Complaints Procedure for Gardeners New Addington

Gardeners New Addington is committed to providing reliable, high quality gardening and grounds maintenance services. We value feedback from our customers, as it helps us maintain and improve the standards of our work. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can raise a concern about our services and how we will handle it in a fair, timely and professional manner.

Purpose of this Complaints Procedure

The purpose of this procedure is to provide a clear and transparent process for customers who wish to make a complaint about any aspect of our gardening services. This may include lawn care, hedge cutting, planting, garden tidy-ups, regular maintenance visits, or any interaction with our team. Our aim is to resolve complaints quickly and to your satisfaction wherever possible.

What We Class as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about the standard of service you have received from Gardeners New Addington. This can include, but is not limited to, concerns about the quality of workmanship, timeliness of visits, conduct or behaviour of staff, communication before or after a visit, and the way we have handled a previous concern.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint to Gardeners New Addington in writing or verbally. While we will accept complaints in any reasonable form, we recommend putting your complaint in writing where possible, as this helps us to understand the details clearly and to keep an accurate record.

When making a complaint, please provide as much information as you can, including your name, property address where the gardening work was carried out, the date and time of the visit or issue, a clear description of what went wrong, and what outcome you are seeking. Providing photographs of the garden or work area can also be helpful for us to assess and respond appropriately.

Timescales for Raising a Complaint

We encourage customers to raise any concerns as soon as possible after the issue occurs. This allows us to investigate while the details are still fresh and to put matters right promptly. Wherever possible, complaints should be raised within 28 days of the service visit or of you becoming aware of the problem.

Our Complaints Handling Stages

We operate a simple, two-stage complaint handling process to ensure that every concern is given proper attention and review.

Stage One: Initial Review and Response

At the first stage, your complaint will be acknowledged and reviewed by a member of our team. We will aim to acknowledge your complaint within three working days of receiving it. During this stage, we may contact you to request further information or clarification about the issue.

We will then investigate the matter, which may involve speaking to the gardener or team member who attended your property, reviewing job notes, and considering any photographs or evidence provided. We will aim to provide a full response within ten working days of acknowledging your complaint. If we are unable to respond fully within this timeframe, we will let you know and provide an updated timescale.

Stage Two: Escalation and Further Review

If you are not satisfied with the outcome or explanation at Stage One, you may request that your complaint is escalated for further review. At this stage, a more senior member of the team will re-examine your complaint, taking into account the original response and any additional information you may wish to provide.

We will aim to acknowledge an escalated complaint within three working days and to issue a final written response within fifteen working days. This response will outline our final position on your complaint and any actions we propose to take.

Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Where we find that our service has fallen below our expected standards, we will seek to put matters right fairly and proportionately. Depending on the circumstances, this may include providing an explanation and apology, arranging a revisit to correct the work, offering a reduction or refund on relevant charges, or taking internal steps to improve our processes or staff training.

Our Commitment to Fairness and Respect

All complaints are treated seriously, confidentially and with respect. We will not treat you less favourably or withdraw services simply because you have made a complaint in good faith. In return, we ask that customers communicate with our staff in a polite and respectful manner, so that we can work together to resolve any issues constructively.

Recording and Using Complaint Information

Gardeners New Addington keeps a record of all complaints received, including details of the issue, how it was investigated, and the outcome. These records help us to monitor the quality of our gardening services, identify recurring issues, and make improvements to the way we operate. Personal information will be handled in line with data protection requirements and used only for the purpose of handling your complaint and improving our services.

Complaints Outside Our Control

There may be occasions where a problem arises due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, such as severe weather conditions affecting scheduled gardening work or access restrictions to your property. In these situations, we will explain the limitations and work with you to find a practical solution, but such matters may not always result in a finding that our service was at fault.

Review of This Procedure

This Complaints Procedure is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains clear, effective and appropriate for the gardening services we provide. We may update it from time to time to reflect changes in our operations or in relevant guidance and good practice. The version published here will always be the most current procedure in effect.

Feedback and Compliments

In addition to handling complaints, we also welcome general feedback and compliments about our gardening work. Positive comments help us recognise and reward good practice within our team, while constructive feedback enables us to refine our services for all customers in the local area.