Chapter 14 – The Garden Center Employee

Learning Objectives

From reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to:

• Understand the importance of a broad horticultural knowledge in meeting the customers needs
• Care for and display plants and related products in the garden center
• Understand the fundamentals of selling plants and related products
• Support effective garden center customer relations
• Provide professional quality garden center customer service
• Understand the importance of safety in the garden center
• Understand the importance of knowing the garden center policies

INTRODUCTION

The employee of the retail garden center should have extensive knowledge of the products that are sold to the public. This means having knowledge of the trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, ground covers, evergreens, as well as the supplies that are normally associated with these plants and outdoor living. This includes knowledge of how the plants are used in the landscape or home as well as the care of the plants so the customer can get the most benefit from buying the product. Care includes planting, watering, pruning, fertilizing and pest control. All these topics are addressed in the preceding chapters of this Indiana Accredited Horticulturist manual.

Related plant products sold in the garden center represent an important part of the total sales. Tie-in-sales of fertilizers, tools, containers, bulbs, seeds and plant protection chemicals are important to help the customer get the full benefit of the plants. The ability of sales personnel to provide these in a one-stop shopping experience is a great service to the customer. Critical to providing that experience is knowledge of those products, being able to answer the questions and anticipate the needs that the customer does not ask about.

Customers may have a landscape plan that will need interpretation. Often times the plan will be done in phases, perhaps over several years. The customer may be looking for advice on which phase to start with. Garden center employees should be able to read the plan and make suggestions on implementing the plan. Study Chapter 12, Working with Landscape Plans and Specifications for guidance.

Often customers want suggestions on plants that will serve a particular purpose in their home landscape. Here’s where knowledge of landscape plants and how to use them is vital for making recommendations to the customer. Chapters 3, Woody Ornamentals – Trees, Shrubs, and Vines and Groundcovers and Chapter 4, Herbaceous Ornamental Plants are excellent resources to increase knowledge of the landscape plants and their landscape characteristics. The information on landscape use and environmental requirements is also important when making recommendations.

The sales person who makes personal contact with the customers must know the services the garden center provides. Services are an important way to increase revenue to the garden center and help differentiate the business from other retail garden centers and mass merchandise stores. Does the garden center offer a design service? What is the scope of the design service? What are the fees? Is it a simple, free sketch on graph paper? What information does the customer have to provide? Or is it a full plan requiring a site visit, an on site interview with the owners, and measurements that result in a reproducible drawing?

Each garden center employee is an official representative of the employer to the public. Employee interaction with the customer projects an image of the business. Is that the image of a professional organization that has quality plants, quality products, and provides solutions to the customers? The success of any retail business organization depends on how well the employees meet the customer’s needs in a professional manner.

CARE OF PLANT MATERIAL

The care of plant material sold in the garden center is of great importance to the owner of the garden center and to the customer who buys the product. It is also very important to employees of the garden center. Repeat customers are critical to any business and quality plants are integral to keeping a satisfied customer. The owner has a substantial monetary investment in the living plants inventory and the investment must be protected. Healthy plants have a better chance of surviving in the customer’s landscape. Customers are well aware of this fact and will resist buying unhealthy plants. Living plants in the garden center require the same or more inputs that they will need in the customer’s landscape. Oftentimes more inputs are required because the plants are not in a normal environment. Thus knowing how to care for the plants prior to their sale is important to the owner, customer and garden center employees.

The care of plant material in the garden center is generally classified on the basis of the condition of the roots. Chapter 6 provides information on plants with these root conditions; (1) bare root, (2) containerized, (3) balled and burlap or (4) machine balled. The basic condition of the root system determines the care that will be needed for the plants while in the garden center.

