Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Diary of a Nursery Worker

Had a woman come in saying she planted three shrubs...all of the same, all get the same water and one of them died. She wanted us to replace the shrub at no cost to her. It was, in her words, "a faulty plant". I explained to her that it IS a plant, and that plants can sometimes die. That I can buy the same three plants and one of them dies. It's part of gardening. She said it's, "our faulty plants and she wants another one. I mean, it didn't even root!" I explained to her that it takes a year for plants to become established, and not enough time had passed.

JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

I understand it's money, and sometimes...money wasted. How do you guys deal with something that dies? Do you take responsibility and just know it's a part of gardening, or do you personally attack the nursery you got it from saying it's a faulty plant? Am I wrong to want to backhand this person???

I had a customer that comes in, oh, about once a week with absolutely no idea what she has in mind to buy. We generally spend at least two hours with this woman telling her what will work, won't work, and then plan her gardens for her.

I would like to tell this woman that for a fee, we could come out and design her yard, but I don't think that will go over well since she's already using a designer.

Um. Yeah.

4 comments:

It's just us said...

maybe you should direct the lady to michaels to get something she can plant and won't die

Heather said...

YES! That might be the answer!! Genious!

monkeyboy said...

I also work at a nursery and have customers complaining that it is our fault that the plant died. ( when in fact I can see theat they buried the thing to deep or did not water it. I have said to some who have been rude to a employee or myself that if they went and bought a roast from the grocery store and they burnt it in the oven do they return it to the store saying that it was their fault?

Heather said...

Ooooh, that's a good one, Thomas! So glad to meet a fellow nursery worker! :) Don't you just love your job? I love mine!