Complaints Procedure — Gardening Lewisham

Purpose: This complaints procedure explains how Gardening Lewisham and our associated Lewisham gardening services teams handle concerns about garden maintenance, landscaping work and related services. It is written to be fair, transparent and accessible to anyone who wishes to raise an issue about our work. The process aims to resolve complaints promptly and to learn from them to improve our garden care and horticultural services across the local area.

Scope and principles

Our garden maintenance Lewisham complaints policy applies to all paid and contracted work carried out by our operatives and subcontractors. We will treat complaints with impartiality, respect and confidentiality. Complaints are taken seriously whether they relate to workmanship, scheduling, safety or conduct. We encourage early informal resolution and will escalate to a formal review if required.

What counts as a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our Gardening Lewisham services that is not simply a request for information or a routine service ask. Examples include poor workmanship, missed visits, damage to property, safety concerns or behaviour issues. Routine job clarifications or normal operational adjustments are not classed as complaints but will be treated professionally.

How to raise a concern: Please submit a clear description of the concern including dates, locations, and the specific service involved. Where helpful, photographs or written notes will assist us in understanding the issue. We accept complaints from the customer who arranged the service or an authorised representative. While this document does not provide contact details, the information should be submitted by the route you were advised of at point of sale or via the channel agreed when engaging our Lewisham gardening professionals.

Acknowledgement and initial response: On receipt, we will acknowledge your complaint promptly. For most cases an acknowledgement will be sent within 3 working days; this acknowledgement will set out the name of the person handling the complaint and the expected timescale for a fuller response.

Investigation process: Investigations are conducted by a manager or an appointed complaints officer who was not directly responsible for the service in question where possible. The process will typically involve:

• Gathering job records and schedules;
• Interviewing staff involved;
• Reviewing any submitted photos or evidence;
• Offering a site visit if physical inspection is required.

Resolution options

After investigation we may propose one or more of the following: a remedial visit to correct workmanship, a partial or full re-performance of the affected tasks, a goodwill gesture where appropriate, or a clear explanation and evidence that the work met expected standards. All proposals will seek to be reasonable and proportionate.

Timescales: Our aim is to resolve most complaints within 20 working days. Complex cases that require external expertise or third-party input may take longer; in those circumstances we will keep you informed of progress and provide revised time estimates. If you feel a case is taking too long, you may request a progress update from the assigned complaints officer.

Escalation and independent review

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our final written response, you may ask for an internal review by a senior manager unaffiliated with the original investigation. For certain complex disputes, an independent review by an industry ombudsman or an agreed independent arbiter may be proposed. Such escalation is available where both parties agree it is appropriate.

Record keeping and confidentiality: We keep records of complaints, investigations and outcomes to monitor trends, drive improvements and demonstrate compliance with our service standards. Records are handled confidentially and retained in accordance with data handling policies. Personal information will be used only for the purpose of resolving the complaint and will not be shared except where necessary to investigate (for example, sharing with an appointed contractor that carried out the work).

Rights and expectations: Complainants can expect courtesy, clear communication and a thorough review. Our teams expect that discussions remain respectful; threats or abusive behaviour will not be tolerated and may affect how we proceed. We will not charge for complaint investigations or remedial work that we accept as our responsibility.

Continuous improvement: Complaints are an important source of learning for our Lewisham garden teams. We analyse trends and implement training, procedural updates and quality checks to reduce recurrence. Our aim is to use each issue to strengthen service reliability across our gardening services in Lewisham and neighbouring communities.