Container Grown

Container grown plants generally require more care than the other types of plant material due to the type of potting medium the plants are being grown in. Common soilless media are generally very porous to permit rapid drainage and do not retain water or nutrients for long periods of time. It is an ideal growing media but oftentimes creates challenges to keep these plants in prime condition in the garden center. Another challenge is that growers use a variety of media which hold moisture differently. Often plants from several growers are displayed in the same area and will need different amounts of water to keep them healthy. This makes it difficult to water all the plants with overhead sprinklers or drip tubes. Shipping often places plants under stress due to lack of water. Immediately upon arrival at the garden center, the plant material should be checked for moisture. Watering should be done immediately if the plant is dry. If the plants are excessively dry and the root system appears to be severely damaged, it may be necessary to file a claim with the shipper or the grower rather than accept the plants unconditionally.

Anyone who has the authority to accept shipments on behalf of the garden center should be trained on the legalities of signing the shipping receipt. With that authority comes the responsibly to ensure quantities are correct and the condition of the plants is excellent and without damage. The supplier will expect payment for the plants once they are accepted by a representative of the garden center, whether in good condition or not. Damage can be in the form of frozen plants, dry roots, broken branches, smashed or broken root balls or damaged bark. Anyone accepting supplies and hard goods also has the responsibility to check quantities and to check for broken or damaged items.

Once the plants are unloaded, they should be placed on the site where they will be displayed and sold. It is important to reduce wasted motion. Moving plants many times before they are sold is time consuming and time costs money. Time that would be better spent with customers. Some moving and shifting of plants will be necessary as plants sell and holes in the plant display beds develop.

Spacing is important. Early in the spring, space is limited and crowding often occurs. Some species, like juniper, arborvitae and spruce, will turn brown and drop needles when crowded to the point the needles are touching other plants. Lack of sunlight and the competition from other plants will render the plants unsaleable. After off-loading the plants, be sure they are spaced correctly to permit them to grow and develop.

Watering is a critical step in caring for plants in the garden center. Generally, in the warm season most nurseries growing container plants provide water at least once a day. It may be necessary to water the plants twice a day in the hot summer months. The same water pattern will be required in the garden center. The best time to water for disease prevention, good growth and customer convenience is in the early morning. When customers arrive, sales personnel get busy and forget to water, or find it difficult to keep water and customers apart, thus creating a safety hazard and a general nuisance to the customer’s shopping experience. If you stop watering to help a customer be sure to note where you quit so you don’t miss plants when you return. Remember, customers are not an interruption of your work; they are the reason for it. Many, but not all container plants have a water reservoir at the top of the container to hold water and allow it to slowly soak into the roots. It is important to check though because some container grown or field potted plants have the soil line level at the top of the container. These plants will need to be watered, sometimes 3-4 times, to soak the roots. To be sure, there is enough water, pull the plant out of the container and check the moisture level in the root zone. This also is necessary for root bound plants and perennials, or containers purchased late in the season after root growth fills the pot and forces the soil up.

Water with a high pH can cause two issues for the plants. One is raising the pH of the medium affecting the adsorption of nutrients (iron) and potentially turning the leaves chlorotic. Secondly, a white residue of calcium carbonate remains when the water evaporates from the leaves. While the residue is not harmful, it is a distraction and reduces the visual quality of the plant.

Another potential issue is water that contains a high level of iron. The iron in the water will discolor the plants, signs and display fixtures with a rust color when overhead watering is used. This makes the plants look off-color and sickly. The impact on the plant is aesthetic, not physical.

The nursery growing the container plants has provided a slow-release fertilizer to provide nutrients for plant growth. The slow-release formulas should give adequate nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to keep the plants growing and looking good for 6-8 weeks. Hopefully the plants will be sold before the nutrients are depleted and need to be replaced. If not, a granular slow-release fertilizer can be added to the container plant. Container plants generally need higher levels of nitrogen in relation to phosphorous and potassium. Follow label directions of the fertilizer product. Micronutrients may be applied to plants that are exhibiting signs of chlorosis from water that has a high pH.

