Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Lisson Grove

Gardeners Lisson Grove is committed to providing reliable, professional gardening and grounds maintenance services. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as expected. 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 aim to handle all complaints fairly, transparently and promptly. Every complaint is treated as an opportunity to review our services, improve our standards, and maintain long-term relationships with our clients. We will always:

Listen carefully to your concerns and treat you with respect.

Investigate what has happened in a balanced and impartial way.

Seek to resolve issues at the earliest possible stage.

Keep you informed about progress and outcomes.

Use your feedback to improve our gardening services and customer care.

What This Procedure Covers

This procedure applies to complaints relating to our gardening and landscaping services, including but not limited to regular garden maintenance, one-off tidy ups, lawn care, hedge trimming, planting, and related customer service interactions.

It does not cover employment disputes, internal staff issues, or matters that are already the subject of legal proceedings or insurance claims. In those cases, we may follow alternative processes or refer you to the appropriate body.

Raising a Complaint Informally

In many cases, concerns can be resolved quickly by speaking to us informally. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our work, please raise the issue as soon as possible with the gardener attending your property or your usual point of contact. Often, problems such as a missed task, a misunderstanding about the agreed scope, or a concern about timings can be resolved on the spot or at the next visit.

When raising a concern informally, it helps if you can clearly explain:

What service was provided and when.

What went wrong or did not meet your expectations.

How you would like us to put things right, if you have a preferred solution.

If the issue cannot be resolved informally, or you feel it is more serious, you may use our formal complaints procedure set out below.

Making a Formal Complaint

If you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so in writing. Written complaints help ensure that we fully understand the details and can investigate thoroughly. You may write to us describing the problem and including the following information:

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

The date or dates when the issue occurred.

A clear description of the problem and why you are dissatisfied.

Details of any previous attempts to resolve the matter informally.

Any photographs or other information that you feel might help explain your concern.

Please send your written complaint using your usual method of contact with us. If you need support to make a complaint, for example due to language or accessibility needs, please let us know and we will do our best to assist.

Acknowledgement and Timescales

We aim to acknowledge all formal complaints within a reasonable period of receiving them. In our acknowledgement, we will confirm that we have received your complaint, outline our next steps, and give an indication of when you can expect a full response.

We will then conduct a careful review of your complaint. This may include:

Checking our records, schedules, and job notes.

Speaking with the gardeners or team members involved.

Reviewing any photographs, messages or other supporting information.

We aim to provide a full written response as soon as is reasonably possible. If, for any reason, our investigation takes longer than anticipated, we will let you know and provide an updated timeframe.

How We Resolve Complaints

Once our investigation is complete, we will provide you with a clear explanation of our findings and any action we propose to take. Depending on the circumstances, outcomes may include:

An apology and an explanation of what went wrong.

Rectification work, such as returning to the garden to complete or correct tasks.

A review or adjustment of charges where appropriate.

Changes to our internal procedures, training or scheduling to reduce the risk of similar issues in future.

Where we do not uphold a complaint, we will explain our reasons clearly. Our goal is always to be fair and reasonable, taking into account both your experience and the practical realities of gardening work, including weather, seasonal factors and plant behaviour.

If You Remain Dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may request a further review. Please set out why you remain unhappy and what outcome you are seeking. We will then arrange for a second review, which may be carried out by a senior member of our team who was not directly involved in the original work wherever possible.

After this review, we will provide a final response. At this stage, we will confirm whether we are able to take any further action or whether our position remains unchanged.

Recording and Using Complaints

We keep a record of formal complaints received, how they were handled and the outcomes achieved. This helps us monitor the quality of our gardening services and identify areas where we may need to improve training, supervision, communication or scheduling.

Where possible, we anonymise information when analysing trends, so that individuals cannot be identified from any reports or summaries. Personal information is handled in line with our responsibilities under relevant data protection requirements.

Mutual Respect and Fair Treatment

We expect our staff and customers to treat each other politely and with respect at all times. We understand that issues can be frustrating, particularly when they relate to your home or garden, but we will not tolerate abusive, threatening or discriminatory behaviour towards our team members.

In rare cases where behaviour is unacceptable or persistent in a way that impacts our staff or operations, we may limit contact to written correspondence or, in extreme situations, decide that we are no longer able to provide services.

Review of This Procedure

This Complaints Procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains clear, effective and appropriate for the gardening services we provide. We may update it from time to time to reflect changes in our operations or in applicable guidance. The version on this page is the most current procedure for raising and resolving complaints with Gardeners Lisson Grove.