Gardeners Wandsworth Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Wandsworth is committed to providing reliable, professional gardening and outdoor maintenance services. We aim to deliver a consistently high standard of work and customer care. However, we recognise that sometimes things may not go as planned. 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 You

We take all complaints seriously and view them as an opportunity to improve our services. Whether your concern relates to the quality of gardening work, communication, punctuality, or conduct of our team, we will handle your complaint with respect, fairness and confidentiality.

We aim to:

• Acknowledge your complaint promptly
• Investigate thoroughly and impartially
• Provide a clear, timely response
• Where appropriate, offer a suitable remedy or corrective action
• Use feedback to improve our gardening services across the local area

What Counts as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether written or verbal, about any aspect of our gardening or customer service. This can include, but is not limited to:

• Concerns about the standard of lawn care, planting, pruning, or general garden maintenance
• Issues with bookings, scheduling, or arrival times
• Problems with how we communicate before or after a visit
• The behaviour or attitude of a staff member or contractor
• Disputes about invoices or details of the services carried out

We encourage you to raise any concerns as soon as possible so we can address them quickly and effectively.

How to Make a Complaint

You may make a complaint in person, by phone or in writing. When raising a concern, please provide as much detail as you can, including:

• Your name and preferred contact method
• The address where the gardening service was carried out
• The date and approximate time of the service or incident
• A clear description of what went wrong and how it has affected you
• Any photos or notes that might help us understand the issue

Providing clear information helps us investigate more efficiently and reach a fair outcome.

Stage 1: Informal Resolution

Where possible, we encourage you to raise your concern informally at first. Many issues can be resolved quickly through a straightforward discussion with the gardener on site or with our office team.

At this stage, we will:

• Listen to your concern and ask any questions needed for clarification
• Explain what may have happened and, if appropriate, offer to rectify the issue
• Agree any practical steps, such as revisiting your garden to correct or complete work
• Clarify any misunderstandings around the scope of service, pricing or timings

Our aim is to resolve informal complaints as soon as possible, usually within a few working days.

Stage 2: Formal Complaint

If you are not satisfied with the informal response, or the matter is more serious, you may make a formal complaint. Please state clearly that you wish your concern to be treated as a formal complaint.

Once a formal complaint is received, we will:

• Acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable time
• Log the details in our internal complaints record
• Assign a person responsible for managing the investigation
• Aim to complete our investigation and provide a written response within a set timeframe, normally within 14 to 28 days depending on the complexity of the issue

During the investigation we may:

• Review job records, schedules and any relevant notes
• Speak with the gardener or team members involved
• Request additional information or clarification from you
• Where needed, arrange a follow-up visit to assess the work on site

Our Response and Possible Outcomes

When we have completed our investigation, we will provide you with a clear response setting out:

• A summary of the complaint and how we have investigated it
• Our findings and whether we uphold, partially uphold, or do not uphold your complaint
• Any steps we have already taken or plan to take to put things right
• Any changes we intend to make to improve our gardening services as a result

Depending on the circumstances, possible outcomes may include:

• An apology and explanation
• A return visit to complete or correct work
• A review of scheduled maintenance plans or service specifications
• Adjustments to an invoice or a partial refund where appropriate
• Internal training or supervision measures with staff

If You Remain Dissatisfied

If, after receiving our formal response, you remain unhappy with the outcome, you may ask us to review the decision. In doing so, please explain which parts of the response you disagree with and why.

We will then:

• Arrange for a further review by a senior member of the team not previously involved, where possible
• Consider any new information you provide
• Confirm our final position in writing and outline the reasons for our decision

Timescales and Communication

We aim to handle all complaints as efficiently as possible while allowing sufficient time for a fair and thorough review. If we anticipate any delay in providing a full response, we will let you know, explain the reason, and give an updated timescale.

Throughout the process, we will communicate with you in a clear and courteous manner, using your preferred method of contact where reasonable.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information is shared only with those who need it in order to investigate and resolve the issue. Any personal data you provide in connection with a complaint will be processed in line with our data protection obligations and used solely for managing your complaint and improving our services.

Continuous Improvement

Feedback, including complaints, is essential in helping Gardeners Wandsworth maintain and improve service standards for clients in the local area. We regularly review complaints data to identify any recurring themes and to make practical changes to our gardening practices, staff training and customer communication.

By following this Complaints Procedure, we aim to treat every concern fairly, resolve issues wherever possible, and continue to build trust with the households and businesses we serve.