Another point to consider when placing plants in the garden center is the temperature that will surround the container. Plant roots are sensitive to heat and cold. Too high of temperature in the root mass will cause root injury and damage the plant. This damage diminishes the customer’s success in establishing the plant in their landscape. Placing plants in full sun on black asphalt or black plastic will create an unfavorable root zone environment and potentially damage the roots.
Plants that require shade should be placed in a shady area to provide protection from the sun. An added benefit is that a shade structure will reduce the amount of water a plant loses due to transpiration which therefore reduces the need for watering. Sun-loving plants like junipers should be placed in full sun. However, sunloving plants should not be placed on a surface that will cause excessive heating and root damage.

Trees grown in containers and taller shrubs will require some form of support to prevent them from falling over in high winds. Trees are particularly susceptible to blowing over and if not set up immediately, a watering or two may be missed. This leads to moisture stress and plant injury which potentially render the plants unsaleable. It is labor intensive and time consuming to repeatedly have to set the plants up. A remedy would include a windbreak to reduce wind speed. Another option is to drive metal fence posts spaced 20 – 25 feet apart with wire strung between them. Each tree is tied loosely to the wire for support. Care is necessary to protect the tree trunk from constant rubbing on the wire which will cause bark damage.

Balled and Burlapped (B&B)

Maintaining balled and burlapped plants in high quality condition presents some different challenges from container plants. Chapter 6, Installing and Maintaining Landscape Plants, explains the difference in the condition of the roots for these two types of plants. The burlap around the plant will rot in a short period of time. This is a desirable trait if the plant is sold and planted within a couple months. However, plants stored in the sales area for an extended period of time, often have to be re-burlapped to cover the roots and protect them from drying out during transporting to the planting site. Re-burlapping may also be necessary to hold the soil ball together for transporting and planting. While this is a time consuming process, it is necessary if the original burlap has deteriorated to the point that soil and roots are exposed.

Watering B & B plants is another challenge. B & B plants do not have a reservoir like container plants and in fact, the rounded top of the root ball encourages the water to run off. Water needs to be applied slowly with a lawn or overhead sprinkler which acts like natural rain. Drip irrigation is also effective in providing water slowly to penetrate the burlap. Remember that if the soil ball dries out, it is difficult to rewet and severe wilting and damage will result. For longer term storage, B & B plants can be mulched with shredded hardwood bark, peat or sawdust to preserve soil moisture. This mulch will speed up the decomposition of the burlap. It is labor intensive but labor costs can be offset by the reduced watering and better quality of the plants when held in the sales area for longer periods of time.

Physically handling B & B plants is another area where the customers success with the plant is determined by the care taken by the garden center employee. The key is to keep the soil ball intact around the root system and the roots moist. Mishandling, which results in damage to the soil ball increases the chances the plant will not survive transplanting by the customer. Pick up B & B plants by the bottom of the soil ball, NOT the trunk. Plant tops and roots can come out of the soil ball, essentially making them a bare root plant. Bare root plants are an acceptable root form for some plants, but not for evergreens or deciduous plants that are budding out or in full leaf. And the garden center paid a lot more for a B & B plant than they would have for a Bare Root plant. Do NOT drop the plant which can crush or break the soil ball making it difficult to transplant successfully. Keep these three rules in mind when caring for B & B plants; (1) protect the root ball from drying out, (2) apply water and nutrients as needed and (3) handle the soil ball in a way to protect it from breaking.

Machine Balled

Machine balled plants are generally small deciduous trees and shrubs that are sold in the spring. The plant was dug from the nursery as a bare root plant and had a “ball” of peat moss pressed around the root system and packaged in a plastic bag. The peat moss holds moisture and allows the plant to leaf out in April. However, the plastic does make it difficult to water the plant when the buds open in the garden center and the leaves begin to wilt due to transpiration. The plants should not be placed on black surfaces that will absorb heat and cause excessive heat to buildup around the roots inside the plastic. A main concern with peat- balled plants is the need to give proper planting instruction to the customer. The plastic must be removed without disturbing the root system. Planting in well drained soil is essential, since the media around the roots will hold moisture.

