Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Ruxley Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Ruxley is committed to providing reliable and professional gardening services. We understand that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. When this happens, we want to know so that we can put matters right and improve our services. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we handle complaints, and the standards you can expect from us.

Our Commitment to You

We aim to deliver consistent, high quality garden maintenance and related services. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our work or our customer service, we encourage you to tell us. We will treat all complaints seriously, investigate them fairly, and seek a resolution as quickly as is reasonably possible.

All complaints are handled in a respectful and non-discriminatory way. Raising a complaint will not affect any ongoing or future work we carry out for you, and we will always aim to maintain a professional relationship throughout the process.

What This Procedure Covers

This procedure applies to complaints about:

• The quality of gardening work carried out
• The conduct or behaviour of our gardeners or representatives
• Missed appointments or repeated delays
• Communication issues about bookings, quotes, or schedules
• Health and safety concerns related to our work on your property
• Any other issue relating directly to our gardening services

If your concern relates to an issue outside our control, we will explain this clearly and, where possible, direct you to an alternative source of support or guidance.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint in the way that is most convenient for you. We recommend putting your complaint in writing so there is a clear record of what has happened and how you would like us to put it right. If you prefer to raise your concern verbally, we will make a written note of the details.

When you contact us, please include:

• Your full name and the address where we carried out the work
• The date or approximate date of the gardening service
• A clear description of what went wrong and how it has affected you
• Any steps you have already taken to resolve the matter with our team
• What outcome you are hoping for, such as rectification of work or an explanation

Providing as much detail as possible helps us to investigate quickly and thoroughly.

Stages of the Complaints Process

1. Initial Review and Acknowledgement

Once we receive your complaint, we will record it in our internal log. We aim to acknowledge receipt within a reasonable timeframe, usually within a few working days. In our acknowledgement, we will confirm that we have received your complaint and outline the next steps in the process.

2. Investigation

Your complaint will be reviewed by a responsible person within Gardeners Ruxley who has not been directly involved in the issue wherever possible. The investigation may include:

• Reviewing job notes, schedules, and any relevant photographs
• Speaking with the gardeners or team members involved
• If appropriate, arranging a visit to your property to inspect the work

We aim to complete our investigation and provide a full response within a reasonable timescale. If the complaint is complex and requires more time, we will let you know and provide an updated timeframe.

3. Response and Outcome

When we have completed our investigation, we will explain our findings and the outcome. Our response will usually include:

• A summary of the complaint and what we have looked into
• The results of our investigation
• Any steps we propose to take to resolve the matter
• Any changes we plan to make to our services or procedures as a result

Possible outcomes may include rectifying or redoing work, offering a partial or full refund where appropriate, providing an explanation or apology, or updating our working practices to prevent a recurrence.

If You Are Not Satisfied

If you are not satisfied with our initial response, you may request that your complaint is reviewed again. In this case, a more senior member of our team will re-examine the details, including any additional information you wish to provide. We will then send you a final response explaining our position.

While we always aim to resolve complaints directly and amicably, we respect your right to seek independent advice at any stage of the process.

Time Limits for Complaints

To help us investigate effectively, we encourage you to raise any complaint as soon as possible after the issue arises. Reporting concerns shortly after the work has been carried out makes it easier for us to review the gardening tasks, compare against any notes or photographs, and take prompt corrective action where needed.

Recording and Using Complaint Information

We keep records of all complaints in order to manage them properly and to help us improve our services. Information from complaints may be used to:

• Provide additional training for our gardeners and staff
• Refine our scheduling and communication procedures
• Review the quality standards we apply to garden maintenance and related services
• Identify recurring issues and take preventive measures

We handle all personal information in line with applicable data protection principles and only share information where necessary to investigate and resolve your complaint.

Continuous Improvement

Gardeners Ruxley views feedback as a valuable opportunity to learn and improve. Whether your complaint relates to lawn care, planting, regular maintenance, or one-off projects, we use your experience to help raise standards for all our customers.

By following this Complaints Procedure, we aim to ensure every concern is listened to, dealt with fairly, and resolved wherever possible. Your satisfaction and confidence in our gardening services are important to us, and we are committed to handling your complaint with care and professionalism.