Complaints Procedure for Gardeners Oakleigh Park

Gardeners Oakleigh Park is committed to providing reliable, professional gardening services and a positive customer experience. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as expected. This Complaints Procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will respond, and what you can expect from us at every stage.

Our commitment to resolving complaints

We take all complaints seriously and aim to resolve them fairly, promptly and consistently. We use feedback to improve our services, our communication and our working practices. You will always be treated with respect, and raising a complaint will never affect your right to receive our services in the future.

What this procedure covers

This procedure applies to complaints relating to gardening and related services provided by Gardeners Oakleigh Park. This includes concerns about the standard of work carried out, conduct or behaviour of our staff or contractors, how appointments or schedules have been managed, or how we have communicated with you before, during or after the provision of services.

It does not cover matters that are already the subject of legal proceedings, insurance claims made directly through third parties, or issues that fall outside our control, such as restrictions imposed by local authorities or property owners that prevent us from carrying out certain work.

Raising an informal concern

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our gardening service, we encourage you to raise the issue with us as soon as possible. In many cases, concerns can be resolved quickly and informally by speaking with the gardener on site or the person who arranged your booking. We will always do our best to address issues promptly, whether that involves clarifying what was agreed, arranging a revisit, or explaining why certain work could not be carried out as originally expected.

When raising an informal concern, please provide your full name, the service address, the date of the visit or work, and a brief description of the issue. The more information you provide, the easier it is for us to understand what has happened and to work towards a solution.

Making a formal complaint

If your concern cannot be resolved informally, or if you prefer to use a more structured process, you may make a formal complaint. A formal complaint should set out clearly what has happened, when it occurred, who was involved, and what outcome you are seeking, such as a correction of work or a review of charges.

To help us investigate fairly and efficiently, please raise your formal complaint as soon as reasonably possible after the issue arises. Complaints made long after the event may be more difficult to investigate thoroughly, especially where gardening work is affected by seasonal growth, weather and subsequent maintenance.

How we handle your complaint

Once we receive your formal complaint, we will acknowledge it within a reasonable time. We will review the information you have provided, check relevant records such as job sheets, schedules and photographs where available, and if necessary speak to the staff or contractors involved.

In some cases, we may ask to revisit the property to inspect the gardening work in person. This allows us to assess the condition of lawns, borders, hedges, trees or other areas that are the subject of your complaint, and to identify what steps may reasonably be taken to put things right.

Timeframes for response

We aim to provide a full response to your complaint within a reasonable period after acknowledging it. If the matter is complex, requires further investigation, or depends on arranging a site visit, it may take longer. Where this happens, we will keep you informed of progress and let you know when you can expect a final response.

Our response will explain the outcome of our investigation, any actions we propose to take, and the reasons for our decision. Where we find that our service has fallen below the standard we strive for, we will seek to offer an appropriate remedy, which may include rectifying work, offering additional services, or reviewing charges where justified.

If you remain dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with our final response, you may ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a more senior member of our team, who was not directly involved in the original work or the initial investigation. The reviewer will reconsider the information available, and may contact you for further clarification if needed.

Following this review, we will confirm whether our original decision is upheld, varied or overturned, and explain the reasons clearly. This review will represent the conclusion of our internal complaints procedure.

Fairness, confidentiality and data protection

We handle all complaints in a fair, objective and non-discriminatory manner. Your complaint will be considered solely on the facts and circumstances of the case, and on the information reasonably available to us.

Information you provide in connection with a complaint will be treated as confidential and used only for the purposes of investigating and responding to the issue raised, improving our gardening services, and meeting our legal or regulatory obligations. We will store and process your information in line with applicable data protection requirements.

Using complaints to improve our gardening services

We review complaints periodically to identify patterns and opportunities for improvement. This may include additional training for gardeners and office staff, revising how we explain our gardening plans and limitations, updating our booking and scheduling processes, or improving how we record site conditions and customer instructions.

By sharing your concerns, you help us enhance the quality, reliability and clarity of the gardening services we provide in the Oakleigh Park area and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Accessibility and assistance

If you require assistance to make a complaint, or need us to communicate with you in a particular way, please let us know. We will make reasonable efforts to support you so that you can explain your concerns and understand our responses, regardless of any additional needs or circumstances you may have.

Review of this Complaints Procedure

This Complaints Procedure is reviewed from time to time to ensure it remains clear, effective and appropriate for the gardening services delivered by Gardeners Oakleigh Park. We may update it to reflect changes in our practices, feedback from customers, or developments in relevant guidance or regulation.