Complaints Procedure for Gardeners New Cross Clients

This Complaints Procedure explains how Gardeners New Cross manages concerns and complaints about our gardening and outdoor maintenance services. Our aim is to resolve issues quickly, fairly, and transparently, while using feedback to improve the quality and reliability of our work.

1. Purpose of this Complaints Procedure

The purpose of this procedure is to provide a clear and accessible route for clients to tell us when something has gone wrong. It sets out how you can raise a concern, how we will handle it, the timescales you can expect, and the steps we will take to put things right wherever possible. This procedure applies to all gardening, lawn care, hedge work, planting, tidy-ups, and related services provided by Gardeners New Cross.

2. What We Class as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our gardening services, staff conduct, communication, scheduling, or the way we have handled a previous query. Examples include:

Work not completed as agreed, such as missed areas of the garden or incomplete tasks.

Concerns about the quality of work, such as uneven lawn cuts, hedge trimming issues, or damage to plants.

Delays, missed appointments, or repeated changes to scheduled visits without reasonable notice.

Unclear, incorrect, or confusing information provided about our services or charges.

Concerns about the behaviour or attitude of our gardeners or office team.

We distinguish complaints from general feedback or routine queries. Feedback is always welcome, and you do not have to make a formal complaint to suggest improvements.

3. How to Raise a Complaint

You can raise a complaint in writing or verbally. While we accept complaints in any format, we encourage you to put your concerns in writing so that we have a clear record of the issues you wish us to review. When you contact us, please provide:

Your full name and, if relevant, your property address where we carried out the gardening work.

The date of the service and the names of any gardeners you dealt with, if known.

A clear description of what went wrong, including any specific areas of the garden or tasks you are unhappy with.

Any photographs, notes, or other information that may help us understand the problem.

What outcome you are seeking, such as a re-visit, correction of work, explanation, or another remedy.

We will always treat your complaint respectfully and will not penalise you in any way for raising concerns about our services.

4. Our Complaint Handling Stages

We aim to follow a straightforward three-stage process so you know exactly what to expect.

Stage 1: Initial Review and Acknowledgement

Once we receive your complaint, we will log it and arrange for an appropriate member of our team to review it. We will acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable timeframe and confirm that it is being investigated. During this stage, we may contact you to ask for additional information or clarification about the gardening work carried out.

Stage 2: Investigation and Response

We will review the details of your complaint, including any service notes, photographs taken by our gardeners, and communications relating to the booking. Where appropriate, we may arrange a site visit to inspect the garden and see the areas you are concerned about in person.

After completing our investigation, we will provide a clear response setting out:

Our understanding of your complaint and the issues raised.

Our findings following the investigation.

Any steps we propose to put things right, such as correcting work, re-attending the property, or offering another suitable remedy.

Any changes we intend to make to our processes, team training, or communication in response to your feedback.

Stage 3: Further Review

If you are not satisfied with our response at Stage 2, you may request a further review. This review will be conducted, where possible, by a different senior member of our team who was not directly involved in the original work. They will reconsider the complaint, the original findings, and any additional information you wish to provide. Following this review, we will provide a final response explaining our position.

5. Remedies and Putting Things Right

Where we identify that something has gone wrong with the gardening service we provided, we will focus on putting it right as quickly and effectively as we can. Depending on the circumstances, remedies may include:

Correcting the work, such as revisiting to re-cut lawns, reshape hedges, remove remaining garden waste, or address missed areas.

Providing practical advice or guidance to help achieve the results you are looking for in the garden.

Offering an alternative solution where the original request is not achievable or appropriate for the outdoor space.

Where relevant, addressing any staff conduct issues through additional training or internal action.

We will always aim to agree remedies with you so that expectations are clear and realistic.

6. Timeframes and Communication

We aim to handle complaints promptly, but the exact time required will depend on the complexity of the issue and whether a site visit is needed. We will keep you informed of progress, especially if more time is required to investigate. Our communications will be clear and straightforward, using plain language and explaining any gardening or horticultural considerations that may affect the outcome.

7. Your Responsibilities as a Client

For the complaints process to work effectively, we ask that you:

Raise concerns as soon as reasonably possible after the gardening service so issues can be assessed while conditions are still similar.

Provide accurate information and, where possible, evidence such as photos of the garden area.

Allow reasonable access to the property if we need to inspect or correct the work.

Communicate with our team in a courteous and respectful manner, as we will with you.

8. How We Use Complaints to Improve

Gardeners New Cross is committed to continuous improvement. We review complaints and service concerns on a regular basis to identify patterns, training needs, and opportunities to refine how we plan, deliver, and monitor our gardening work. By doing this, we aim to reduce the likelihood of similar issues arising in the future and to enhance the overall experience for all clients who rely on our gardening services.

9. Changes to this Complaints Procedure

We may update this Complaints Procedure from time to time to reflect changes in our services, operational practices, or applicable standards. Any updated version will apply to future complaints and to any ongoing matters where it is appropriate and fair to do so.

If you have any questions about this procedure or are unsure whether your concern should be treated as a complaint, you are welcome to contact us for clarification before submitting a formal complaint.