Field-dug and Potted Plants

Another form of containerized plants are the field-dug and potted plants. They are similar to B & B with the burlap being replaced with a plastic or decomposable container. These plants can be watered like the container plants. Remember, though, these plants have natural soil and will have different watering needs than B & B or container plants. A key to success with field potted plants is the customers planting process. A decomposable, paper mache’ container can be left on the roots as long as the top rim is broken down and does not extend through the mulch. The rim will act as a wick and draw water from the root zone potentially drying the plant prematurely when exposed to the sun. If the plant is in a non-decomposable container, the pot must be removed. The customer should be encouraged to protect the soil ball and not break the ball.

Packaged Plants

Roses and small, deciduous plants can successfully be transplanted in a bare root condition. Packaged plants were dug bare root in the nursery and placed with peat moss or shingle toe in a foil or plastic bag. The bag usually has an attractive picture of the flowers on the outside to aid in selling. These plants should be sold before they leaf out because they will be bare root when the customer plants them. Planting instructions are similar to peat-balled plants.

Sod

Sod is a highly perishable product that requires a lot of labor to keep it alive for an extended period of time in a garden center. Generally, a garden center will have small quantities available for customers for small repair projects on the weekend. When the sod arrives, it should be placed in a shaded area if it is not going to be unrolled immediately. Rolled sod will build up heat that will kill the grass plant with warmer temperatures. With cooler temperatures in the spring, sod will generally survive a day or two rolled. After that, the sod will need to be unrolled just as if you were sodding a lawn. Garden centers often place the sod on black plastic to keep it from rooting into the soil. Frequent watering is necessary to keep the grass alive since there is little soil attached to hold water nor roots attached to absorb water. The best time to water is in early morning. The key is to sell the sod as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will be maintaining grass; specifically watering and even mowing grass that eventually will be someone’s lawn. Without proper care, it will decline in quality making it harder to sell.

Use care when handling the sod to keep the strip intact. Sod that has been recently watered will be heavier, muddy and more prone to tearing. Roll it neatly and place it on plastic in the customer’s car.

To summarize, the key items in caring for and handling sod are (1) lay the sod out on display if temperatures are above 55 degrees and/or the sod has been rolled for more than 48 hours. (2) water the sod immediately after unrolling. (3) handle the sod with care so the strips remain intact and (4) place some kind of protection for the customer’s car when placing the rolls in the customer’s vehicle.

Care of Annuals and Bedding Plants

Annual flowers are similar to container nursery stock is some respects. They are in plastic containers and are growing in a soilless media so the care will be similar. Early in the spring the flats of annuals may have limited roots systems which make frequent watering necessary. Later in the season, the larger plants growing in limited size pots will also present watering issues. The marketing advantage of having flowers on the annuals is tremendous. Customers are buying these plants for beauty and with flowers on them, it’s not necessary for them to imagine what the flowers will look like. The goal is to keep the flowers and the plant looking good so they will sell quickly. They should be displayed so the flowers give maximum impact, preferably off the ground so they are easier for the customer to reach and placed on racks that hold the flats at an angle facing the customer. Once the flowers have passed their prime, they will need to be removed. This process is called deadheading and is time consuming. It’s better to sell them before the flowers have that worn-out look. Plants that take full sun can be displayed in full sun, but they will dry out quicker and will need more attention to watering needs. Plants that grow in shade only, should be protected in a lath house or greenhouse with shade.

Care of Perennials and Ornamental Grasses

Perennials and ornamental grasses sold in plastic containers and are growing in a soilless media so the care will be similar to container plants. Often they are transplanted as bare root sprigs or shoots and rhizomes early in the spring without foliage or flowers and limited roots. The real challenge to merchandising these plants is that they look dead early in the season. A plant tag with pictures of the plant in full foliage or flower is a necessity. Again, knowledge of the plant’s potential beauty later in the spring and summer is essential to help sell the valuable landscape plants. Watering and deadheading are the main practices to care for perennials and ornamental grasses. Fertilizer will be necessary later in the season.

