As a summer intern with Nelson Plant Food, I have had the chance to survey many of the growers, landscapers, and retailers that use our products. In talking with more and more people, I have come to this concrete conclusion: It’s the PERSONAL service that will make or break your company.
One of the questions I have asked over and over again is “What attributes do you see in Nelson Plant Food that differentiates us from other fertilizers?” I’ve gotten mixed responses, from the variety of fertilizers we offer, to not having to mix the fertilizer with anything before applying it to the plants, to being able to get fertilizer from us at a cheaper price. But what many people follow those responses up with is, “And your personal service is great.”
One landscaper pointed out that their Nelson Plant Food sales rep hand delivers all their quotes and brings samples every time they come. Another grower told me how impressed he had been when “the OWNER of the company” and another salesman made a visit to his business to talk about how they could get them back on board with NPF and formulate a fertilizer to meet his exact needs. He went on to say that “companies are losing the honest approach and are out just to sell…but you don’t get that impression when two men take the time to come out to your business.”
I don’t say this for readers to think I’m “tooting the Nelson Plant Food horn”, but rather, it has shown me how important exceptional service is to customers. Businesses fall into a trap sometimes when they no longer feel the need to go above and beyond to meet the customers’ needs. As long as everyone is happy, then their job is done. But I’ve learned that just because someone is “happy” doesn’t mean that when they find fertilizer at a cheaper price, they aren’t going to move on. Because they will. It is a business after all, and money needs to be made. What will keep them is knowing the attention to detail and personal service somewhere else will not even compare to what they find at Nelson Plant Food. We truly want anyone that uses our products to be 100% satisfied with what they buy, so please do not hesitate to contact us if we can ever make something better for you!
