Gardeners Penge Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Penge is committed to providing reliable, professional gardening and grounds care services. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. When this happens, we want to know so we can put matters right and improve our services. 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 deliver a prompt, fair and transparent response to every complaint. We treat all feedback as an opportunity to review our work, support our gardening teams and enhance the quality of our services. We will handle your complaint courteously, keep you informed of progress and maintain clear records of all stages of the process.

What Is a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about the gardening or related services you have received from Gardeners Penge, whether the work is carried out at a private home, communal garden, commercial premises or other outdoor space. This may relate to the standard of work, conduct or behaviour of our gardeners, communication, scheduling, or how we have handled a previous concern.

We distinguish complaints from general feedback or routine requests, such as asking for an additional visit, a quotation or minor adjustments to scheduled work. If you are unsure whether your issue is a complaint, please raise it with us; we will direct it to the appropriate team.

Who Can Make a Complaint

Any customer or representative of a customer who has used Gardeners Penge or has a confirmed booking may make a complaint. This includes homeowners, tenants, landlords, managing agents, business owners and any other authorised person responsible for a maintained outdoor space where we provide services.

How to Raise a Complaint

You can raise a complaint using any written method that is convenient for you, such as by letter or via a written message through an agreed communication channel. Where possible, please provide the following information so we can investigate efficiently:

• Your full name and the address where the gardening work was carried out
• The date of the visit or period of service your complaint relates to
• A clear description of what went wrong and how this has affected you
• Any relevant photographs or notes that help explain the issue
• What outcome you are seeking, for example, a re-visit, correction of work or an explanation

If you raise a concern verbally during or immediately after a visit, we may ask you to confirm the key details in writing so we have a clear record and can respond properly.

Time Limits for Making a Complaint

We encourage you to tell us about any problem as soon as you notice it, ideally within 14 days of the visit or service. This helps us investigate while the details are fresh and allows us to inspect the garden or outdoor area, if necessary. Complaints raised after a longer period will still be considered, but our ability to investigate may be reduced if circumstances have changed significantly.

What Happens After You Complain

Once we receive your complaint, we will follow these steps:

1. Acknowledgement: We will send you a written acknowledgement within a reasonable time after receiving your complaint, confirming that we are looking into the matter and who is responsible for handling it.
2. Initial Review: A member of our management or customer care team will review the information you have provided, the relevant job records, photographs and any communications relating to the service.
3. Further Information: If we need more details, we may contact you to clarify certain points, request additional photographs or arrange a site visit to inspect the garden or outdoor area.
4. Investigation: We will speak to the gardener or team involved, review any agreed work schedules or quotations and compare the completed work against what was promised.
5. Response: After we have completed our investigation, we will provide you with a clear written response explaining our findings, any proposed remedies and the reasons for our decision.

Timescales for Response

We aim to provide a full written response within 14 working days of acknowledging your complaint. If the matter is complex or requires a site visit or consultation with multiple team members, it may take longer. In such cases, we will keep you informed of progress and let you know when you can expect a further update.

Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Depending on the nature of your complaint and the outcome of our investigation, we may offer one or more of the following remedies:

• A clear explanation of what happened and, where relevant, why
• An apology where we find that our service fell below the expected standard
• A corrective visit to put right work that has not been carried out as agreed
• Adjustments to future services, schedules or work methods to prevent recurrence
• Other solutions that are reasonable in the circumstances and agreed with you

If You Are Not Satisfied

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our response, you may ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a more senior member of our team who was not involved in the original investigation. This review will focus on whether the process has been followed properly and whether the outcome is fair based on the available evidence.

We will provide a further written reply after this review, setting out our final position on the matter. Once this stage is complete, we will normally consider the complaint closed, unless new and significant information comes to light.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information is shared only with team members who need it to investigate and resolve the issue. We retain records of complaints in line with our data protection obligations and use them to monitor service performance and identify areas for improvement in our gardening and maintenance work.

Continuous Improvement

Gardeners Penge uses complaints and customer feedback to review working practices, training needs and quality control for all gardening services. By raising a concern, you help us to maintain high standards, improve our service across the local area and provide clearer information to future customers.

This Complaints Procedure is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains fair, accessible and effective for all customers who rely on our gardening and outdoor care services.