Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Holloway Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Holloway is committed to providing reliable and professional gardening services. We aim to deliver high standards in every visit, but we recognise that sometimes things can go wrong. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise concerns, how we will respond, and what you can expect from us throughout the process.

Our Commitment to Handling Complaints

We take all complaints seriously and use them as an opportunity to put things right and improve our services. When you raise a concern about our gardening work or customer service, we are committed to treating you fairly, listening carefully, and responding in a timely and transparent way.

We aim to resolve most issues informally and as quickly as possible. However, where a more formal approach is needed, this procedure sets out each stage clearly so you know what will happen and when.

What This Procedure Covers

This complaints procedure applies to all domestic and commercial clients who use Gardeners Holloway for gardening and related services. It covers complaints about:

Quality of gardening work carried out, including maintenance, planting, lawn care, and tidy-ups. Conduct, behaviour, or attitude of our gardeners or office team. Communication issues, such as missed appointments or unclear information. Invoices, payments, and agreed work schedules where they relate to our gardening services.

This procedure does not cover general enquiries, requests for quotations, or routine service adjustments where no dissatisfaction has been expressed. Those can be discussed directly with our team as part of normal communication.

How to Make a Complaint

You can raise a complaint in writing or verbally. When contacting us, please provide as much detail as possible so we can understand and investigate your concerns. It is helpful if you include:

Your full name and the address where the gardening work was carried out. The date or dates when the issue occurred. A clear description of what happened and why you are dissatisfied. Any relevant details about the agreed work, such as services booked or prior discussions with our team. What outcome or resolution you would consider reasonable.

If you raise your complaint during or immediately after a visit, you can speak with the gardener on site. Where possible, they will try to resolve straightforward issues there and then. For more complex complaints, or where no gardener is present, our office team will handle the matter using the stages set out in this procedure.

Stage One: Informal Resolution

In the first instance, we will try to resolve your complaint informally. A member of our team will listen to your concerns, ask any necessary questions, and review relevant information such as job notes or schedules.

We aim to respond to informal complaints within a reasonable timeframe, normally within a few working days. Where appropriate, we may offer to:

Revisit your property to inspect the gardening work. Rectify the issue, where practical, at no additional cost. Provide clarification if there has been a misunderstanding about the agreed work. Discuss adjustments to future visits or service plans.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the informal stage, or if the matter is more serious or complex, you may ask for your complaint to move to the formal stage.

Stage Two: Formal Complaint Review

When a complaint becomes formal, it will be reviewed by a senior member of the Gardeners Holloway team. They will independently consider what has happened and what should be done next.

During this stage we may:

Request further information or clarification from you. Speak with the gardeners or staff involved. Review any relevant records, such as service notes, schedules, or previous correspondence. Arrange a site visit to inspect the garden if necessary.

We will provide a clear written response setting out our findings, any decision made, and the reasons for that decision. Where appropriate, we will outline proposed remedies, which may include corrective work, service adjustments, or other reasonable measures.

We aim to complete the formal review and provide a full response within a reasonable period, depending on the complexity of the complaint and the need for any site visits.

Stage Three: Escalation and Final Position

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our formal response, you may request that the complaint is escalated for a final internal review. At this stage, another senior representative of Gardeners Holloway will consider whether the complaint has been handled fairly and in line with this procedure.

The final review will focus on whether:

Your concerns have been properly understood and addressed. The investigation has been thorough and proportionate. The outcome and any remedies proposed are reasonable in the circumstances.

Once this review is complete, we will confirm our final position in writing. This will conclude our internal complaints procedure.

Timescales and Communication

We aim to handle complaints promptly and to keep you informed throughout. If at any stage we believe that more time is needed, for example to arrange a visit or contact staff, we will let you know and explain the reason for the delay.

We will normally communicate with you using the same method you used to contact us, unless you request otherwise. Our responses will be clear and polite, and we will ensure that you have a record of key decisions and outcomes.

Fairness, Respect, and Data Handling

We expect all parties to act respectfully throughout the complaints process. Abusive, threatening, or discriminatory behaviour will not be tolerated and may lead to the complaint being managed in a different way for the safety and wellbeing of our staff.

Any personal information you provide when making a complaint will be used only for the purpose of investigating and resolving your concerns, managing our services, and meeting any legal or regulatory obligations. We will keep complaint records securely and only for as long as is reasonably necessary.

Using Complaints to Improve Our Services

Feedback from clients across our gardening service area helps us improve how we work. We regularly review complaint trends to identify training needs, refine our processes, and enhance the quality and reliability of our gardening services.

By following this complaints procedure, Gardeners Holloway aims to resolve issues fairly and promptly, maintain trust, and continually improve the service we provide to all our clients.