Care of foliage and tropical plants

Indoor foliage plants are non-hardy tropical plants that will not survive freezing temperatures. Most will be stressed when exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees. They are container grown plants and similar care will be needed to keep them healthy. Correct light exposure is critical for foliage plants. The plant tags should give you appropriate information on the best light exposure for the particular plant. These plants may remain in the garden center for longer periods of time and may need supplemental nutrition to continue growing.

Winter protection

Winter protection of nursery stock is required for any plants that are not sold before temperatures get down into the low 20 degree range. The root systems are not as tolerant of lower temperatures as the twig and flower buds. For example, the roots of the Cotoneaster species are particularly susceptible to freezing temperatures in the lower 20’s. Container plants should be stored or overwintered in plastic greenhouses with minimal heat to maintain a minimum temperature of 28o to 32o degrees F. Balled and burlapped plants are best protected by covering the root ball with sawdust, peat or bark mulch. The ball should be completely covered and the mulch should extend 9 – 12 inches beyond the soil ball. Broadleafed evergreens will need root protection as well as protection from the winter sun and winds. The leaves can lose water by transpiration when the temperatures are above freezing. They should also be checked for moisture in the container or soil ball. A lath house or plastic greenhouse is generally used to protect the broadleafs.

DISPLAY OF PLANTS

A common saying in the retail business is, “You can’t sell from an empty cart.” Customers want to see what they are buying, touch the plants and smell the flowers. This can be a challenge with dormant plants in the early spring. In this trade, garden displays with groupings of flowers, evergreens and deciduous shrubs are excellent ways for a garden center to give the customer ideas of how to use the plants in their garden. Most of the inventory of plants will be arranged by species and should be located in the same general area of the garden center. For example, keep all junipers together with the evergreen shrubs. The spireas belong with the other deciduous flowering shrubs. This gives the customer the visual image of your extensive inventory of that species and the choices they have. They should be displayed by price and size. Each block of plants should have a label that clearly describes the plant. Each plant should have a small tag with plant name and price or a bar code so there is no mix up of plant species. It is service to the customer to have a label on the plants. Most customers will not be able to tell the difference between species, varieties and cultivars when they get home with the plants.

An adequate inventory is important. Customers want choice. Attractive displays are critical to increase sales. Displays are an excellent way to tie in sales of additional plants, mulch, edging and other products. The customers will be reluctant to purchase plants that look picked over or the last one of an item. Plant material that is not saleable should be removed from public view immediately. Dead, damaged or unhealthy plants distract from the quality inventory and give the customer reason to question if the other plants will die in their yard. Prune broken branches immediately. A garden center manager or employee should check the inventory at least once a day and be sure that poor quality plants are removed.

CARE AND DISPLAY OF RELATED PRODUCTS

Customers shop in full-service garden centers because they can find the plants that will meet their landscape needs and also find the various products to make them successful with their landscaping project. Whether its fertilizer, soil amendments, stakes, edging, plant protection chemicals or hardware, it’s important that the garden center employee be knowledgeable about the related products and their use.

These products need to look clean. The bag should be displayed so the customer can see the label easily. Stack fertilizer bags with the label up so the customer won’t have to turn the product over to read the label. Exposure to the sun will fade labels and packaging. Try to keep labels out of the sun if possible. It’s important to have fresh-looking merchandise. Garden centers are dusty by definition, but the products should not be so the customer will want to carry them out of the store or put them in their car. “Shop worn” products give the customer the thought that the product is old and no one else wanted it. They might ask, “what’s wrong with it”? Dust the products at least once a week so they don’t look shop worn. Broken bags should not be displayed with quality merchandise. The customer is going to wonder how much has spilled out and will not want to pay full price for a damaged product. Pull them out of the display, tape over the tear and put them on the bargain table or perhaps use them around the garden center. Display dry goods off the ground, perhaps on pallets, if there is not enough shelf space. It’s important to keep dry goods and bags of materials out of water for easier handling and to maintain quality.

