Complaints Procedure — Garden Maintenance Victoria

This Complaints Procedure explains how Garden Maintenance Victoria and affiliated garden maintenance services handle concerns about workmanship, scheduling, safety or service delivery. Our aim is to resolve issues promptly, professionally and fairly. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our garden care, this document sets out what you can expect from us and the stages we follow to reach a resolution.

We operate across a broad service area providing garden maintenance, lawn care, pruning and landscaping upkeep. Our complaints process applies to routine maintenance visits, one-off works and ongoing maintenance plans. We treat every complaint as an opportunity to improve. Please note that this procedure is internal and does not remove any legal rights you may have.

Scope: This policy covers complaints about the quality of work, timeliness of service, conduct of personnel, safety concerns on site, misunderstandings about work scope, billing queries and other service-related matters. It does not cover formal legal claims or matters requiring immediate safety intervention, which should be directed to the appropriate authorities.

Principles and Promises

We commit to a fair, accessible and timely process. Complaints will be handled with confidentiality and without discrimination. Our staff will be open and transparent about the steps taken to investigate any issue. We will aim to acknowledge all complaints quickly, keep you informed and provide clear outcomes.

How we accept complaints: While this page avoids listing contact details, you can raise a concern through any of our standard service channels. When lodging a complaint, please provide the date(s) of service, the address where the service occurred, a brief description of the issue and any supporting photos or evidence if available. The more information you provide, the faster we can investigate.

What we need from you and expected timeframes

To investigate efficiently we typically request:

• Clear description of the issue and the desired outcome;
• Dates and times of the service visit or visits;
• Any relevant photographs, invoices or written notes;
• Names of crew members involved, if known.

Initial response and investigation: On receipt of a complaint we will acknowledge it within our standard response timeframe. An appointed investigator will review the matter, consult the field team and examine any evidence. Our investigation will be proportionate to the complaint, with more complex matters receiving a more detailed review. We will aim to provide a substantive update or proposed resolution within a reasonable period.

Resolution options may include re-attendance to complete or rectify work, a partial or full credit, a revised schedule or agreed remedial actions. Where a refund or financial adjustment is appropriate, we will explain the basis for that decision. If the complaint relates to safety or potential damage, we will prioritise inspection and remedial action.

Internal review and escalation: If you are not satisfied with the initial outcome, you may request an internal review. This review will be conducted by a senior manager not involved in the original investigation. We will document the review process and communicate a final decision. Throughout, we will maintain records of communications and decisions in accordance with our records retention standards.

Time limits and closure: Complaints should be raised as soon as reasonably possible after the event. We will close a matter once we have delivered the agreed resolution and all parties have been notified. If new evidence emerges, we may reopen a closed matter to reassess the outcome.

Confidentiality: Information provided during the complaints process will be handled sensitively. We will only disclose details to those directly involved in the investigation or where required by law. We may use anonymised information from complaints for staff training and quality improvement.

Continuous improvement: All complaints are recorded and reviewed for trends. Our goal is to improve our garden upkeep services, reduce recurrence and enhance customer satisfaction. This process supports safer, more reliable garden maintenance services across our service area and helps ensure that our teams meet the high standards expected by clients.

Final notes: This procedure provides a clear route for raising concerns about our garden maintenance operations. We value constructive communication and will work with you to reach a fair outcome. By following the steps outlined above you help us address issues quickly and prevent similar problems in future.

Accessibility and fairness: We will make reasonable adjustments to assist anyone who may have difficulty using our standard processes. Please let us know if you require alternative formats or additional time to provide information so that we can ensure a fair consideration of your complaint.

Record keeping: We retain a summary of complaints, investigations and outcomes to inform ongoing training and quality assurance. These records support our commitment to accountability and continuous improvement in Garden Maintenance Victoria and related garden care services.