Complaints Procedure for Gardening Services Shortlands

Purpose: This complaints procedure explains how our gardening services in Shortlands and surrounding areas handle concerns about garden maintenance, landscaping, pruning, and other horticultural work. It is designed to be clear, fair and efficient so that clients and our team understand the steps taken when a service falls below expectations. We aim to resolve matters promptly while learning from each case to improve future work.

Scope and applicability: This policy applies to all contracted gardening service work, seasonal maintenance plans and one-off garden projects provided by our Shortlands gardening team. It covers quality of workmanship, scheduling issues, materials and site management, but excludes matters that are outside our control such as extreme weather events, third-party actions on site, or issues arising after the agreed warranty period. Complaints relating to safety or environmental harm will be prioritised.

Complaints can be raised by the property owner or their authorised representative and may be submitted verbally or in writing. On receipt we will acknowledge the complaint promptly and record the details. Acknowledgement will normally be within three working days and will outline the next steps and expected timescales for a response. Please note: making a complaint will not affect the quality of ongoing or future services provided by our gardening teams.

How we record and assess complaints

All complaints are recorded in our internal register and assigned a unique reference. The initial assessment determines the nature of the issue, the personnel involved and whether a site visit is required. Confidentiality is maintained and personal data is handled in line with our privacy practices. The assessment stage enables us to allocate the right resources to investigate and resolve the concern.

Investigation process: The complaint will be investigated by a trained representative who was not directly responsible for the work where possible. Key steps include:

• Gathering facts and contemporaneous records such as job sheets, material specifications and photographs
• Interviewing staff involved and, if necessary, arranging an on-site inspection
• Reviewing the contract or service agreement and the original scope of works

Once the investigation is complete we will determine whether the complaint is upheld, partially upheld or not upheld. Typical outcomes for gardening services Shortlands clients may include reworking defective elements, adjusting scheduling, refunding part of a fee, offering a discount on remedial work or suggesting alternative solutions. Any remedy will be proportionate to the issue and practicable within the constraints of garden design, plant viability and safety considerations.

Escalation and independent review

If a complainant is not satisfied with our internal response they may request that the matter is escalated for further review within the organisation. We will provide details of the escalation route, the senior manager who will review the case and the expected additional timeframe. Where appropriate, and if mutually agreed, the dispute can be referred to an independent third-party mediator or an adjudicator experienced in trade and garden services, but we do not initiate external arbitration without the consent of both parties.

Communication of the outcome will be in writing and will set out the findings, the reasons for our decision and any corrective actions to be taken. Our aim is to provide a substantive formal response within ten working days of completing the investigation. If more time is needed we will notify the complainant with an explanation and a revised timetable.

Remedial or follow-up work is scheduled based on mutual availability and in accordance with safe working practices. Weather, seasonal growth and plant health are considered when arranging rework to ensure durable results. Our teams will take all reasonable steps to minimise disruption during any remedial visits.

Monitoring, learning and continuous improvement are central to our approach. We review complaint patterns to identify recurring issues, training needs for crew members and opportunities to refine our standard operating procedures. Records of actions taken in response to complaints inform staff briefings and quality checks to reduce the likelihood of repeat problems.

We handle personal and sensitive information carefully. Complaint records are maintained securely and accessed only by staff who need them for investigation or service improvement purposes. Retention periods are kept to the minimum necessary for operational and legal purposes and are regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with data handling principles.

Review of the complaints procedure itself takes place periodically to ensure it remains effective and proportionate for garden maintenance and landscaping services. The policy is updated when necessary to reflect changes in service delivery, regulatory expectations or lessons learned from specific incidents. Our goal is to be transparent about how concerns are managed and to demonstrate commitment to high-quality horticultural services across Shortlands and neighbouring communities.