Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Locksbottom

Gardeners Locksbottom is committed to providing reliable and professional gardening services, including regular maintenance, seasonal tidy ups and one off garden projects. We aim to deliver a consistently high standard of work, but we recognise that occasionally things may not go as planned. 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 take all complaints and service concerns seriously. Our goals when you contact us about a problem are to listen carefully, understand what has gone wrong, put things right wherever possible, and use your feedback to improve our services. We handle all complaints politely, fairly and without discrimination.

What This Procedure Covers

This procedure applies to any complaint relating to our gardening services, including but not limited to lawn care, planting, hedge trimming, garden clearance, scheduled visits, workmanship, staff conduct, and communication. It is designed for residential and commercial customers who have used or are using Gardeners Locksbottom.

This procedure does not cover staff disputes, internal business matters or emergencies that require immediate assistance from emergency services. It also does not override your legal rights, which remain unaffected.

Informal Resolution

Where possible, we encourage you to raise concerns informally in the first instance. Many issues can be resolved quickly when they are brought to our attention at an early stage.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our gardening work, please speak to the gardener on site at the time of the visit if it is safe and appropriate to do so. Explain clearly what you are unhappy with and what you would like us to do to resolve the matter. Our gardeners are trained to listen to feedback and, where possible, remedy minor issues immediately.

If you prefer not to discuss the matter on site, or if the issue cannot be resolved straight away, you can raise a formal complaint as outlined below.

How to Make a Formal Complaint

You can make a formal complaint in writing. Written complaints help ensure that we fully understand your concerns and can investigate thoroughly.

When making a complaint, please include the following information where possible:

Your full name and, if relevant, the property address where we carried out the work. The dates of the gardening service and a clear description of the issue. Any relevant details, such as the type of service booked, agreed scope of work, or names of team members where known. What outcome or remedy you are seeking, for example a return visit, correction of work, or explanation.

If you are unable to provide some of this information, you should still contact us. We will do our best to identify your job details from the information you can provide.

How We Handle Your Complaint

Once we receive your complaint, we will follow a structured process to ensure it is handled consistently and fairly.

Acknowledgement

We aim to acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days. The acknowledgement will confirm that we have received your complaint and outline the next steps in the process.

Investigation

A senior member of the Gardeners Locksbottom team will investigate your complaint. This may include reviewing job records, schedules and any photographs, speaking with the gardeners who attended the property, clarifying details with you if needed, and assessing whether our services met our internal standards and any agreed specification.

We aim to complete this investigation within ten working days. If the issue is particularly complex and we need more time, we will inform you and provide an updated timescale.

Response and Outcome

Following the investigation, we will send you a written response. This will set out a summary of your complaint, the steps we have taken to investigate it, our findings, and any actions we propose to take to resolve the matter.

Possible outcomes may include an apology and explanation, a corrective visit to put right work that falls below our standards, changes to future scheduled visits or service plans, or, where appropriate, a partial or full refund. Each complaint is considered on its individual circumstances.

If You Are Not Satisfied

If you are unhappy with our response, you may request a review of the decision. A different senior member of the team, who has not been directly involved in the original investigation, will reexamine the complaint and the outcome we proposed.

During this review, we may contact you again for additional information or clarification. We aim to provide a final written response to your request for review within ten working days. This final response will explain our position and whether any further action will be taken.

Timescales for Raising a Complaint

To help us investigate fairly and accurately, we recommend that complaints are raised as soon as reasonably possible after the service has been carried out. Complaints raised many months after the event may be more difficult to investigate, especially where gardens have changed with the seasons or been worked on by others. However, we will always consider your concerns and do our best to assist.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information about your complaint will only be shared with team members who need it to investigate and respond. We handle personal data in line with relevant data protection requirements and retain complaint records only for as long as necessary for our business and legal purposes.

Using Feedback to Improve Our Gardening Services

Every complaint and piece of feedback helps us improve. We regularly review the issues raised by customers across our gardening work to identify patterns, training needs, and areas where our processes or communication can be strengthened. This ongoing review helps us maintain and improve the quality and reliability of our services for households and properties in our service area.

We appreciate the time you take to let us know when something is not right. Our aim is always to resolve problems fairly and promptly, and to restore your confidence in Gardeners Locksbottom as a dependable choice for professional gardening services.