Garden centers sell beauty and that is a tremendous tool to help market the plants. The garden center facility needs to visually convey that message. All the displays and products need to contribute to that image. Parking lots and permanent landscape areas need to be free of trash and weeds. Plant beds and sales areas should be well organized. Debris and dead plants need to be out of sight. Permanent plantings need to be insect and disease free. What is a potential customer going to think about the quality of merchandise and professional abilities of the staff if there are bagworms on the junipers or dandelions in the turf?

SELLING PLANTS

The most important role of the garden center employee is selling. An old adage states, “Nothing happens until something is sold” is certainly true in the garden center. When a customer comes into the store, they are looking to satisfy a need to make their home look better or make their outdoor living experience more enjoyable. The process of selling a plant or related product begins with meeting and greeting a customer who visits your store. First, acknowledge the customer’s presence when they walk in the store. Make eye contact. Start a conversation about anything but plants or products in the store. You need to build rapport with the person and get them to trust you. Of course, if the customer comes in, heads directly for you and asks where to find ______ or do you have ________, be helpful and lead them to the product. Don’t point them in the general direction, leaving them to wander off, get frustrated and leave without getting the product they need. Worse yet, they’ll leave with a bad experience that they will remember the next time they need plants and related products.

Don’t ask closed ended questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no”. Questions that start with “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how” lead to responses that will give you insights to the customers needs. Questions like “What brings you in today?” or “How can I help you?” invite the customer to open up. If they are looking a rhododendron in fullbloom ask, “How would those beautiful flowers look at your home?”

Because plants have many different uses, environmental requirements, and landscape characteristics, it is important to get as much information about the customer’s needs as possible. This is where building a relationship becomes important. By gaining the customers trust in your knowledge of plants, you will be able to help the customer meet their landscape needs. Listening is very important to understanding what they want. It important when developing trust that you not make the customer feel as though they know nothing about the plants. Don’t overwhelm or intimidate them with your knowledge of plants and products. Rather, guide them through the plant selection process by asking questions about the landscape’s function, soil type and sun exposure as well as how tall a plant can grow and how much area is available for the plant to spread?

Study the plant selection criteria in Chapter 3; 1) esthetics, 2) adaptation, 3) function, 4) maintenance, and 5) cost. Because plants have many different uses, environmental requirements, and landscape characteristics it is important to get as much information about the customer’s needs as possible.

When the customer has decided on a plant, be sure they know how to install and care for it. This service is a major marketing advantage of the independent garden center. The public knows they can purchase a plant or bag of mulch at a gas station or grocery chain, but they will not have access to the vast expertise and knowledge of the garden center personnel. They may not realize the value of a knowledgeable sales person, that’s why is important for you to demonstrate why they should continue shopping at your garden center. Always make a point to know what’s on sale. What plants and products are featured in this week’s ad? The ad may have been the one incentive that brought the customer into the store. They expect the sales personnel to know about the ad and where the specials are located in the store.

You are the representative of the garden center with personal contact with the customer. It is important that you know your store’s policies and procedures on guarantees, replacements, rain checks, planting services and delivery fees. Independent garden centers often carry larger size plants than the mass merchandisers. Those larger plants will not fit in their car nor will the customer be able to handle it when they get it home. This is when questions like “Can I have this tree delivered?” or “How much will it cost me to have this tree delivered?” are common. Deliveries are a necessary service for garden centers and employees need to be very familiar with their company’s policies and fees.
These are the areas that differentiate your company from other retailers and employees need to know them. If you don’t know, don’t make up something. Instead say, “I’ll have to check.” Then get the answer as quickly as possible and inform the customer. You have worked so hard to develop the customer’s respect and trust for your knowledge, don’t damage that relationship by not knowing the store’s policies.

