Gardeners Merton Complaints Procedure
Gardeners Merton is committed to delivering reliable, professional gardening and grounds maintenance services. We recognise that, on occasion, 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 throughout the process.
Our Commitment to You
We aim to handle all complaints in a fair, consistent and transparent way. When you raise an issue with Gardeners Merton, we will:
Listen carefully to your concerns and treat you with respect at all times.
Take your complaint seriously and investigate it thoroughly.
Respond within reasonable and clearly stated timeframes.
Keep you informed about the progress of your complaint.
Use any feedback to improve our gardening services and customer care.
What Counts as a Complaint
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our gardening or maintenance services, our staff, our communication with you, or the way we have handled a previous concern. Examples include:
Concerns about the quality or standard of gardening work carried out at your property.
Issues relating to reliability, such as missed or late appointments without prior notice.
Concerns about the behaviour, conduct, or attitude of any member of our team.
Disagreements about quotations, invoicing, or the scope of agreed work.
Any situation where you feel we have not met the standard of service you reasonably expected from us.
How to Make a Complaint
We encourage you to raise any concerns as soon as possible so that we can put things right promptly. You can make a complaint in the following ways:
In person to a member of the Gardeners Merton team when they attend your property.
In writing, clearly stating that you wish to make a complaint and outlining what has gone wrong.
By contacting our office during normal business hours and asking to speak to a person responsible for handling complaints.
When submitting your complaint, please provide the following information to help us investigate effectively:
Your full name and the address where we provide gardening services.
The date or dates when the issue occurred.
A clear description of what has gone wrong and how it has affected you.
Any photos or notes you have taken that may help explain the issue.
What you would consider a reasonable outcome or resolution.
Stage One: Initial Response
Once we receive your complaint, we will log it in our internal system. We will aim to acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable period, normally within five working days. Our acknowledgement will confirm:
That we have received your complaint.
Who will be responsible for handling it.
What the next steps will be and the expected timescale for a full response.
Where possible, minor issues may be resolved immediately at this stage. For example, we may offer to revisit your garden to correct work, adjust a schedule, or clarify any misunderstanding about the services provided.
Stage Two: Investigation and Outcome
For more complex or serious complaints, we will carry out a full investigation. This may include:
Reviewing our work records, job sheets and schedules for your property.
Speaking to the gardening team members who attended.
If appropriate, arranging a site visit to inspect the garden or outdoor area.
Reviewing any relevant photographs, notes or other information you have supplied.
We will usually provide a detailed written response within twenty working days of acknowledging your complaint. If for any reason we need more time, we will let you know, explain why, and give you a revised timeframe.
Our written response will include:
What we have understood your complaint to be.
A summary of the steps we have taken to investigate the issue.
Our findings and whether we uphold your complaint in full, in part or not at all.
Any proposed actions or remedies, such as remedial gardening work, a service adjustment, training for staff, or other appropriate steps.
Stage Three: Further Review
If you are not satisfied with our Stage Two response, you may request a further review. To do this, please contact us again, explaining:
Why you are unhappy with the outcome.
Any points you feel we have misunderstood or not addressed.
Any additional information you think is relevant.
A senior member of our team, who was not directly involved in the original investigation where possible, will review the complaint, the investigation and the response already provided. We will aim to complete this review and respond to you within fifteen working days.
The review may confirm the original decision, change the outcome, or propose alternative resolutions. We will explain the reasons for the final decision clearly and in plain language.
Possible Outcomes and Remedies
Depending on the nature of your complaint and our findings, outcomes may include:
An apology and explanation of what went wrong.
Corrective gardening work, such as revisiting your property to remedy issues.
Adjustments to future services or schedules.
Improvements to our internal procedures, staff training or communication methods.
Where applicable, a review of charges to ensure they are fair and accurate.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
All complaints are handled confidentially. Information is shared only with those who need it to investigate and resolve the issue. We store and process your personal information in line with our data protection obligations and retain complaint records for a reasonable period to help monitor and improve our services.
Using Feedback to Improve Our Services
Gardeners Merton values all feedback, including complaints, as an opportunity to improve. We review complaint records regularly to identify any recurring issues in our gardening and grounds maintenance work, and we use this information to refine our systems, staff training and customer service standards.
By following this complaints procedure, we aim to resolve any concerns fairly and promptly, maintain your trust and continue to provide dependable gardening services in our local area.
