What's your customer service score? Customer service is not a perfect science. You can’t write a formula for how to respond to each situation. People are unpredictable, so interactions will always have to be individualized for each situation. A key to being successful in dealing with customers is to remain flexible. Each interaction is [...]
Many insects affect plant health About 10,000 years ago, the last of the Pleistocene glaciers had retreated and it was the dawn of a new age for humans. Someone picked some seeds from a favorite grain plant and saved them. Then, in a favorable place where game was plentiful, this person planted these seeds. [...]
Hoya leaves hold on to water Water is one of the key elements for any landscape business. You need water to keep plants alive, and during the long, hot days of summer you use plenty of it. When water supplies get tight, your customers may look to you to make adjustments to cut back [...]
Do you make the grade? Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Account Check-up...no matter what you call it, it’s still a report card. These reports can show up in your message box without warning. There is no time for cramming, you didn’t even know there was going to be a “test." They go straight to your [...]
Great managers inspire their plant technicians Managing interior plant technicians can be very stressful. It takes a lot of effort to make sure your technicians are knowledgeable about their work and servicing the accounts with ease. Good leadership is essential, but what are the characteristics of a good manager? Here are 20 characteristics of [...]
5 Signs it's Time to Replace Plants Maybe it's time for new plants? Many of us choose plantscaping because we love plants. When a plant suddenly dies in our care we grieve the loss, for in some unique way we have lost a friend. Perhaps harder yet for us is when a plant has [...]
It's valuable to save time and energy When you’re in the janitor’s closet and you’ve just finished hooking up the water machine to the sink so it can fill, what do you do for the next three to five minutes? Do you stare at the sink remembering your weekend? Maybe just stand there holding [...]
Check Schefflera for cyclamen mites Cyclamen mites! Where did they come from? In the past, infestations of these tiny pests were rare and most commonly found on African Violets. The easiest solution was to remove the infected plant to prevent the spread of these mites. Recently, there has been an increase in cyclamen mite [...]
Sub-irrigation methods explained Most of us were taught to water plants from above by sprinkling water like a gentle rain with gravity pulling it down through the root zone. Even as we learned about the dangers of overwatering indoor plants, like creating rotted roots from stagnant water standing in the decorative container, we continued [...]
Time-saving tips are invaluable Does it feel like there is never enough time to get everything done? We can help! Here are 25 time-saving tips gathered from interior plant technicians all over the world. Incorporate these tips into your daily routine and save some precious time! Plan your visits to job sites in an [...]
