Gardeners Cheam Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Cheam is committed to providing reliable, professional gardening and outdoor maintenance services. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. When that happens, we want to know so we can put matters right and improve our service. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, what we will do, and the timescales you can expect.

Our Commitment to You

We aim to handle all complaints fairly, consistently and promptly. Every complaint is taken seriously, whether it relates to a one-off visit or an ongoing gardening contract. We will treat you with respect, listen carefully to what you tell us, and use your feedback to help prevent similar issues in future.

You will not be treated less favourably for making a complaint. We welcome honest feedback from all customers, whether domestic or commercial, across our regular service area.

What Is a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our gardening or maintenance services, staff conduct, communication, or administrative processes, where you would like a response or resolution.

Examples of issues that may lead to a complaint include, but are not limited to:

• Work not carried out as agreed, such as missed tasks or incomplete garden maintenance
• Concerns about the quality of work, tidiness, or care taken on site
• Disputes relating to appointments, timekeeping, or access to your property
• Billing or quotation concerns, including charges you believe are incorrect
• Behaviour or attitude of any member of our team while on your premises

If you are unsure whether an issue counts as a complaint, you are still encouraged to raise it with us. We will guide you through the most appropriate way to have it reviewed.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint verbally or in writing. While we accept complaints in any reasonable form, a written complaint usually helps us understand the situation more clearly and may speed up our investigation.

Please include, where possible:

• Your full name and the service address
• The date or dates of the gardening work involved
• A clear description of what went wrong and how you were affected
• Any steps already taken with our team to resolve the issue
• Any supporting information you feel is relevant, such as photographs or notes

If you have any communication needs or require assistance in making a complaint, let us know so we can support you.

Early Resolution

Many issues can be resolved quickly if they are raised at the time they occur or soon after. Where possible, we encourage you to speak directly with the gardener on site or the team member who made the booking. They may be able to correct a problem straightaway, such as redoing an element of the work or clarifying what was agreed.

If your concern is not resolved to your satisfaction informally, or if you prefer not to speak with the individual involved, you can move to the formal complaints process described below.

Formal Complaints Process

Once we receive your formal complaint, we will follow these steps.

Step 1: Acknowledgement

We will acknowledge your complaint as soon as reasonably possible. In our acknowledgement, we will confirm that we have received your complaint, outline the next steps, and provide an approximate timeframe for our investigation.

Step 2: Investigation

Your complaint will be reviewed by a person who has not been directly involved in the matter wherever possible. They may:

• Review job notes, schedules, and any photographs or reports from the visit
• Speak with the gardener or team members involved
• Contact you for further details or clarification if needed
• Consider what, if any, steps have already been taken to address your concerns

We aim to complete our investigation within a reasonable period, taking into account the complexity of the issue and the availability of everyone involved.

Step 3: Outcome and Response

Once the investigation is complete, we will provide you with a clear written response. This will usually include:

• A summary of your complaint
• The steps we took to investigate the matter
• Our findings and conclusions
• Any actions we propose to put things right
• Information on what you can do if you remain dissatisfied

Where appropriate, remedies may include an apology, repeating or correcting the work, or making other reasonable adjustments to resolve the situation.

If You Remain Dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can request that it be reviewed. In this case, where possible, a more senior member of the team will re-examine the complaint and the handling of the original investigation.

During this review, we may contact you again to discuss any outstanding points and to clarify what resolution you are seeking. After the review is complete, we will send you a final response, setting out our decision and the reasons for it.

Time Limits for Complaints

We encourage customers to raise complaints as soon as possible so that we can investigate while events are still recent and evidence is available. As a general guideline, we are more likely to be able to thoroughly investigate issues raised within a short period of the gardening work being carried out.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

We will handle your complaint in line with our general obligations regarding confidentiality and data protection. Information you provide will only be shared with those who need it to investigate and resolve your complaint. We will keep a record of your complaint and our response so that we can monitor performance and identify areas for improvement.

Using Complaints to Improve Our Service

Every complaint is an opportunity for Gardeners Cheam to learn and improve. We regularly review the complaints we receive to identify recurring issues, training needs, and ways to enhance our gardening services across our local area. By telling us when something has gone wrong, you help us maintain high standards for you and for other customers.

This complaints procedure is intended to be clear and straightforward. If anything in this document is unclear, or if you would like it explained in a different way, you are welcome to contact us to discuss it further.