Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure for Gardeners The Hale

This complaints procedure explains how customers of our gardening services in The Hale can raise concerns, how those concerns will be reviewed, and what actions we will take to resolve matters fairly. We aim to deliver reliable, professional garden care, and take all complaints seriously as an opportunity to improve our service.

1. Purpose of this complaints procedure

The purpose of this procedure is to give customers a clear and straightforward way to tell us when something has gone wrong. It sets out how to submit a complaint, the stages we follow to investigate it, and the timescales within which we will normally respond. This procedure applies to all aspects of our gardening work, including regular garden maintenance, one-off tidy ups, lawn care and planting projects in The Hale and the surrounding area.

2. What we mean by a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our gardening services, whether reasonable or not, that requires a response. This can include, for example:

Work quality that does not meet what was agreed or expected, delays or missed appointments, behaviour or conduct of gardeners on site, communication issues before, during or after a visit, invoicing concerns related to gardening work carried out.

We encourage customers to raise issues as soon as possible so that we can address them promptly and prevent any repetition.

3. How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint in writing or verbally. Written complaints can be sent by letter to our business address. Verbal complaints can be made in person to a member of the gardening team while they are on site, or by speaking to a member of our office team. When making a complaint, please provide:

Your full name and address where the gardening work was carried out, the date or dates of the visit or service, a clear description of what went wrong or did not meet your expectations, any relevant photographs or notes that help explain the issue, what outcome you are seeking, such as a revisit, correction of work or explanation.

Providing these details helps us understand the situation and investigate more efficiently.

4. Informal resolution in the first instance

Where possible, we aim to resolve concerns informally and quickly. If you raise an issue directly with the gardener while they are at your property in The Hale, they will do their best to address it straightaway, for example by correcting any work that has not been completed as agreed. If the gardener cannot resolve the issue on the spot, they will refer it to the office so it can be logged and handled under this procedure.

5. Acknowledging your complaint

Once we receive your complaint, we will record it in our complaints log. We will normally acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable timeframe, setting out who will be handling it and the next steps in the process. If further information is required to understand your concerns, we may contact you to clarify the details or request additional photographs or documents.

6. Investigation of your complaint

Your complaint will be investigated by a person who was not directly involved in the original work wherever possible. The investigation may involve:

Reviewing the gardening job notes and any written quotes or agreements, discussing the work with the gardeners who attended your property in The Hale, examining any photographs or evidence you have supplied, arranging a site visit to inspect the garden if necessary and practicable.

Our aim is to consider the facts carefully, listen to your concerns and assess whether our service met our usual standards and what we originally agreed.

7. Our response and possible outcomes

After completing the investigation, we will provide you with a response explaining the outcome. Where we find that our service has fallen below our standards, we will offer an appropriate remedy. This may include, depending on the circumstances:

Putting things right by revisiting the garden to complete or correct the work, offering a partial or full reduction to the invoice where justified, providing an explanation and, if needed, updating our procedures to prevent recurrence, agreeing a plan for future visits to ensure your garden is maintained to the expected standard.

If we conclude that we have met our commitments and industry norms, we will explain our reasons clearly and provide any supporting information we hold.

8. Timescales for handling complaints

We aim to resolve most complaints as quickly as possible, taking into account the nature of the gardening work and the need to carry out any inspections during suitable conditions. Simple issues may be resolved within a few working days, while more complex matters that require a site visit or further investigation may take longer. If we need additional time, we will keep you informed of progress until the matter is closed.

9. Escalating your complaint

If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed. Your request for escalation should explain why you remain unhappy and what you believe has not been addressed. A more senior person in the business will then review the investigation and response, consider any new information you provide, and issue a final decision. This internal review is the last stage of our complaints procedure.

10. Our commitment to fair treatment

We treat all complaints seriously and handle them in a fair, respectful and confidential manner. Raising a complaint will not affect your ability to use our gardening services in The Hale in the future. We review complaints regularly to identify any themes or recurring issues so that we can improve training, refine our processes and maintain high standards of garden care for all customers.

11. Keeping records

We keep records of all complaints, including details of the issue raised, how it was investigated, and the outcome. These records help us monitor the effectiveness of this procedure and demonstrate our commitment to responsible and professional gardening services.

12. Review of this procedure

This complaints procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains clear, effective and aligned with best practice for service providers in The Hale and surrounding communities. We may update it from time to time to reflect changes in how we deliver our gardening services or how we manage customer feedback.