Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Cann Hall Services

This complaints procedure explains how Gardeners Cann Hall manages and resolves concerns about our gardening and grounds maintenance services. We are committed to delivering reliable and professional work, and we treat every complaint as an opportunity to review and improve our service.

Our commitment to handling complaints

We aim to make the complaints process straightforward, transparent and fair. If something goes wrong with your gardening service, we want to know about it so that we can put it right. We will always aim to:

Listen carefully to your concerns about our work or conduct on site.

Record and acknowledge your complaint clearly and accurately.

Investigate what happened in a proportionate and objective way.

Provide a timely response with an explanation and, where appropriate, a proposed resolution.

Use the outcome of complaints to review how we plan, deliver and supervise our gardening services.

What counts as a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our gardening or customer service where you would like a response or resolution. This can include, for example:

Concerns about the quality, timing or thoroughness of a gardening visit.

Issues with regular maintenance, lawn care, pruning, planting or clear-ups.

Concerns about how our gardeners have behaved on your property.

Problems with communication, such as appointments, access, or job instructions.

Disagreement about charges where you believe something has not been carried out as agreed.

We encourage you to raise any issue as soon as you become aware of it so that it can be addressed promptly.

How to make a complaint

You can raise a complaint using any written method you prefer. Please include your full name, service address, a description of the issue, and what outcome you are seeking. The more detail you provide, the easier it is for us to investigate.

You may complain directly after a gardening visit, following a one-off job, or in relation to an ongoing maintenance schedule. We will accept complaints from the person who booked the service or from someone acting with their permission.

Stage 1: Initial review and acknowledgement

Once we receive your complaint, we will record it in our internal system and arrange for an initial review. We aim to acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable period of time, confirming that it has been received and is being looked into.

At this stage we may contact you to clarify any details, request photographs of the garden or work area, or confirm what you believe went wrong. Clear information helps us assess whether the issue relates to quality of service, misunderstanding of the original brief, external conditions such as weather, or another cause.

Stage 2: Investigation and response

Your complaint will be investigated by a member of our management or supervisory team who has not been directly involved in the concern wherever possible. The investigation may include:

Reviewing booking details, job notes and service history for your property.

Speaking with the gardeners who attended the site.

Considering any before and after photographs or other evidence provided.

Assessing whether the work carried out was in line with what had been agreed.

Following the investigation, we will provide a response explaining our findings. Where we agree that standards have fallen short, we will also outline proposed next steps to resolve the matter.

Possible outcomes and remedies

Where a complaint is upheld, we will seek a fair and practical solution, taking into account the type of gardening work, the condition of the garden, and any limitations explained at the time of booking. Remedies may include:

Returning to your property to put right specific aspects of the work where this is possible.

Adjusting future service plans or instructions for ongoing maintenance visits.

Offering a partial or full reduction in charges, where appropriate and proportionate.

Providing advice on realistic expectations for garden outcomes and timeframes.

In some situations, for example where plants have been affected by weather, pests or pre-existing conditions, it may not be appropriate to offer a remedy. However, we will explain the reasons clearly.

Stage 3: Further review

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, you can ask for a further review. You should do this as soon as possible after receiving our response and explain why you remain unhappy and what resolution you are seeking.

This review will be carried out by a senior member of our team who will re-examine the complaint, the evidence, and the initial decision. Once this further review is complete, we will provide a final response. This will usually conclude our internal complaints procedure.

Timeframes for dealing with complaints

We aim to handle complaints promptly and to keep you informed throughout the process. While some straightforward issues can be resolved quickly, more complex gardening complaints, such as those involving multiple visits or large outdoor projects, may take longer to investigate. Where we anticipate a delay, we will let you know and provide an update on progress.

Fairness, privacy and conduct

All complaints are handled respectfully and confidentially. Information you provide is used only for the purpose of handling your complaint and improving our services. We expect our team and our customers to communicate courteously throughout the process, even where there is disagreement about what has happened in the garden or how it should be put right.

Learning from complaints

Complaints help us to review how we manage bookings, brief our gardeners, plan seasonal work and communicate with customers about what is realistically achievable in each outdoor space. We periodically review complaints data to identify patterns and make improvements to our gardening services, training and procedures.

By following this complaints procedure, Gardeners Cann Hall aims to ensure that all concerns are handled fairly, consistently and with a focus on restoring confidence in our work.