It Pays to Complain

[Sean Regan]

We've bought a lot of plants from Wyevale, our nearest garden centre and have always received good service. They do guarantee their plants. I never take anything back. I just take a photograph and present them with a copy and the original receipt. Amongst some other plants we bought this Avalanche Clematis, which wasn't doing particularly well and at £22 it wasn't cheap.

I was there today, buying some hebes and they knocked £22 off my bill, without a murmur.

I've replaced it with another Maylene and replanted it down the bottom of the garden, it may recover, if it does, it's a bonus.

 

[alp]

£22 for a clematis. My most expensive one is £9 macropelata. Then I bought 2 reduced to £2 each. Now I have found that they only flower for a month. Should go for AGM clematis! LOL!

That's why they don't complain as they know how expensive their plants are. Every time we went there, we would say, "Ah, what a waste of time! Won't come here again!"

I have the feeling that it is because of the weather. I have an Early Sensation, not A flower!

 

[marlingardener]

It does pay to complain, not only for the customer, but for the shop. I bought roses at a rose emporium that we drove two hours to get to. When I planted the roses, two were mis-labeled. I've NEVER thrown out a rose because it wasn't what I thought, or didn't perform up to expectations, but when I informed the store that the two that I thought I was buying were not the two I had, they apologized all over the place, refunded the cost of the two roses, and offered a free rose of my choice. They depend heavily on word-of-mouth advertising and their reputation of being a premier rose grower and vendor. Judging from their response, I think their reputation as a premier rose source is well deserved.

 

[alp]

Labelling is so important. Drive 2 hours! You should have mentioned it. Yes, if you complain, the store knows what's wrong and might try to learn a lesson from it.

 

[Sean Regan]

I'm of the opinion particularly with roses, sometimes the labels get swopped around by kids in some garden centres.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

yep, my mom taught me that years ago. love getting free stuff from companies when you complain