Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Osterley Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Osterley is committed to providing reliable, high-quality gardening services, including regular garden maintenance, lawn care and one-off tidy-ups. We aim to deliver work that meets or exceeds your expectations every time. However, we recognise that occasionally things may not go as planned. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will handle your complaint, and what you can expect from us at each stage.

Our commitment to you

We take every complaint seriously. When you contact us to raise a concern about our gardening services, our priorities are to listen carefully, understand the issue, and put things right wherever reasonably possible. We also use feedback to improve how we plan and deliver services such as hedge trimming, planting, garden clearances and ongoing maintenance visits.

Our key commitments are to:

Respond promptly and politely to all complaints
Investigate issues fairly and objectively
Keep you informed throughout the process
Offer a clear explanation and, where appropriate, a practical solution
Use the outcome to improve our services and customer care

What is a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about the standard of gardening work, the conduct of our gardeners, our communication, or the way your enquiry or booking has been handled. Examples include:

The quality of a lawn cut, pruning, planting or garden clearance
Damage to property, plants or garden features during a visit
Missed appointments or repeated lateness without a reasonable explanation
Concerns about the behaviour, attitude or professionalism of staff
Errors in invoicing or confusion over agreed work

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service we have provided, we encourage you to let us know as soon as possible so we can address the issue quickly.

How to make a complaint

You can raise a complaint in the way that is most convenient for you. You may contact us by phone, in writing or by using any usual communication methods you have previously used with Gardeners Osterley. When making a complaint, it is helpful if you can provide:

Your name and the address where the gardening work took place
The date and approximate time of the visit or incident
A clear description of what went wrong and how it has affected you
Any relevant photographs, if they help to show the issue in your garden
Details of anything you have already discussed with our team about the matter

The more information you provide, the easier it will be for us to understand your concerns and investigate thoroughly.

Stage 1: Initial response and informal resolution

In the first instance, we aim to resolve most complaints quickly and informally. Once we receive your complaint, we will:

Acknowledge your complaint as soon as reasonably possible
Review the details you have provided, including any evidence or photographs
Discuss the matter with the gardener or team involved, if applicable

Where appropriate, we may contact you for further information or to clarify any details. We will then propose a practical solution, which may include:

Returning to your property to inspect the garden
Correcting or re-doing specific gardening tasks
Agreeing alternative work or a revised schedule
Providing an explanation of what happened and how we will prevent it recurring

We aim to provide an initial response within a reasonable timeframe, depending on the complexity of the issue and our access to the relevant information.

Stage 2: Formal review

If you are not satisfied with the outcome at Stage 1, you may request a formal review. At this stage, a more senior member of our team will:

Re-examine your original complaint and the actions taken so far
Review all notes, communications and evidence collected
Speak with the staff involved, where relevant
Consider whether our response has been fair, reasonable and in line with our standards

We may contact you again to discuss your concerns in more detail or to arrange a further visit to your garden if required. Once the review is complete, we will provide a written or verbal response that includes:

A summary of your complaint
The steps we have taken to investigate
Our findings and conclusion
Any further action or remedy we are prepared to offer

Timescales for handling complaints

We always aim to deal with complaints as quickly as possible, while ensuring they are handled carefully and fairly. Actual timescales will depend on the nature of the complaint and whether a site visit is needed.

As a general guide:

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint as soon as we reasonably can
We will aim to provide an initial response within a short, reasonable period
If a formal review is needed, we will aim to complete this within a further reasonable timescale

If, for any reason, we cannot meet these indicative timescales, we will let you know the reason and give you an updated estimate of when you can expect a full response.

Possible outcomes and remedies

Depending on the circumstances, outcomes may include:

A clear explanation of what went wrong and why
Corrective gardening work, such as revisiting to tidy beds, re-cut lawns or adjust pruning
Changes to future service arrangements or schedules
Internal staff guidance or training to prevent similar issues

We will always seek to reach a fair and proportionate outcome that reflects the nature of the issue and the impact on you and your garden.

Our use of complaints to improve services

Every complaint, whether minor or serious, is an opportunity for Gardeners Osterley to improve. We review complaints regularly to identify any recurring themes or patterns, such as issues with scheduling, communication, or particular types of gardening work. Where needed, we may update our procedures, provide additional staff training, or adjust how we plan and deliver garden maintenance services across our service area.

Confidentiality and data protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information you provide will be used only for the purpose of investigating and resolving your concern, and for improving our services. We will store and manage any personal information you give us in line with relevant data protection principles.

Further queries about this procedure

If you have any questions about this Complaints Procedure or how it applies to your situation, you can contact us using your usual communication method with Gardeners Osterley. We will be happy to explain any part of the process and to support you in raising a complaint if you need assistance.