SELLING RELATED PRODUCTS

We have all been subjected to the classic tie-in sales pitch, “do you want fries with that?” But in addition to trying to increase sales, the goal is to meet the customer’s needs and wants. Your goal is to be sure the customer’s trip to your store that day will meet their needs. Be sure they don’t have to make another trip back the same day to get a tool, soil amendment or fertilizer to complete the planting process. You can tie-in sales by listening to your customer’s needs. If they are buying a flat of annuals, do they need planting mix, a flower pot(s), a trowel or a bag of mulch? What about equipment to water the flowers? The customer who buys a rhododendron will need some soil amendments to contribute to the plants success. Do they need fertilizer, cow manure, compost, peat moss, or other soil amendments? What are you stores’ recommendations on these soil amendments — liquid or dry fertilizer, organic or inorganic, what brand?

By knowing the products and how to use them, you can help the customer have a good experience with the plants they are taking home. Not only will this purchase be a rewarding experience, but the customer will enjoy that plant or product for the entire season or longer. They will be reminded of a pleasant experience every time they enjoy looking at the plant. That helps build a relationship that will bring them back to your store.

Another important opportunity to tie-in sales of related products is when the customer comes back with a pest problem. They have a problem and are looking for a solution. Knowing the common pests and control measures in Chapters 8, 9 and 10 will give you the opportunity to be of service to your customer. Know your store’s policy on making pesticide recommendations. The Office of the Indiana State Chemist regulates retail establishments that have employees who provide pesticide selection and use advice to customers. The regulation requires training for garden center employees that give pesticide selection and use advice. If you have not been trained, do not give advice or provide recommendations.

PROFESSIONALISM AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS

Good customer relations are all about return business. An old saying goes “it takes $5 to get a new customer but only $1 to keep a current customer.” It takes effort to keep customers but not as much effort as getting new customers. Remember that each customer is valuable to the business and each employee’s job is to make the customer’s experience in the store one they will want to repeat. That translates into cheerful greetings from knowledgeable staff that can answer questions. It means better product knowledge of higher quality products with a real focus on the customer and their needs.

Answering the phone is often the first contact a customer has with the business. Be sure it’s a good experience.
Answer the phone quickly, with a warm, enthusiastic greeting. Finish other conversations before answering the phone and speak slowly and clearly. Identify yourself and the business. Talk clearly, without gum or food in your mouth. Give a positive impression on the phone. Take messages carefully and strive to return calls within one day.

One of those calls may be a caller who has already purchased a plant elsewhere and needs advice that either they didn’t get or perhaps they don’t trust from the other store. Customers are attracted by a bargain price on a plant which may be a “loss leader” at another store. When this happens, the caller must have a sense of trust in the advice given by garden center personnel that was apparently lacking from the original seller. It is important not to “look down” on these customers, but offer them honest and accurate advice. Your positive response can lead them to become future customers of the garden center.

Contact with the customer is vital to the success of businesses in the green industry. Employees represent the company, provide information and services. Employee knowledge translates into knowledgeable responses to questions. An employee’s appearance will leave a lasting impression on the customer that can affect return business. Speaking to the customer, not at them, making eye contact, and not being distracted by cell phone calls, texting, etc. are all measures of professionalism that are necessary to maintain a customer.

Garden centers also provide a number of services for the homeowner. Plant delivery, planting, landscape pest control, landscape design and classes are examples of services that an employee must know about to meet the customer’s needs. This kind of information should be available to you in weekly staff meetings, posted on the employee bulletin board or signs and posters in the store. Seek out the information and keep it close so you can answer the customer’s questions.

