Gardeners Westminster Customer Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Westminster is committed to providing reliable, professional gardening and outdoor maintenance services. We aim to deliver work that meets or exceeds your expectations on every visit. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, this complaints procedure explains how you can raise your concerns and how we will respond.

We welcome feedback because it helps us improve our services across Westminster and the surrounding areas. All complaints are treated seriously, handled with respect, and used as an opportunity to learn and prevent similar issues in the future.

Purpose of this complaints procedure

The purpose of this complaints procedure is to provide a clear and fair process that allows clients to raise concerns about our gardening services and to ensure that these concerns are dealt with promptly, consistently and transparently. This procedure covers all services delivered by Gardeners Westminster, including regular garden maintenance, one-off tidy-ups, lawn care, hedge cutting, planting, and related works.

We aim to resolve most issues quickly and informally. When that is not possible, this complaints procedure provides a structured way to investigate and respond to more serious or complex concerns.

What counts as a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our services, whether you consider the issue minor or significant. This may include, for example:

• Concerns about the standard or quality of gardening work carried out
• Issues with how our staff or contractors have behaved or communicated
• Disagreement about what was included in an agreed service or visit
• Problems with how appointments were scheduled, kept or cancelled
• Concerns about how we have handled your personal information

A complaint can be made by any customer of Gardeners Westminster, or by someone acting on a customer’s behalf with their permission.

How to make a complaint

You can raise a complaint in the way that is most convenient for you. You may explain your concerns in writing or speak to us directly. If you prefer, you can ask a representative, such as a friend or family member, to contact us on your behalf.

When making a complaint, please provide as much information as possible so that we can understand and investigate the issue. It is helpful if you can include:

• Your full name
• The address where we carried out the gardening work
• The date or approximate dates of the service
• A clear description of what went wrong and how you were affected
• Any photographs or notes that help explain the issue
• What outcome or resolution you would like us to consider

You should raise your complaint as soon as reasonably possible after the problem occurs so that we can investigate while events are still recent.

Our complaints handling stages

We handle complaints in two main stages, aiming to resolve concerns as quickly and fairly as possible.

Stage 1: Informal resolution

In many cases, the fastest way to resolve a problem is to speak directly with the gardener on site or with the office team member who arranged the service. We will listen carefully to your concerns, clarify what has happened and, where possible, agree an immediate solution. This might include revisiting your garden, correcting any work you feel is unsatisfactory, or making reasonable adjustments to future visits.

If we are unable to resolve the matter straight away, we will explain the next steps and may move your complaint to the formal stage for further review.

Stage 2: Formal complaint

If you are not satisfied with the outcome at Stage 1, or if the matter is more serious or complex, you can ask for your complaint to be treated as a formal complaint. At this stage, a manager or senior member of the Gardeners Westminster team, who has not been directly involved in the issue, will review the details.

We will acknowledge your formal complaint and let you know that it is being investigated. As part of the investigation we may:

• Review schedules, job notes and any photographs from the visit
• Speak with the gardeners or staff involved
• Consider any relevant policies or service specifications
• Ask you for further information or clarification, if needed

Once the investigation is complete, we will provide a written response setting out our findings, any decision we have reached, and any actions we propose to take.

Timeframes for responding

We aim to acknowledge complaints promptly and to respond fully within reasonable and practical timeframes. Time needed may vary depending on the complexity and nature of the complaint, the availability of staff and any seasonal pressures on our gardening teams.

If we cannot provide a full response within our usual timeframes, we will let you know, explain the reason for any delay, and give you an indication of when you can expect a final answer. We will keep you updated if there are further changes.

Possible outcomes and remedies

Depending on the circumstances, the outcome of a complaint may include one or more of the following:

• A clear explanation or clarification of what happened and why
• An apology if we have not met our usual standards
• Corrective gardening work, such as revisiting the property to rectify issues
• Changes to future services or schedules to prevent similar problems
• Amendments to our internal processes, training or quality checks

We will always seek a resolution that is fair and proportionate, taking into account the nature of the issue, the impact on you and the terms of the service agreed.

Escalation and further review

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our formal response, you can ask for a further internal review. A different senior member of the Gardeners Westminster team will consider whether the complaint has been handled appropriately and whether the outcome is reasonable in light of the information available.

We will then confirm the result of this review to you. This will normally be our final position on the matter.

Confidentiality and data protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information about your complaint will be shared only with staff who need it to investigate and respond. We store and use any personal data you provide in line with applicable data protection requirements and our internal policies.

Using complaints to improve our services

Gardeners Westminster views complaints as an important source of insight into the real experience of customers using our gardening services in Westminster and nearby areas. We regularly review complaints to identify patterns, recurring issues or areas where we can strengthen training, supervision and quality control.

By following this complaints procedure, you help us keep our standards high and ensure that our garden maintenance and related services remain reliable, safe and customer-focused.