Re: CAT - Free plants

From: John Montgomery <monashee@junction.net>

Well, since I started this and am impressed by the interest it has drawn, I had
better respond to some of the points raised.
First off, thank you Dennis Hager for pointing us to a parallel thread from much
earlier.

Let me say that with my customer hat on, (the only one I have now) I find that I
agree very closely with the message from Kathy Haggstrom. Quality is almost
everything! If the plants are undersize or obviously poorly grown, I do not
consider a low price or many extras make it into a bargain. I am buying
something
which with reasonable culture, can be given to grandchildren many years from
now.
On that scale, price is a relatively trivial matter but a healthy plant is
important.
Several respondents said that they considered extra plants to be a confirmation
that the nursery values their custom. No doubt it does and it is a nice way of
expressing that appreciation, BUT the most important way in which a nursery can
express their respect for the customer is to provide the best product available
and provide friendly and efficient service including a guarantee that the plant
will grow.

Now I want to lay out a few ideas by which the customer can help the nursery to
provide good service. The digging packing and shipping of orders becomes quite
frantic at times and anything which you can do to make things simple will make
it
less likely that your order will cause a bottleneck in the process.

1.    Use the order form. If you wish to make a copy for your records, please
send the original. Some copies which I have received left a lot to the
imagination.
2.    Double check the prices and total it up more than once. It is a real
nuisance to get an order with the wrong amount calculated.
3.     Read carefully the directions regarding shipping charges and taxes and if
an option is available for shipping express your wish.
4.    Substitution. I think all nursery owners love customers who provide a
substitute list. Most often when I am placing an order, I have a list of more
plants than my budget will permit. Those extras will go on a substitute list.
Granted, there must be trust on the part of the customer that this will not be
abused by the nursery. I believe that any reputable nursery will respect your
wishes. For one thing, there usually just isn't time to go through orders and
pick out people for special treatment. Most importantly, a promise has been made
that sales will be on a first received, first filled basis. I do not think that
I
was unique in placing a very high value on that trust.
Of course, the very best chance of getting everything which you order is to
place
your order early. Even then there can be exceptional circumstances which can
leave the nursery with few or no plants. I think that if you get a note that
there was a crop failure in a certain cultivar, that you can take it at face
value as it is not a pleasant admission to have to make.
Regardless of my feelings about bonus plants, I do really think that the
customer
deserves some special consideration for allowing necessary subs. I always
promised the customers that they would receive a plant from their substitute
list
WHETHER OR NOT  I had to substitute. If they allowed substitutes but provided no
list, the free plant was not provided. The reason - there simply is not time to
be analyzing an order and trying to read into the customers mind to select an
appropriate plant. As Rick Tasko has pointed out, that list of specific plants
for subs is very important in terms of providing good service. I should add that
I first encountered this particular policy with Cordon Bleu Farms in California.
5.    Unless you are certain that it will not bother you in the future, please
label your plants. It really is an imposition to write several years later
asking
the nursery to identify some plant, especially if it turns out you bought it
somewhere else.
6    Except when it is a matter of the life or death of a plant, please try to
correspond during the off season. Many of these small specialized nurseries are
basically worked by the owners and they are spending their nights keeping up
with
the essential paperwork (which has a habit of increasing faster than most
plants.) You will usually receive a more thoughtful answer during slow periods.
7.    Do complain if you feel that you have been treated poorly. Mistakes do
happen and the nursery will always much prefer to correct the error than to have
you spread word of you ill treatment. If you do not achieve a satisfactory
resolution to the problem then you should spread the bad word.
8.    If you were pleased then do tell others. The most effective advertising is
a word from a happy customer.
9.    Finally, a pat on the back is nice also. If you appreciate the plants and
service, it will never hurt to tell the nursery.

In conclusion, a word to those who wondered why if there was no money in the
business, why do it.
I do not think I said that there was no money in it. What I do believe is that a
nursery owner probably works harder for his buck than many people would be
willing to do. As to why - perhaps we must. It may be heresy in this world but
money is not the only way in which one can keep score in life. Aren't you
fortunate that there are such people?

Happy ordering

John Montgomery
m*@junction.net
Vernon  BC  Zone 5




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