Gardeners East Ham Complaints Procedure

Gardeners East Ham is committed to providing reliable, high quality gardening and outdoor maintenance services. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. When this happens, we want to know about it so we can put things right and continually improve our services. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we handle complaints, and what you can expect from us at each stage.

Our Commitment to You

We aim to handle all complaints fairly, consistently and promptly. Every complaint is taken seriously, whether it relates to the quality of our gardening work, our conduct on site, our booking processes, or any other aspect of our service. Our goals are to resolve issues as quickly as possible, learn from feedback, and maintain clear communication with you throughout.

What This Procedure Covers

This complaints procedure applies to all domestic and commercial customers who have used Gardeners East Ham. It covers concerns about scheduled or completed gardening work, regular maintenance visits, one-off projects, and any customer service interactions linked to our services. It does not cover matters that are already the subject of legal action or insurance claims, but we will still treat any concerns you raise with care and respect.

Raising a Complaint

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, we encourage you to tell us as soon as possible. The sooner you raise the issue, the easier it is for us to investigate and resolve it. When submitting your complaint, please provide your name, details of the property where the work took place, the date of the service, and a clear description of what went wrong. If relevant, you may describe any damage, incomplete work, delays, or concerns about staff behaviour.

You can raise a complaint verbally to a team member on site or by contacting our office. If your complaint is made verbally, we may ask you to confirm key details in writing so that nothing is missed. Written complaints help us track progress and ensure that every point you raise is carefully addressed.

Informal Resolution

Where possible, we aim to resolve concerns informally at the earliest opportunity. If you speak to a gardener or team leader on site about an issue, they will do their best to put things right immediately, for example by revisiting an area of the garden or clarifying what was agreed in the original booking. If the concern cannot be resolved there and then, it will be passed to a supervisor or manager for further review.

Many issues can be resolved quickly through a discussion and a practical solution, such as arranging a return visit, clarifying expectations around plant care, or adjusting a regular maintenance schedule. Even when an informal resolution is reached, we log the complaint so we can monitor patterns and improve our service.

Formal Complaints Process

If your concern cannot be resolved informally, or if you prefer to make a formal complaint from the outset, it will follow the process set out below. We will acknowledge your complaint and let you know that it is being investigated. We aim to acknowledge all formal complaints within a reasonable timeframe and will tell you who is dealing with the matter.

A manager or appointed representative will review the details of your complaint, including any notes from our gardening team, photographs, job sheets, and any previous correspondence with you. Where necessary, we may contact you to request further information or to arrange a visit to inspect the garden or outdoor area in person.

Investigation and Response Timescales

We aim to complete our investigation and provide a full response within a reasonable period, depending on the complexity of the issue and the availability of relevant information. In most cases, we will be able to give you a substantive response within a few working weeks. If we require more time, we will let you know, explain why, and provide an updated timescale.

Our written response will summarise your complaint, outline the steps we took to investigate, and set out our findings and proposed resolution. Where appropriate, this may include corrective work, partial or full refunds, revised service arrangements, or an explanation of why we believe the service was provided in line with our standards.

Possible Outcomes and Remedies

We will always seek a fair and reasonable solution based on the circumstances of your complaint. Depending on the situation, remedies may include revisiting the property to complete or correct work, adjusting future maintenance plans, offering financial redress, or giving clear guidance on garden aftercare to support better results over time.

In some cases, our investigation may find that our service met the agreed specification and reasonable professional standards. If we are unable to uphold your complaint, we will provide a clear explanation of how we reached that conclusion and answer any questions you may have about our decision.

If You Remain Dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with our formal response, you may ask for a further review. A senior member of our team, who was not directly involved in the original work or the first investigation, will re-examine your complaint, the evidence available, and the proposed outcome. They will then provide a final written response.

We hope to resolve all complaints directly with our customers. However, you are always free to seek independent advice at any stage if you feel this is appropriate.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information you provide will only be shared with those who need it to investigate and resolve your complaint. We handle personal data in line with applicable data protection requirements and retain complaint records only for as long as necessary.

Continuous Improvement

Feedback and complaints help us refine our gardening services and customer care. We regularly review complaint records to identify recurring issues, training needs, and opportunities to improve our work in gardens and outdoor spaces. By raising a concern, you are helping us maintain and enhance the quality of our services for all customers.