Gardeners Purley Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Purley is committed to providing reliable and professional gardening services to all customers. We recognise that, on occasion, concerns may arise. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can raise a complaint, how we will handle it, and what you can expect from us at each stage.

Purpose of This Complaints Procedure

The purpose of this procedure is to give our customers a clear and fair way to report any dissatisfaction with our services, staff, or contractors. We use all feedback, including complaints, to improve the quality, safety, and reliability of our gardening work across the local area.

This procedure applies to all customers who use Gardeners Purley for regular garden maintenance, one-off tidy ups, landscaping, seasonal work, and any other gardening services we provide.

What We Class as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our services, whether justified or not, where you are seeking a response or resolution. This may include, for example:

Work not carried out to the agreed standard or specification.

Damage to property, plants, lawns, or garden features during our visit.

Missed appointments or repeated delays in attending your garden.

Conduct, attitude, or behaviour of any member of our gardening or office team.

Concerns about health and safety, cleanliness, or tidiness while we are working at your property.

Billing, invoicing, or payment issues connected to our gardening services.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint in any written form that is convenient for you. Please provide the following information so we can investigate effectively:

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

The date or dates of the service you are unhappy with.

A clear description of what went wrong and how it has affected you or your garden.

The names of any team members involved, if known.

Any supporting details that may help us understand the issue, such as photographs or notes.

Written complaints help ensure that all details are recorded accurately. However, if you are unable to make a complaint in writing, we will take reasonable steps to record your concerns on your behalf.

When to Make a Complaint

We encourage you to raise your concerns as soon as possible after the issue occurs. This allows us to investigate while events are still recent and to put things right promptly. If there is a delay, we may find it harder to obtain detailed information or evidence, but we will still do our best to review the matter fairly.

Our Complaints Handling Stages

Stage One: Initial Review and Acknowledgement

Once we receive your complaint, we will register it in our internal system. We aim to acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable time frame, confirming that we have received it and who will be dealing with it.

At this stage, we may contact you to clarify details, request further information, or understand any outcomes you are hoping for, such as a re-visit, correction of work, or an explanation.

Stage Two: Investigation

Your complaint will be investigated by a member of our management team or an appointed supervisor who was not directly responsible for the issue complained of, wherever possible. The investigation may involve:

Reviewing our job records, schedules, and any relevant notes.

Speaking with the gardening team members involved in the visit.

Assessing any photographs, plans, or other documentation.

Arranging a site visit to inspect the garden where appropriate.

We aim to complete this investigation within a reasonable period, depending on the complexity of the matter and our need to visit your property.

Stage Three: Response and Proposed Resolution

Once our investigation is complete, we will provide you with a response setting out:

What we have understood your complaint to be.

What investigations have been carried out.

Our findings in relation to your concerns.

Any actions we propose to take to resolve the matter.

Where we believe the complaint is justified, possible outcomes may include:

A return visit to rectify work at no additional charge.

Partial or full refund for specific services where appropriate.

Replacement of damaged plants or garden items, where reasonable.

Changes to our working practices to prevent similar issues arising.

If You Are Not Satisfied With the Outcome

If you remain unhappy after our initial response, you can ask for your complaint to be reviewed again. A more senior member of our team will re-examine the complaint, the investigation, and the response provided. They may contact you directly to discuss the matter further and seek a fair resolution.

After this review, we will issue a final position on your complaint. At that point, we may not be able to escalate the matter further internally, but we will always explain our reasoning clearly.

Our Commitment to Fairness and Confidentiality

All complaints are handled confidentially and in accordance with relevant data protection principles. Information you provide will be used only for dealing with your complaint and improving our services.

We will treat all customers with respect and courtesy during the complaints process and expect the same in return for our staff and contractors. We do not tolerate abusive, threatening, or discriminatory behaviour.

Using Complaints to Improve Our Gardening Services

Every complaint is recorded and reviewed so that we can identify patterns and areas where our gardening services can be improved. This may include additional training for our gardeners, better communication about what each service includes, clearer scheduling, or improved quality checks after work has been completed.

By following this Complaints Procedure, Gardeners Purley aims to handle concerns in a timely, transparent, and constructive way, maintaining high standards for homes and gardens across our service area.