Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Old Oak Common

Gardeners Old Oak Common is committed to delivering reliable, professional gardening services. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. When this happens, we want to know about it so that we can put things right, learn from the experience, and improve our services. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will respond, and what you can expect from us at each stage.

Our Commitment to Handling Complaints

We take all complaints seriously and handle them in a fair, consistent and timely manner. We aim to:

Listen carefully to your concerns about our gardening work or customer service.

Investigate issues thoroughly and objectively.

Respond within clear timescales and keep you informed.

Offer a practical resolution wherever possible.

Use feedback to prevent similar issues in future and to improve our services.

What Counts as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our gardening services, our team members, our communication, or any aspect of your experience with Gardeners Old Oak Common, where you would like a response or resolution.

Examples of complaints may include:

Concerns that gardening work was not completed as agreed or to the expected standard.

Issues with how our team behaved on site, including punctuality or professionalism.

Disagreements about quotations, invoices, or changes to agreed work.

Concerns about site tidiness, waste removal, or care taken around existing plants and garden features.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint in writing or verbally. We encourage you to provide as much detail as possible so that we can investigate effectively. Please include:

Your full name and the address where the gardening work took place.

A clear description of what went wrong and when it occurred.

Any relevant information such as dates of visits, names of team members, or reference numbers.

What you would consider a fair outcome, if you have something specific in mind.

If you raise your concern verbally during or shortly after a visit, we will try to resolve it on the spot whenever possible. If this is not possible, we will follow the formal steps below.

Stage One: Initial Review and Response

Once we receive your complaint, we will:

Acknowledge your complaint as soon as reasonably possible.

Record the details so that there is a clear record of your concern.

Ask for any additional information we may need to understand the situation fully.

We will then review the work carried out, speak with the gardeners involved if relevant, and consider any supporting information such as job notes or photographs. Our aim at this stage is to provide a clear explanation of what happened and, where appropriate, offer a practical and fair resolution.

We will usually provide an initial response within a reasonable timeframe, taking into account the complexity of the issue and whether a site visit is required.

Stage Two: Further Investigation

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of Stage One, you may request a further review. At this stage:

Your complaint will be re-examined, including any new information you wish to provide.

Where necessary, a separate member of our management team will carry out the review to ensure fairness.

We may arrange a follow-up visit to your garden to inspect the work in person and discuss your concerns on site.

Following this review, we will provide a written explanation of our findings, any actions we will take, and the reasons for our decision.

Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Depending on the nature of your complaint and our findings, possible outcomes may include:

Providing a clear explanation or additional information where there has been a misunderstanding.

Returning to your garden to complete agreed tasks or to rectify work that does not meet our standards.

Offering an alternative solution where the original request is not feasible.

Reviewing internal procedures, training, or supervision of our gardening teams to reduce the risk of similar issues in the future.

Any remedy will be proportionate to the circumstances and in line with our obligations.

Time Limits for Raising a Complaint

To help us investigate effectively, we ask that complaints are raised as soon as reasonably possible after the issue occurs. This is particularly important for gardening work, where plant growth, weather conditions and seasonal changes can quickly alter the appearance of your garden. While we will always try to be flexible, delays in raising a concern may limit the options available for resolving the matter.

Our Expectations of You

We aim to handle all complaints with respect, courtesy and professionalism. In return, we ask that you:

Treat our team members with courtesy and respect at all times.

Provide accurate and complete information to assist our investigation.

Allow us reasonable access to the garden where necessary to inspect work and carry out any agreed remedial actions.

Engage constructively with proposed solutions so that we can bring matters to a fair conclusion.

Continuous Improvement

Complaints and constructive feedback help us monitor the quality of our gardening services and identify where we can do better. We regularly review complaint patterns, outcomes and the effectiveness of our responses. Where appropriate, we may update our working methods, tools, training, or service standards to ensure that our gardening customers receive a reliable and professional service.

Review of This Complaints Procedure

This Complaints Procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains clear, fair and effective. Gardeners Old Oak Common reserves the right to amend this procedure when necessary to reflect changes in our services, working practices or applicable requirements. Any updated version will apply to new complaints from the date it is published.