An old project complaint needs the records you kept after closing

The complaint arrives after the tools are packed away

A former customer contacts you about work completed before the business stopped operating. The immediate task is to understand the complaint and locate the relevant records. Do not assume the issue disappeared when trading stopped, or that every demand is justified. Preserve the communication and get advice about the actual circumstances and any required response.

Identify the project and the contracting party

Match the complaint to the agreement, work location and legal entity involved. Record what the customer says has happened and what they are requesting. Keep photographs or attachments they supplied. Avoid offering a diagnosis or accepting responsibility before the facts are checked, particularly where you no longer have staff on site or access to inspect the alleged issue.

Retrieve the original evidence

Business.gov.au's record-keeping guidance recommends secure storage and backups. Locate the contract, relevant instructions, completion records and correspondence in the retained project file. Check that digital attachments still open. Do not reconstruct missing evidence as if it were contemporaneous; clearly distinguish an honest present recollection from a document created during the original work.

Source: business.gov.au: Record keeping

A final invoice is only part of the file

Imagine a hypothetical contractor receiving a complaint about a fitting installed before closure. The final invoice establishes an account entry, but the specification, installation records and later correspondence may help explain the issue. The example does not determine responsibility. It shows why keeping only invoices can leave important factual questions unanswered when a project is raised again.

Check any insurance question promptly

Locate relevant policy documents and speak with the insurer or broker about notification requirements and the actual position. Do not assume cover exists or promise the customer that an insurer will pay. Ask the appropriate legal adviser how to respond, especially if a formal notice or proceeding is involved. Keep those questions separate from your initial factual investigation.

Leave a traceable response history

Record who is handling the matter, what documents were provided and what further information is needed. Maintain access to the retained file while the issue is assessed. Closing the premises may reduce ordinary operations, but a later complaint still needs an organised, accurate response. The preserved evidence helps advisers assess it without relying entirely on memory.