The top notch companies have higher standards for their employees when it comes to work ethic and appearance. This means getting to work on time, looking professional and being prepared for the day. For example, wearing clean clothes and being prepared for the day with rain gear or a jacket and extra layers when the weather is cold. Wear your company uniform and name tag if they are provided. Be prepared with work gloves and pruners. While these policies and practices may not seem focused on the customer, they are a measure of the business’s commitment to professionalism and to the customer.

GARDEN CENTER CUSTOMER SERVICE

Again, focus on the customer. Plants are living things and sometimes they die. Plant warranties vary, so know the store’s guarantee policy and follow the policy cheerfully. Some stores gladly replace the plant but will want to get a feel for why it didn’t survive. Was it lack of water, too much water, pest problem, wrong plant in wrong location, planted after 3 days in the trunk of the car? You can then use that information to instruct the customer on the correct methods to care for the plant. You want them to have a good experience with the plant and with your store. Be careful the customer doesn’t feel you are trying to get out of replacing the plant. The customer’s car is a valuable investment to them. They don’t want to get dirt in the trunk, floor boards or seats. Use plastic before placing plants in the car. Be careful not to scratch the paint with plants or carts. Prevent carts from hitting the car. When transporting plants, any foliage that will be exposed to the wind should be wrapped to protect the leaves from wind burn.

There will be times when everything you can do under the store’s policies is still not enough. Disgruntled customers are a fact of life in the retail business. First goal is to avoid escalating a situation. Listen carefully and work to find a way for the customer to save face. Take action to remedy the problem as quickly as possible and try to regain their trust in your business. Don’t become defensive. Move the conversation away from the check out area and the center of activity. Listen carefully without interrupting. Sometimes simply letting them vent will diffuse the situation. Give the customer your undivided attention. Acknowledge that there is a problem and that you want to resolve the situation. Ask “How do you want us to fix this?” If it’s beyond your authority, you’ll need to get your manager or owner involved. Don’t point the customer to the general direction to the manager’s office, take them there. If you manager is not available, assure the customer that they will be contacted by the manager. Communicate the issues and the promises you made to the customer to the store manager.

SAFETY

Safety is a part of every employee’s responsibility. Whether it safety for the customer, other employees, the environment, or yourself. First, use basic common sense. Always make sure the aisles are clear. Hoses are important to keep the plants watered, but must be kept out of the aisles for customer safety. If there are racks for hoses, use them. Water should not be standing in the aisles. If water is present, provide proper warning with signage, “slippery when wet.” That will help with the legal issues, but may not remove the customer reluctance to go down that aisle and get their shoes wet. If they don’t see the plants, they most likely won’t buy them. Always look for items that might cause the customer or employees to trip, fall or hit their head. Keep aisles clear of clutter. Clean up spills right away. Don’t leave ladders unattended in the store as an opportunity for children to climb and fall off.

Lifting is a part of the garden center employee job description. Proper technique can help prevent back injuries. Bend at the knees and keep the load as close to your body as possible. Avoid bending and reaching. Pivot with your feet to make turns to avoid twisting. Lift slowly and smoothly. Use carts, dollies and wagons when ever possible. Get help if the tree or object is too heavy.

Safety in handling and displaying pesticides is extremely important. Chapter 13 on Pesticides and Workplace Safety will provide general information on pesticide safety. Most liquids are in plastic containers, so the possibility of spills from broken glass containers is reduced. Read the labels on chemicals. If you are using a pesticide around the garden center, read and follow label instructions. Use recommended protective equipment. Always follow label instructions for use, clean up and storage.

Remember, basic common sense for safety’s sake.

Acknowledgements

Dana Altum, Altum’s Horticultural Center and Landscaping

Mary Breidenbach, Cumulus Design

George Brenn, Four Seasons Landscaping Nursery

David Julius, Walnut Ridge Nursery and Garden Center Melissa Mravec, Allen Landscape in Highland

For Additional Reading

• Pittenger, Dennis. Retail Garden Center Manual.  University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2006
• Stanley, John.  The Complete Guide to Garden Center Management. Ball Publishing Company, 2002