Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Osidge Complaints Procedure

Gardeners Osidge is committed to providing reliable, professional gardening services and maintaining high standards of customer care. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned. When that happens, we want to know so we can put matters right, learn from the experience and improve our services.

This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will respond, and the timescales you can expect. It is designed to be clear, fair and easy to use.

What This Complaints Procedure Covers

This procedure applies to any dissatisfaction with the gardening services provided by Gardeners Osidge. This can include, for example, concerns about the quality of work carried out, how visits were scheduled, the conduct of our gardeners, or any aspect of our communication and customer service.

This procedure does not cover matters that are being dealt with through legal proceedings or insurance claims, or issues that fall outside the services we provide.

Raising an Informal Concern

We encourage you to raise any concern as soon as possible, ideally within a reasonable time of the issue arising. In many cases, problems can be resolved quickly and informally.

You can raise an informal concern directly with the gardener who attended your property or with the person who managed your booking. Please explain clearly what has happened, when it occurred, and what you would like us to do to resolve the matter. We will do our best to put things right promptly, which may include revisiting your garden, correcting work, or offering alternative solutions where appropriate.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this informal step, or if you feel unable to discuss the matter informally, you may make a formal complaint using the process below.

How to Make a Formal Complaint

A formal complaint should be made in writing so that we can keep an accurate record of your concerns and respond clearly. When making a complaint, please provide the following information:

• Your full name and the address where the gardening work was carried out
• The date or dates when the issue occurred
• A clear description of what went wrong and why you are dissatisfied
• Details of any previous discussions or attempts to resolve the matter
• What outcome or remedy you are seeking

Please send your written complaint using your usual method of written communication with Gardeners Osidge, whether by online form, letter or other agreed channel.

Stage One: Acknowledgement and Initial Review

Once we receive your formal complaint, we will acknowledge it in writing. We aim to do this within five working days. Our acknowledgement will confirm that we have received your complaint, outline the next steps and indicate when you can expect a full response.

A senior member of the Gardeners Osidge team will review your complaint, along with any relevant records such as booking details, visit notes and photographs, where available. We may contact you during this stage to ask for further information or clarification, or to arrange a visit to your garden if this would help us understand the situation.

Stage Two: Investigation and Response

We will carry out a thorough and fair investigation of your complaint. This may include speaking to the gardener or team members involved, reviewing our schedules and service notes, and considering any evidence you have provided.

We aim to provide a written response to your complaint within twenty working days of acknowledging it. If the matter is complex and we need more time to investigate, we will let you know and give you an updated timescale.

Our written response will explain:

• What we have understood your complaint to be
• The steps we have taken to investigate
• Our findings and whether we uphold your complaint in full, in part, or not at all
• Any action we propose to take to put things right or prevent a recurrence

Possible outcomes may include offering to repeat or correct work, adjusting future service plans, providing guidance to our staff, or, where appropriate, another form of resolution.

Stage Three: Further Review

If you are not satisfied with our response at Stage Two, you may request a further review. To do this, please reply in writing, explaining which aspects of our response you disagree with and why, and what further outcome you are seeking.

A different senior person at Gardeners Osidge, who has not been involved in the initial investigation, will review your complaint, the steps taken so far, and our previous decision. We may contact you again for clarification or additional information.

We aim to complete this review and provide a final written response within fifteen working days of receiving your request for further review. This response will confirm our final position on your complaint.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All complaints are handled in confidence. Information about your complaint will only be shared with those who need it in order to investigate and respond. We handle all personal data in line with applicable data protection requirements and retain complaint records for an appropriate period to help us monitor and improve our services.

Our Commitment to Learning and Improvement

Gardeners Osidge values feedback as an important part of maintaining high standards in our gardening services. We review complaints regularly to identify any patterns or recurring issues. Where necessary, we update our procedures, training or quality checks to reduce the likelihood of similar issues arising in future.

By following this complaints procedure, we aim to be transparent, consistent and fair, while giving you a clear route to raise concerns and seek a resolution.