Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Hayes Clients

Gardeners Hayes is committed to providing reliable, high quality gardening and grounds maintenance services. We recognise that, despite our best efforts, problems can occasionally arise. 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 every complaint seriously and see it as an opportunity to review and improve our services. Whether the issue relates to lawn care, planting, hedge trimming, garden clearance, regular maintenance schedules or any other service we provide, we aim to resolve matters fairly and promptly.

We are committed to the following principles when handling complaints:

Listening carefully to your concerns and treating you with respect at all times.

Investigating matters thoroughly and objectively.

Keeping you informed throughout the process.

Putting things right wherever we can and learning from what went wrong.

What This Procedure Covers

This procedure applies to complaints about:

The quality of gardening or maintenance work carried out.

Delays, missed appointments or scheduling issues.

Conduct or behaviour of our gardeners or team members on site.

Damage to property, plants or garden features allegedly caused by our work.

Communication, invoicing or administration relating to our services.

If your concern relates to an urgent health and safety risk, please raise this with us as soon as possible so we can take immediate action to make the area safe.

How to Raise a Complaint

You can raise a complaint verbally or in writing. While we are happy to discuss issues on site with you, we encourage you to set out your complaint in writing where possible, so that the details are clear and can be properly recorded.

When making a complaint, it is helpful if you provide:

Your full name and address where the gardening work was carried out.

The dates of the work or visit you are unhappy with.

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

Any photographs, notes or other information that may help us understand the issue.

Any steps you would like us to consider taking to resolve the matter.

Stage One: Initial Review and Acknowledgement

Once we receive your complaint, we will record the details and carry out an initial review. We will normally acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable timeframe to let you know it has been received and is being looked into.

During this stage we may contact you to clarify details, ask for further information, or, where appropriate, arrange a visit to inspect the garden or outdoor area concerned. Our aim is to understand the issue clearly and gather enough information to respond fairly.

Stage Two: Investigation and Response

After the initial review, we will investigate your complaint in more detail. This may include speaking with the gardeners who attended your property, reviewing job notes, and examining any photographs or evidence you have provided.

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

Our understanding of your complaint.

The findings of our investigation.

Any factors that may have contributed to the issue.

Our decision about whether the complaint is upheld in full, in part, or not upheld.

Any proposed actions to put things right, where appropriate.

We aim to provide this response within a reasonable period, depending on the complexity of the matter and our need to inspect the garden or consult team members.

Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Where your complaint is upheld, we will consider what steps are fair and practical to resolve the situation. Depending on the circumstances, this may include one or more of the following:

Putting issues right by revisiting the garden to repeat or correct work.

Carrying out additional work at no extra cost where appropriate.

Discussing alternative gardening solutions if the original specification is no longer suitable.

Offering a partial or full reduction in charges where we consider it reasonable.

Providing advice on the best way to restore or improve affected plants, lawns or garden areas.

We will always explain the reasons for the outcome we propose and how we have reached our decision.

If You Are Not Satisfied with the Outcome

If you remain unhappy after receiving our written response, you can ask us to review your complaint again. In doing so, please explain why you are not satisfied and whether you have any additional information you would like us to consider.

On review, a different member of the team, where possible, will look again at the facts, the work carried out, and our original decision. We will then provide a further written response explaining whether our decision stands or whether we are changing our findings or proposed remedy.

Your Responsibilities When Making a Complaint

To help us handle your complaint effectively, we ask that you:

Raise concerns as soon as reasonably possible after the work or incident.

Provide accurate and complete information so we can investigate properly.

Allow us reasonable access to the garden or outdoor area where the issue has arisen.

Communicate with us courteously, allowing our team the chance to respond and put things right.

Learning and Service Improvement

We review complaints regularly to identify patterns and areas for improvement. This may include changes to how we schedule garden maintenance, updates to staff training on plant care or equipment use, or improvements to how we communicate with clients before and after a visit.

By following this procedure, Gardeners Hayes aims to resolve individual concerns fairly while continually improving the gardening services we offer to our customers.