Complaints Procedure for Gardeners North Sheen

Gardeners North Sheen is committed to providing reliable, high quality gardening and grounds maintenance services. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. When this happens, we want to know about it so that we can put matters right and improve our services for the future.

This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, what you can expect from us at each stage, and how we use feedback to improve our work.

1. Purpose of this complaints procedure

The purpose of this procedure is to:

Set out a clear and fair process for raising and handling complaints.

Ensure complaints are dealt with promptly, politely and consistently.

Protect your rights as a customer while allowing us to investigate issues properly.

Help us identify areas where our gardening services, scheduling, communication or workmanship can be improved.

This procedure applies to all domestic and commercial clients who use Gardeners North Sheen for gardening, lawn care, planting, hedge cutting, landscaping and related services.

2. What is a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about the standard of our work, the behaviour of our team, the way our services are delivered, or how we have handled a previous issue.

Examples of complaints include, but are not limited to:

Concerns about the quality of gardening or maintenance carried out on your property.

Disagreement about what was quoted versus what was delivered.

Delays, missed appointments or repeated scheduling problems.

Perceived rudeness or unprofessional conduct from any member of our staff or contractors.

Concerns about how we have responded to a previous query or problem.

General feedback, suggestions or requests for minor adjustments to ongoing work are welcome and will be handled informally where possible, without needing to use this full procedure.

3. How to make a complaint

You can raise a complaint verbally or in writing. Written complaints are often helpful because they allow us to understand the issue clearly and keep an accurate record of what has happened.

When you contact us, please include the following where possible:

Your full name and the address where the gardening work took place.

The date or dates of the work or visits concerned.

A clear description of what went wrong or why you are dissatisfied.

Any relevant details such as job references, quotes or invoices you have received.

What you would consider to be a fair outcome or resolution.

All complaints will be logged and handled in line with the stages set out below.

4. Stage one: initial response and acknowledgement

Once we receive your complaint, we will acknowledge it as soon as reasonably possible. We will confirm that we have received your concerns and explain the next steps.

At this stage we may ask you for further information or clarification if anything is unclear. We may also request photographs or other details where this would help us understand the nature of the problem, for example issues with planting, lawn work, fences, patios or other outdoor features.

Where feasible, we aim to provide an initial response within a reasonable period of time. Simple issues may be resolved at this stage with an explanation, an apology, a site visit or an offer of corrective work.

5. Stage two: investigation and resolution

If your complaint cannot be resolved immediately, it will be passed to a manager or senior member of the team for further investigation. This may include:

Reviewing notes, job sheets, quotes and any written communications.

Speaking with the gardeners or team members who attended your property.

Arranging a visit to inspect the garden or area of concern.

Considering whether our service met the standards and specifications agreed.

Once the investigation is complete, we will contact you with our findings and proposed resolution. Depending on the nature of the complaint, this may include one or more of the following:

Carrying out remedial gardening work or adjustments.

Revising future maintenance schedules or methods.

Providing additional information or clarification on what was done and why.

Offering an apology where our service has fallen below our standards.

Considering a partial refund, discount or other goodwill gesture where appropriate.

We will explain our reasoning clearly and will always try to agree a solution with you that is practical and fair.

6. Stage three: further review

If you remain dissatisfied after we have explained our findings and proposed a resolution, you may request a further review of your complaint. At this point, your complaint will be reviewed by a different senior person wherever possible, who was not directly involved in the original work.

During this review, we will consider whether the complaint has been handled in line with this procedure and whether the outcome is reasonable in light of all available information.

We will then provide you with a final response, setting out our position and any further steps we are able to take.

7. Timescales and communication

We aim to deal with complaints as promptly as possible. Some issues can be resolved almost immediately, while others, particularly those requiring site visits or remedial gardening work, may take longer.

If we anticipate any delay, we will let you know and keep you updated on progress. Our goal is to communicate in a clear, courteous and respectful manner at all times.

8. Fairness and expectations

We will always treat your complaint seriously and handle it with discretion. In return, we ask that you treat our staff respectfully while we work with you to resolve the issue.

There may be instances where we are unable to agree to the outcome requested, for example where weather, seasonal factors, plant health, access limitations or pre-existing conditions have affected the results of gardening work. In such cases we will explain our position and the reasons for any decision.

9. Learning from complaints

Complaints and constructive feedback are a valuable source of information for Gardeners North Sheen. We regularly review complaints to identify patterns or recurring issues, and we use this information to improve:

Training for our gardeners and support staff.

Our procedures for site assessments, quotations and job planning.

Scheduling and communication with clients before and after visits.

Quality checks on gardening, landscaping and maintenance work.

By following this complaints procedure, we aim to resolve individual concerns fairly while continually enhancing the reliability and quality of our services.

10. Policy review

This complaints procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains clear, fair and effective. Updated versions will replace previous versions and will apply to all new complaints from the date of publication.

If you have any questions about this procedure or are unsure how to raise a concern, please contact us and we will guide you through the process.