Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Dartmouth Park Clients

Gardeners Dartmouth Park is committed to providing high quality gardening and grounds 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 improve our services. This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will handle it, and what you can expect from us at each stage.

Purpose and Scope of This Procedure

This complaints procedure applies to all domestic and commercial clients who use Gardeners Dartmouth Park for gardening, landscaping, lawn care, planting, garden tidy-ups and related services. It covers any expression of dissatisfaction about our work, our staff or contractors, our communication, or the way we have managed your booking or account.

The procedure is designed to be clear, fair and accessible. You can make a complaint at any time while we are working for you, or after the work has been completed. However, it is easier to resolve issues when they are raised promptly, ideally within a reasonable time of the service taking place.

What We Class as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about our services. This may include, for example:

Concern about the quality of gardening or landscaping work provided, including planting, pruning, lawn care and general maintenance.

Issues with appointments, such as missed or significantly delayed visits without prior notice.

Concerns about the conduct, behaviour or attitude of our gardeners or representatives.

Disputes about invoices, quotations, scope of work or agreed specifications.

Problems with how we have handled your enquiry, booking or aftercare.

We welcome all feedback, including complaints, as an opportunity to review how we work and make improvements.

How to Make a Complaint

You can raise a complaint in writing or verbally. When contacting us, please provide as much detail as possible so we can understand the issue clearly and investigate it thoroughly. Useful information includes:

Your full name and the address where the gardening work was carried out.

The date or dates when the issue occurred.

A description of the work we were asked to carry out.

Details of what went wrong or did not meet your expectations.

Any photographs or notes that help explain the problem.

How you would like us to resolve the matter, if you have a preferred outcome.

If you raise a concern during or immediately after a visit, the attending gardener may be able to resolve it straight away. If this is not possible, the issue will be passed to a manager for review following the process described below.

Our Complaints Handling Stages

We aim to deal with all complaints fairly, confidentially and as quickly as possible. Our process usually follows three stages.

Stage One: Initial Review and Acknowledgement

Once we receive your complaint, we will record it and arrange for an initial review. We will acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable time, usually within a few working days. In our acknowledgement, we will confirm that we have received your complaint and outline the next steps, including when you can expect a further response.

Stage Two: Investigation and Response

We will then investigate your complaint. This may include reviewing booking records, work schedules and notes, speaking with the gardener or team involved, and, where appropriate, visiting the garden to inspect the work or the area of concern.

Once the investigation is complete, we will provide a written or verbal response setting out:

What we have understood your complaint to be.

What we have found following our investigation.

Whether your complaint is upheld in full, partially upheld, or not upheld.

Any steps we propose to put things right.

Any changes we intend to make to prevent similar issues in future.

We aim to provide this outcome within a reasonable timeframe. If the matter is complex and we need more time, we will let you know and keep you updated on progress.

Stage Three: Further Review

If you are not satisfied with the outcome at Stage Two, you may request a further review. A senior member of the team, who has not been directly involved in the earlier investigation where possible, will reconsider the complaint, the information already gathered, and any additional details you wish to provide.

Following this review, we will provide a final response explaining our decision and the reasons for it. At this point, we will confirm that our internal complaints procedure has been exhausted.

Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Where we find that a complaint is justified, we will aim to agree a fair and proportionate remedy. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

Carrying out remedial gardening or landscaping work, such as redoing a task or correcting an error.

Offering a partial or full refund where appropriate.

Adjusting future services, schedules or methods of communication.

Providing an apology and an explanation of what went wrong.

Using your feedback to improve staff training, supervision and service planning.

Our priority is to reach an outcome that is reasonable for both you and Gardeners Dartmouth Park, based on the nature of the problem and the evidence available.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled with appropriate confidentiality. Information you provide will only be shared with staff who need it to investigate and resolve the issue. We will store records of complaints and outcomes securely and in line with applicable data protection requirements. These records help us to monitor trends and improve our gardening services for clients in the area.

Continuous Improvement

Gardeners Dartmouth Park is committed to continually reviewing and improving our services, which include regular garden maintenance, one-off tidy-ups, planting schemes and seasonal work. Feedback and complaints play an important role in helping us identify where we can do better. We regularly review complaint records to look for patterns, assess the effectiveness of our processes and update our working practices where needed.

Review of This Complaints Procedure

This complaints procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains accurate, clear and compliant with any relevant requirements. Updates may be made to reflect changes in our services, internal processes or management structure. The current procedure will always be made available to clients on request.

We encourage any client who is unhappy with any aspect of our gardening services to contact us using this procedure. By raising concerns, you give Gardeners Dartmouth Park the opportunity to resolve issues and to continue developing a reliable and responsive garden care service for the community.