Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Old Malden

Gardeners Old Malden aims to provide reliable, professional gardening services and a positive customer experience at every visit. We recognise that occasionally things may not go as planned. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will handle it, and what you can expect from us throughout the process.

Our commitment to resolving complaints

We treat all complaints seriously and use them as an opportunity to improve our services. Our goals when dealing with any complaint are to:

Listen carefully to your concerns and understand what has gone wrong from your perspective.

Respond promptly and keep you informed throughout the process.

Act fairly and objectively, considering all relevant information.

Offer a clear explanation, an apology where appropriate, and a practical solution whenever possible.

What is a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our gardening services, customer service, staff conduct, communication, or how we have carried out our work. You can complain even if you are not sure whether the issue is our responsibility. If the matter is not something we can resolve through this procedure, we will explain why and advise you on any next steps where possible.

Raising an informal complaint

Many issues can be resolved quickly and informally. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our garden maintenance, landscaping work, or customer service, we encourage you to speak to us as soon as possible. You can raise your concern directly with the gardener on site where appropriate, or contact our office to explain the problem.

When you raise an issue informally, we will aim to understand what has happened, discuss possible solutions with you, and agree on any actions to put things right. We will try to resolve informal complaints at the earliest opportunity, usually within a few working days.

Making a formal complaint

If your concern cannot be resolved informally, or you would prefer your complaint to be handled more formally from the outset, you can make a formal complaint. When doing so, please provide as much information as possible so we can investigate thoroughly.

To help us deal with your complaint efficiently, please include:

Your full name and, if applicable, the name under which the gardening service was booked.

The property address where the services were carried out.

A clear description of what went wrong, including dates and times if known.

Details of any staff you have already spoken to about the issue.

Any photographs or notes you feel are relevant to your complaint.

What you would consider a reasonable resolution, for example a return visit, correction of work, or another practical remedy.

How we handle your complaint

Once we receive your formal complaint, we will follow this process:

Acknowledgement. We will acknowledge your complaint and confirm that it is being investigated. We will usually do this within five working days.

Investigation. A member of our team will carefully review your complaint, speak with any staff involved, and where necessary, arrange to inspect the garden or work carried out. We may contact you for further information or clarification.

Response. After completing our investigation, we will provide a written response setting out:

Our understanding of your complaint.

The steps we have taken to investigate it.

Our findings and, where appropriate, an apology.

Any actions we propose to resolve the matter.

We aim to provide a full response within twenty working days of acknowledging your complaint. If the issue is complex and we need more time, we will inform you, explain the reason for the delay, and give an updated timescale.

Possible outcomes and remedies

Where your complaint is upheld, we will seek a fair and reasonable solution. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

Arranging a return visit to correct or complete gardening work.

Revising future maintenance plans or schedules.

Providing guidance to our staff and reinforcing our service standards.

Offering a goodwill gesture where we consider it appropriate.

If we do not uphold your complaint, we will still explain our reasoning clearly so you can understand how we reached our decision.

If you remain dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may ask us to review our decision. A different member of the team, not previously involved in the handling of your complaint, will reconsider the matter where possible. We will look again at the information available and any new details you provide, and then issue a final response.

Once we have provided our final response, the internal complaints process will normally be considered exhausted. However, we still welcome feedback and will continue to look for ways to improve our gardening services, communication, and customer care.

Your responsibilities when making a complaint

To help us resolve your complaint as efficiently as possible, we ask that you:

Raise any concerns as soon as you can after the issue arises.

Provide clear, accurate information and keep copies of any relevant documents or photographs.

Treat our staff with courtesy and respect throughout the process.

Allow reasonable time for us to investigate and respond.

Using complaints to improve our service

Gardeners Old Malden values feedback from all customers, whether it is positive or negative. We regularly review complaints and outcomes to identify patterns, training needs, and opportunities to improve the gardening services we provide. By sharing your concerns, you help us maintain high standards of work and customer care across our service area.

Updates to this complaints procedure

We may review and update this complaints procedure from time to time to reflect changes in our services or internal processes. The version published here will always represent our current approach to handling complaints.