Re: Re: Garden Watchdog

I'd agree that the dissatisfied and frustrated customer is much more
likely to post than the well satisfied who just get on with life.
When you are a frustrated customer, you want to tell the world:-)

Re: Greer's - I've ordered from them for over 20 years; good stuff -
no problems.  Harold Greer, the owner, is on the rhodo list I'm on
and we've chatted offline.  Extraordinarily knowledgeable guy;
opinionated, but I would be also with his experience:-)  

CS is something that some are good at and some are not.  Roslyn
Nursery's owner has a bad rep. in that regard, yet I found him gruff
but pleasant to deal with over a DOA Tricyrtis this spring and he
sent me 2 lovely replacement children for the one that did not show
its nose above the pot soil.  CS is not what most small nursery
persons do - they grow and sell plants; some of them have to learn
that they need to treat their customers nicely for them to return. 
And, there are always 2 sides to ever story.  I have heard tales of
customers who were so incredible that if I'd been the nursery person,
I'd have told them where they could go PDQ.  I have always gotten a
charge out of Tony Avent's handling of this in his catalog - for
those of you who don't get that one, he has a little section on how
to be a good customer that includes a bit about them only hiring nice
people and only wanting nice customers and if you are the other kind
they have a list of nurseries to send you to (very loosely
paraphrased).

I think the comments on GWD as well as the mailorder nursery FAQ
nursery list are, or can be quite helpful.  Yes, you have to read the
posts and make a judgment about the person posting.  You can
generally tell if it is someone whose expectations were unreal to
begin with; not always, but most of the time.  What they do is let
you know when there is a potential for problems so you can place an
order if you want, but with your eyes open.  Rule #1 is always place
a small first order with any company to see what you get and how they
treat you.  

And I agree, a comment from someone on a list you're on holds more
water than one from a complete stranger - that's one of the great
values to the garden lists online IMO.  That said, when the majority
of comments about a nursery (or any business) are negative, you need
to pay attention:-)

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Kitty <kmrsy@comcast.net>
> Daryl,
> I didn't mean that people ONLY write negative comments, but that
bad
> feelings would more readily incline them to write. This is a simple
rule of
> thumb in the marketing world.
> 
> Check Hirt's Greenhouse - 17pos - 5 neutral - 16neg
> What would you think of that?
> I gave them a try and I'm very glad I did.
> None of GWD's Top 20 carry Rock Rose plants.  Sometimes you have to
take a
> chance.
> 
> Take Greer Gardens - 12pos - 2 neutral- 1 neg
> What would you think of that?
> I have a friend who has been going round and round with them in a
nightmare
> of problems.  Myself, I have had mostly excellent quality from
them, but a
> few CS problems that if you know how to work with them you can get
the
> problems sorted out.
> 
> OK, OK, I agree with GWD's X on Michigan Bulb - 354 negatives
> And.....Ta-da!!!  Munchkin Nursery:  13 pos - 0 neutral - 0
negative
> 
> I agree with you about some of the negs from newbies.  One needs to
read
> these comments and judge the source.  But I'd be more inclined to
rely on
> personal references (like folks on CHAT) than on the words of
strangers at
> GWD.
> 
> Kitty

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