Complaints Procedure for Gardening Services

We want every client to be completely satisfied with our gardening services. If something goes wrong, we welcome the opportunity to put it right quickly and fairly. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern about our work and what you can expect from us at each stage.

Our Commitment to You

We aim to provide reliable, professional gardening and grounds maintenance services. When a complaint is made, we will treat it as an opportunity to improve. We are committed to listening carefully, investigating thoroughly and responding in a timely and respectful way.

We will always try to resolve issues informally at first, but where this is not possible, we follow the formal process set out below.

What Counts as a Complaint

You may wish to complain if you feel that:

Our gardening work has not been carried out to the standard agreed or reasonably expected.

We have not followed through on a service that was arranged or scheduled.

Our team has behaved in a way that you consider unprofessional.

We have not communicated clearly about timing, pricing or the scope of work.

A concern becomes a complaint when you tell us that you are dissatisfied and would like the matter to be investigated and resolved.

How to Raise a Concern Informally

In many cases, issues can be resolved quickly by speaking directly with the gardener or team leader who is attending your property, or with our office team. If you notice a problem with your lawn care, hedge trimming, planting, clearance work or any other service, please let us know as soon as possible.

When raising an informal concern, it is helpful if you can tell us:

What work was carried out or scheduled.

The date and approximate time of the visit.

What went wrong or did not meet your expectations.

What you would like us to do to put it right, if you have a preferred solution.

We will aim to resolve informal issues within a short timeframe, often on the same day or at the next scheduled visit.

Making a Formal Complaint

If your concern cannot be resolved informally, or you prefer to make a formal complaint from the outset, please put your complaint in writing. Written complaints help us to understand the issue clearly and keep an accurate record.

When making a formal complaint, please include:

Your name and the address where the gardening service was provided.

Details of the service or visit that has led to the complaint.

A clear description of the problem and how it has affected you.

Any relevant dates, photographs or other information that helps explain the issue.

Any steps that have already been taken to try to resolve the matter informally.

What outcome you are hoping for, such as rectification work or a review of charges.

Acknowledgement of Your Complaint

Once we receive your formal complaint, we will acknowledge it within a reasonable timeframe. In our acknowledgement, we will confirm that we have received your complaint and explain the next steps in the process.

If we need any further information to investigate properly, we will let you know at this stage.

How We Investigate Complaints

Your complaint will be reviewed by an appropriate member of the management team who was not directly involved in the issue wherever possible. The investigation may include:

Reviewing our job records, schedules and any relevant notes.

Speaking with the gardeners or staff members involved.

Inspecting the garden, outdoor space or completed work, where appropriate.

Considering any photographs or evidence you have provided.

We aim to carry out investigations promptly and fairly, keeping your perspective and the facts of the case in mind.

Our Response and Possible Outcomes

After we have completed our investigation, we will provide you with a clear response. This will normally include:

A summary of your complaint as we understand it.

An explanation of what we have found during the investigation.

Our decision and the reasons for it.

Any actions we propose to take to resolve the matter.

Depending on the circumstances, possible outcomes may include:

Arranging a revisit to complete, correct or repeat the gardening work.

Offering a partial or full adjustment of the relevant service charge.

Providing advice on how we will prevent similar issues in future.

Explaining why we believe the service was delivered in line with what was agreed.

Timeframes for Handling Complaints

We aim to deal with complaints as efficiently as possible. While some straightforward issues can be resolved quickly, more complex matters may take longer to investigate. If we anticipate that our investigation will take more time than usual, we will let you know and keep you updated on progress.

If You Are Unhappy with the Outcome

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our response, you can ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a more senior member of the team, where available. They will consider whether the complaint has been handled fairly and whether the outcome is reasonable in light of the evidence.

We will then confirm our final position to you. At this point, we will explain any further options that may be open to you, for example seeking independent advice.

Using Your Feedback to Improve Our Services

All complaints and serious concerns are recorded and reviewed. We regularly look at these records to identify any patterns, such as recurring issues with the timing of visits, the standard of lawn treatment, pruning, clearance or other gardening tasks.

Where necessary, we provide further training to our gardeners and office staff, adjust our procedures or update our service standards. This helps us to maintain reliable gardening services and support the long term care of gardens and outdoor spaces in our service area.

Respect, Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

We will treat all complaints confidentially and with respect. Personal information will only be shared within our company where necessary to investigate and respond to the complaint. We expect our staff to act courteously at all times, and we also ask clients to communicate in a respectful way while we work together to resolve any issues.

By setting out this clear complaints procedure, we aim to ensure that concerns about our gardening services are handled consistently, fairly and with a focus on achieving a practical and satisfactory outcome wherever possible.