The Site Gardener Blog

We are sitting around Christmas evening watching the fifth movie and something reminded of an experience I had a few years back. My family at the time used to get three trees for various rooms and levels in our house. Since we sell nursery stock to some of the local garden centers through our parent company ” M. D. Bolin & Associates”I decided to share the sales around and get my live Christmas trees from my top three Garden Centers in my area.

What an interesting night. While I have always observed how a business takes on the personality of it’s owner. Friendly accommodating owner equals friendly staff and vice versa.

We are naming them garden center A,B,  and C.

Garden Center A has two locations. I have always seen even a stark difference in the two locations.

My night started at thisfirst location. We get out of the truck and start browsing the trees.  They were priced a bit higher than the box stores  and quality was fine. We were there for 20 minutes and not one sign of anyone coming out of the office.  Actually if i had not seen someone look out of the window of the office. I might have thought it was an over site.  We left with no tree, never speaking with anyone

We then proceeded to garden center B

We pull into the lot get out start brousing. This time we do find an 18 yearold boy and girl out there. No greeting form them. I was ok with that. We find the tree we want and ask him if we can get it bundled. I get an annoyed look. You can imagine when I asked about cutting the bottom of the trunk of the tree. He managed to hand me a saw. I reallt was not excited about asking for rope. He found a box of sical twine. After I got the cut tree tied down I paid him and we were on our way.  My wife actually started laughing. By the way we were the only ones there at the time.

We went back to Garden Center A but the other location. There we did get help and paid more than we should have. It was not really bad service but it wasn’t really good service. They did everything they were supposed to and were pleasant enough.

Now we get to Garden Center C.

We get approached immediately by a young guy with a smile, asking me if I need anythin g. The trees were about the same price, actually a few dollars less. I pick out the tree and pull my SUV up. I go in to pay. I come out ready to deal with the Christmas tree only to find it baled, trunk  cutin the process of loading it on my car. On top of that, they ask me about the type of stand we use. They actually drilled a hole in the bottom.my family was blown away at the whole experience. By the way, We were not the only ones being taken care of by a long shot.

Here is the best part. No one ever really knew I was there. It was like being a secret shopper.

I was dying of curiosity on how everyone did with Christmas tree sales.

Garden Center A did not do very well at the first location. It was blamed on the economy and the trees not being brought in cheap enough.

Garden Center B told me they were getting out of the live Christmas tree business. People were no longer loyal to the Garden Centers and were buying from the box stores. They said there was nothing they could do to stop the trend.

Garden Center C. Told me they sell about the same amount of trees and sold out for the most part. No talk of box stores,bad trees or dis loyalty.

I think many of us can be like A and B more than we want to admit. I really have asked two of my most trusted friends to be brutally honest with me and it is not so bad after the first few revelations. Ouch!  I am actually getting less defensive and more receptive every time,. I might start looking forward to the self exams. Who knows.