Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Hither Green Clients

This Complaints Procedure explains how customers of Gardeners Hither Green can raise concerns about our gardening services and how we will respond. Our aim is to resolve issues promptly, fairly, and transparently, while continually improving the services we provide in the local area.

Our Commitment to Resolving Complaints

We are committed to providing reliable, professional gardening and outdoor maintenance services. If something goes wrong, we want to know about it so we can put matters right and learn from the experience. Every complaint is taken seriously and handled with courtesy, respect, and confidentiality.

What Counts as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our gardening work, customer service, communication, or the conduct of our staff or subcontractors. This may include, but is not limited to:

Poor quality of gardening or maintenance work

Missed or delayed appointments without adequate notice

Concerns about behaviour or professionalism on site

Disagreements about quotations, invoices, or agreed work

Health and safety concerns relating to our activities

If you are unsure whether an issue is a complaint, we encourage you to raise it with us so we can assist you.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint verbally or in writing, whichever is more convenient for you. To help us investigate and resolve your concerns as efficiently as possible, please provide the following information where you can:

Your full name and the address where the gardening work was carried out

The date or dates when the service took place

A clear description of what went wrong and how it has affected you

Any relevant photographs, notes, or other evidence

Details of any previous conversations you have had with our team about the issue

What outcome you are hoping for, such as a return visit, correction of work, or a partial refund

We encourage you to raise complaints as soon as possible after the issue occurs so that events are fresh in everyone’s mind and any practical remedies remain available.

Stages of Our Complaints Process

Our process is designed to be clear and straightforward, with the aim of resolving most concerns at an early stage.

Stage 1: Informal Resolution

In many cases, complaints can be resolved quickly by speaking directly with the gardener or team member who carried out the work, or the person who booked your appointment. We will listen carefully, explain what we can do, and try to reach an immediate solution, such as arranging a follow-up visit to put the work right.

If you are satisfied with the outcome at this stage, the complaint will be considered resolved. However, if you are not happy with the response, or feel uncomfortable raising it informally, you may move straight to a formal complaint.

Stage 2: Formal Complaint

If your concern cannot be resolved informally, you may submit a formal complaint. Once received, we will:

Acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable timeframe

Assign a person responsible for investigating the matter

Review all relevant information, including notes, schedules, and photographs where available

Where appropriate, contact you to clarify points, request additional information, or arrange a site visit

We aim to provide a full written response within a reasonable period from the date we receive your formal complaint. If the investigation takes longer, we will keep you updated on progress and let you know when you can expect a final response.

Possible Outcomes and Remedies

After reviewing your complaint and the evidence, we will provide a clear explanation of our findings and any steps we will take. Depending on the circumstances, outcomes may include:

An apology and explanation of what went wrong

Corrective work or a revisit to address any issues with the gardening service

Adjustments to future visits or maintenance plans

A reduction or refund of charges where appropriate

Changes to our internal procedures, staff training, or scheduling practices to prevent similar issues in future

We will always aim for a remedy that is fair and proportionate to the problem raised.

Escalation if You Are Not Satisfied

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our formal response, you can ask for your complaint to be reviewed again. In this review, we will:

Reconsider the details of your complaint and our initial findings

Check that the procedure has been followed correctly and fairly

Consider any new information you provide

Following this review, we will provide a final position on your complaint. This will normally conclude our internal complaints process.

Time Limits for Complaints

We recommend that complaints be raised within a reasonable time after the event, so that we can properly investigate and offer practical remedies. Issues relating to one-off gardening projects or maintenance visits are usually more effectively handled when reported soon after the work has taken place.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information you provide will be used only for the purpose of investigating and resolving your complaint, training our team, and improving our gardening services. We will keep records of complaints in line with our data protection responsibilities and retain them only for as long as necessary.

Using Feedback to Improve Our Services

We value feedback from clients across our service area. Complaints help us identify areas where our gardening, customer care, or scheduling can be improved. We regularly review complaint trends to refine our processes, ensure better communication, and maintain reliable standards of work in the gardens and outdoor spaces we look after.

Review of This Complaints Procedure

This Complaints Procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains clear, fair, and effective. Gardeners Hither Green reserves the right to update or amend this procedure when necessary, for example to reflect changes in best practice or in the way we deliver our gardening services.