Tru-Green Going Residential

[powerreel]

Wow! There are 20 Tru-Green cells nationwide going residential. Each are keeping records and will share this among each other. They have access to Chem-Lawns database for mailings etc. and have some real nice door hangers ready to deploy, when the account is serviced they leave a checklist behind on the door knob. Seems like Servicemaster, inc. wants to give us a run. This summer will make or break I guess, I see manpower as the stumbling block- but employees can rotate between branches to fill in gaps in the line. Has anyone else seen them doing residential work and how would you rate them? What I've seen on the commercial side is lacking...

[kutnkru]

If I find out that one of those brain dead, high school drop-out, jabonies has put literature or even looks at one of my clients they can expect one thing and one thing only:
A SQ. PT. SHOVEL TO FACE!!

Nothing gets me hotter than to see those crooks in any neighborhood that I do business in. The only smart ones have left that firm and are now in business for themselves. The rest of them had just better keep their eyes open, and mouths shut! In this area they would definetly find a lynching. Stomaches just churning at the thought of them competing for lawn care.

I have yet to see them practice proper horticultural practices. A given fact that after they burned up the lawns in the 80's and almost turned upstate to a dust bowl that things have not changed much since ive been doing lawns in the same areas.

Just my .02
Kris

[TJLC]

Kris, say whats really on your mind.LOL

[lawrence stone]

Now they will be able to destroy turf on a weekly basis vs.
5-6 times a year.

[Garry]

Rumor has it they will be using a new *crack-based* nitrogen source.

[Nathan]

I have seen them around my area on a very limited basis. They run one man crews generally and are very cheesy as far as doing consistantly quality jobs. Most customers don't see them as a maintenance company, just as the fert. guys. I don't have any fear of them around here unless the company totally revamps their organization.

[moonarrow]

In some areas they have been in the res. bus. for several yrs. And also they are buying out lawn care co.s

[Rufur]

if their maintenance work is of the same quality and reputation as their chemical programs then theres nothing to worry about sometimes I feel it's good to have a real hack chopping at a customers neighbors grass it makes your work look that much better and appreciated

[mowerman90]

Hey kutnkru,

Don't sugar-coat it, just tell'em like it is!

[LJ lawn]

I saw the Chemlawn guys actually THATCHING a lawn last year! very comical! 2 guys,1 thatcher, 1 rake.50 garbage bags of thatch STUFFED into their cute little white mini van.unfortunately we have to now compete with this crap.

[HOMER]

The beauty of living in small town America, population just isn't big enough for them to bother with us. I've never seen them here, at least I don't remember if I have. I think they are in a town 30 miles away with a population of 60,000.

[tazman]

I don't have any problems with them. I actually got about $80K worth of new business from them this year. I don't do residential any more and concentrate on commercial. Anytime I go head to head with them, I usually win. I see them more as a asset to me then a threat.

[kutnkru]

I think not. Its more about undoing the brainwashing that they have gotten people to believe in. Whenever we acquire an account that USED to have them doing the chemicals, its amazing how their sales force just turned people into yes zombies. I cannot tell you the number of lawns that needed to be aerated or power raked in order for the program to be effective. What exactly IS the benefit of paying to have treatments applied to 3.5 inches of thatch???

And then these "professionals" who treat such lawns as this want to tell me when I should raise the decks?!?!
How about skipping the summer application of fertilzer when temperatures are exceeding 95*?!?!
I just think that it is ludicrous for these lawn nazi's to instruct customers to water their properties as well.
How about conservation????

I guess that once we acheive the status quoe of being a Multi-Billion Dollar Corporation that we can just say "To Hell With Whats Good For The Environment!!!", let alone whats in the best interests of the clients.

Thats how I feel about the name TRU-GREEN CHEMLAWN. The only "TRUth" to their name is they pilage the general public for their "GREEN" while "CHEMically" polluting their "LAWNs."

Just my .02
Kris

[Edited by kutnkru on 02-09-2001 at 11:40 PM]

[Randy Scott]

Bring 'em on, the cream always rises to the top!

[Skookum]

Here's a good Tru-Green Chem-Lawn story. One of my longtime mowing accounts, use to use Chemlawn for her fert apps. One day she found a door hanger explaining that they had done a cold call evaluation of her lawn. It went into great detail about how BAD her lawn looked and how they could make it look better.

She called them and cancelled service. She told them that their own evaluation informed her how bad her lawn looked after them doing the apps for 3 years and it made her realize they were right.

[MOW ED]

You said there are 20 cells - where are they going to be located. I hope one is buy me, they always give me business after a season of screwing up fert jobs.

[kutnkru]

See ,,,

Now thats poetic justice :-)

Kris

[65hoss]

They were at a client of mine's house last year putting down fertilizer, I asked what they were using and they had no idea. He had to show me the bag. I hear all the time, the chemicals aren't doing what they used to. Well of course not, they have virtually killed the soil.

[bob]

I subed work out to TrueGreen last year. 5 out of 6 visits were done wrong. This was the same property each time. They cut corners whenever they think they can get away with it. TrueGreen has a landscape branch in my area called TrueGreen Landcare.