Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Hadley Wood

Gardeners Hadley Wood is committed to providing reliable, high-quality gardening services and to dealing with any concerns in a fair, clear and timely manner. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise an issue with us, how we will respond, and what you can expect at each stage of the process.

Our commitment to you

We aim to deliver a professional gardening service to all customers in and around Hadley Wood. If something goes wrong, we want to know so we can put it right and prevent it from happening again. Every complaint is taken seriously, treated with respect, and handled in line with this written procedure.

We will always try to resolve matters informally and quickly where possible. However, if you prefer a more formal process, or an informal discussion does not resolve your concern, you can follow the steps set out below.

What this complaints procedure covers

This procedure covers complaints from domestic or commercial customers about our gardening work and associated services. This can include, for example, concerns about quality of work, timeliness, communication, conduct of team members, adherence to agreed specifications, or billing and invoicing issues.

This procedure does not cover matters that are better dealt with by emergency services, local authorities or other regulatory bodies, such as criminal activity, serious safety incidents beyond our control, or disputes that have already been decided by a court or arbitrator.

How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint in writing or verbally. Written complaints are preferred where possible, so that we have a clear record of the details, but we will never refuse to deal with a complaint made by phone or in person.

When you contact us to make a complaint, please provide as much information as you can, including:

The name the booking is under and the service address

The date or dates when the work took place

A clear description of what went wrong or did not meet your expectations

Any steps you have already taken to try to resolve the matter with our team

Your preferred outcome, for example, a revisit, correction of work, or review of charges

We will acknowledge your complaint and explain the next steps in the process. If your complaint is made verbally, we may summarise our understanding of your concerns and ask you to confirm that this is accurate, so we can proceed on the correct basis.

Stage 1: Initial review and response

At the first stage, your complaint will usually be handled by the supervisor or manager responsible for the gardening work or by a member of our office team. They will review the information you have provided, speak to any staff involved, and if appropriate request photographs or other evidence to help us understand the issue fully.

We will aim to provide an initial response within a reasonable period of time, explaining:

How we have investigated so far

Our understanding of what has happened

Any immediate steps we propose to take to address your concerns

In many cases, we may be able to resolve the matter at this stage, for example by arranging a return visit, correcting an aspect of the work, or providing clarification about the service that was agreed.

Stage 2: Further investigation and resolution

If you are not satisfied with the outcome at Stage 1, you can ask for your complaint to be escalated to Stage 2. At this stage, a more senior member of our team will review the complaint, including all relevant notes, photographs and any additional information you wish to provide.

We may contact you for further details or to discuss the matter in more depth. Following this review, we will aim to provide a written response that sets out:

The details of your complaint

The steps taken to investigate it

Our findings and conclusions

Any offer of remedial work, goodwill gesture or other proposed resolution

We will always try to reach a fair outcome that reflects the circumstances, the service that was agreed, and any applicable consumer rights.

Timescales

We aim to acknowledge all complaints as promptly as we reasonably can. The time needed to complete our investigation will depend on the complexity of the issues raised, the availability of staff involved, and whether we need to revisit the garden or site.

If we anticipate that our investigation will take longer than usual, we will keep you informed and provide an updated timescale. Our goal is always to progress matters without unnecessary delay while still carrying out a thorough and careful review.

Possible outcomes

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

A clear explanation or clarification where there has been a misunderstanding

Corrective gardening work, such as revisiting the site to address specific issues

A review or adjustment of an invoice where appropriate

Changes to our internal procedures or staff training to prevent a recurrence

Where we do not uphold a complaint, we will explain the reasons for this and how we reached our decision.

Your responsibilities

We ask that you raise complaints as soon as reasonably possible after the issue arises, so that we have the best opportunity to investigate and put things right. We also request that all communication remains polite and respectful. We will not tolerate abusive, threatening or discriminatory behaviour towards our staff, whether in person, by phone or in writing.

Continuous improvement

Feedback from our customers in Hadley Wood and the surrounding area is crucial in helping us improve our gardening services. We review complaints periodically to identify any recurring issues or trends and to make improvements to how we design, deliver and manage our work.

By following this complaints procedure, we aim to resolve any concerns fairly and efficiently, maintain your confidence in our services, and continue to care for gardens in the area to a high standard.