subject them to harsh or inhumane treatment, including sexual harassment or abuse, corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse.

(iv) Health and Safety

Business Partners must provide a safe and healthy workplace for their employees and contractors or sub-contractors. Business Partners must be compliant with local and national laws and regulations on occupational and national authorities. When on our sites, the Business Partners must comply fully with our applicable policies and directives. 

(v) Drugs and Alcohol

Our position on substance abuse is simple: it is incompatible with the health and safety of everyone. Business Partners shall ensure that none of its employees/personnel/workmen consume or are under the influence of alcohol or psychotropic substances as defined under applicable laws, while working at our offices or work sites or at sponsored events.

(c). Environment Management

Wudbell encourages its Business Partners to commit to protection of environment including but not limited to the followings:

  • Adherence to applicable laws and regulations regarding environmental pollution, including but not limited to laws on deforestation, biodiversity conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, wastewater discharge and other relevant laws
  • Business Partners should have processes in place to ensure safe handling, movement, storage, recycling, reuse or management of waste, air emissions and wastewater discharges
  • Efficient use of natural resources such as water and energy
  • Risk of climate change and take proactive measures to minimise and manage their impact
  • Not make any use of resources that has long term impact on biodiversity

3. Non-Compliance

If a Business Partner is found to be non-compliant with the Code, Wudbell reserves the right to terminate the business relationship. In the event of any conflict or ambiguity between any provisions of this Code and the provisions of local laws and regulations, the stricter of the two shall prevail. 

Business Partners should report any concerns about violation of this Code or applicable laws by writing to www.Wudbell.com