Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Friern Barnet Services

This Complaints Procedure explains how clients of Gardeners Friern Barnet can raise concerns about any aspect of our gardening and grounds maintenance services. We are committed to resolving issues fairly, promptly and professionally, and we use all feedback to improve our work throughout the local area we serve.

Our Commitment to Handling Complaints

We aim to provide reliable, high quality gardening services, including regular maintenance, one-off tidy-ups, and specialist garden care. If something goes wrong, we want to hear about it so we can put it right. Every complaint is treated seriously, handled with respect and confidentiality, and reviewed by a responsible member of our team.

We will always try to:

• Acknowledge your complaint promptly
• Investigate what has happened in a fair and balanced way
• Keep you informed of progress and any delays
• Offer a clear explanation and, where appropriate, a practical solution or remedy
• Use your feedback to prevent similar issues in future

What Counts as a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether written or verbal, about the services provided by Gardeners Friern Barnet or the conduct of our staff or subcontractors. This may include, for example:

• Concerns about the standard or quality of gardening work carried out
• Issues with punctuality, reliability, or adherence to agreed schedules
• Problems with communication or customer service
• Health and safety or environmental concerns related to our activities
• Disputes relating to invoices, quotes, or agreed work specifications

If you are unsure whether your concern is a complaint, you may still raise it with us. We will advise you on the most suitable way forward.

How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint in the way that is most convenient for you. You may raise concerns:

• In person with a member of our gardening team on site
• In writing to our office address
• Through our online contact form on our website

When making a complaint, please provide as much information as possible, including:

• Your full name and, if relevant, the property address where we provide services
• The date and approximate time of the incident or service
• A clear description of what went wrong and how it has affected you
• Any supporting details, such as photographs or copies of quotes or invoices
• How you would ideally like the issue to be resolved

Providing these details helps us investigate more quickly and accurately.

Stage One: Informal Resolution

Where possible, we encourage you to raise any concerns at the earliest opportunity with the gardener or team leader working on your property. Many issues can be resolved immediately through discussion, clarification of the agreed work, or minor corrective actions during the visit.

If you feel uncomfortable raising the matter on site, or if the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may escalate it to our office for a formal review.

Stage Two: Formal Complaint

For a formal complaint, please contact our office in writing or via our website contact form. Once received, we will:

• Acknowledge your complaint within five working days
• Record the details in our internal complaints log
• Assign a responsible person to investigate, usually a manager or senior team member

This person will review the information you have provided, speak with any staff involved, and, if necessary, arrange a visit to the property to inspect the work carried out.

Investigation and Response Times

We aim to complete our investigation and provide a full written response within 20 working days of acknowledging your complaint. If, due to complexity or the need for further site visits, we anticipate a delay, we will inform you and give an updated time frame.

Our response will typically include:

• A summary of the issues you raised
• The steps taken during our investigation
• Our findings and any conclusions reached
• Any proposed remedy or actions we will take

Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Where a complaint is upheld, we will look for a fair and practical way to resolve the matter. This may include one or more of the following:

• An apology and explanation
• Corrective gardening work, such as redoing or improving specific tasks
• Adjustments to future service schedules or methods
• A partial or full adjustment to an invoice, where appropriate

Any agreed actions will be confirmed in writing and arranged as promptly as possible, taking into account weather conditions and seasonal gardening constraints.

If You Are Not Satisfied with the Outcome

If you remain unhappy after receiving our formal response, you may request a further review by a senior member of our management team. They will reconsider the complaint, the investigation, and the proposed outcome, and will provide a final written decision wherever possible within 15 working days.

You may also seek independent advice at any stage, particularly in relation to consumer rights or contractual matters.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled confidentially. Information is shared only with those who need it in order to investigate and resolve the matter. We store complaint records securely in line with our data protection responsibilities and retain them for an appropriate period so we can monitor trends and improve our services.

Using Complaints to Improve Our Gardening Services

Gardeners Friern Barnet reviews all complaints on a regular basis to identify patterns and areas where our gardening and maintenance services can be improved. This may lead to additional staff training, changes to our procedures, updates to risk assessments, or improvements to customer communication. Your feedback plays a valuable role in helping us deliver consistent, high quality gardening services across the local communities we serve.

Policy Review

This Complaints Procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains clear, effective and in line with current best practice. Updated versions will be made available through our standard customer information channels.