A Classic Chem lawn moment

[firedude26]

Yesterday going to bid some work i drove by a yard being (or suppose to be) treated by a fine Chem-lawn/ Trugreen employee. As he walked threw the yard just wandering every once in a awhile squeezing the trigger to spray, it reminded me why they get bad mouthed so often. I am positive he wasn't spot spraying because they guy has no weeds, he has a very nice lawn. Don't you think maybe someone could of seen this guy just spraying when ever it came to his mind, and they wonder why they have the reputation like that. Oh well just venting a little. :hammerhead: :dizzy:

[topsites]

I am sure everybody makes mistakes, but lets see...

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Combined with our commercial services business unit, TruGreen LandCare / TruGreen ChemLawn is the world's largest lawn and landscape company serving more than 3.4 million residential and commercial customers across the U.S. with lawn care, tree and shrub care, and landscaping services.

As the current industry leader, we've continued to lead in the development of new technology for lawn care. TruGreen ChemLawn devotes substantial resources to continually evaluate new products and equipment and to develop better methods for taking care of grass, trees, and shrubs. All of our lawn specialists are tenured full-time employees who must complete a rigorous training program before they can be certified by TruGreen.

Additionally, we have taken an active leadership role in both developing and supporting sound environmental practices and regulatory policies. TruGreen is committed to environmentally responsible practices and products, and we have established our own set of environmental stewardship principles.

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[lawnservice]

it does drive me nuts when someone post something like this. Obviously Firedude has no idea what service was being performed (not spot spraying because the lawn has no weeds?? you can see that from the street?? why didnt the lawn have weeds since these guys suck so much??)

i have a chemlawn back ground....long before trugreen... even before ecolab. Now with that being said.... i am not a cheerleader for these guys.

As far as Topsites comments...well he obviously is a cheerleader. All that stuff might look good on a brochure that is given to a potential customer (trugreen certified?? is that anything like Home Depot's certified nursery employees?) but to a seasoned turf/ shrub manager....thats just blowin smoke

[turfsurfer]

OK, now that we've heard from the company rep, let's sort out some facts. First, I agree that TGCL is the industry leader but that doesn't change the fact that they annoy the hell out of customers with there marketing calls, and there program isn't really all that great (fertilizer on cool season grasses around Valentines day in Feb as a Spring Greenup? I thought that is what the late Fall app. was for! Thanks for the new customers though after I educate them a little.)
However, in their defense, you stated that the guy's lawn was weedless and looked good so they must be doing something right. Also there are many times where I will spread granular fert and then spot spray using the hose and tank. If there are only a few weeds, why blanket the whole lawn and stress it unneccesarily?

[Norm Al]

they spot spray the bugs,,,,,nobody could get away with spot spraying fert, it would look like a checkerboard.

[philk17088]

it does drive me nuts when someone post something like this. Obviously Firedude has no idea what service was being performed (not spot spraying because the lawn has no weeds?? you can see that from the street?? why didnt the lawn have weeds since these guys suck so much??)

i have a chemlawn back ground....long before trugreen... even before ecolab. Now with that being said.... i am not a cheerleader for these guys.

As far as Topsites comments...well he obviously is a cheerleader. All that stuff might look good on a brochure that is given to a potential customer (trugreen certified?? is that anything like Home Depot's certified nursery employees?) but to a seasoned turf/ shrub manager....thats just blowin smoke
Were you there back in the day when VanFossen owned it?
When Istarted there in 84 you HAD to have a college/trade degree in hort or agronomy or ag related. Bacj when they sent you to school for 2 weeks. Back when they had their own research department and laboratory?

[lawnservice]

Were you there back in the day when VanFossen owned it?
When Istarted there in 84 you HAD to have a college/trade degree in hort or agronomy or ag related. Bacj when they sent you to school for 2 weeks. Back when they had their own research department and laboratory?
'82 thru '88
when ecolab took over and they took my company truck away from me i decided to jump ship

have to admit though it was a great experience

[Lawn Works]

It doesn't matter how good the company is if the idiot they employ could care less about the job Top Site. My neighbor USED , now my contract, tru-green and I watched the guy show up, ring the bell and knock on the door. When he realized nobody was home he rolled the hose out and began talking on his cell. 10 minutes later he wrote the bogus crap about how the lawn looks better etc. The company may be good but w/o good employees your sunk.:nono:

[Xterminator]

However, in their defense, you stated that the guy's lawn was weedless and looked good so they must be doing something right. Also there are many times where I will spread granular fert and then spot spray using the hose and tank. If there are only a few weeds, why blanket the whole lawn and stress it unneccesarily?
excellent point I do the same thing if its easier to pull the hose out and get them

[vegomatic40]

From firedude26's description, it's sounds like the guy was using a wand-adaptor (available from Westheffer) that simply screws onto the end of the standard gun. Has a small pressure restrictor that inserts in a tube that goes before the gun attaches. I've used them for years and it works great for low-volume apps such as spot spraying weeds. My customers care little how the job is done as long as the lawn's look good. To me, the tech. was likely doing a good job (there are some still out there that care) and should be commended for using IPM.
As far as "the old days", yes I remember it very well. In '81 (Trugreen was a small, Memphis based pimple on Chemlawn's collective behind) a tech. was NOT required to have a degree. Some background in agriculture or turf was desired but certainly not required as the company had a legitimate training program heavily based on sound agronomics and customer service that all employees went through. This also involved riding with a tenured tech. for 2-3 mos. then, taking all necessary company tests and state required certification and/or licensing test(s) before being issued a truck and a route.
While Trugreen's current training program sounds good in theory, it is woefully inadequate in practice. I know for a bonafied FACT that many of their tech's ride with another "senior tech" for as little as 2-3 days prior to being given route responsibility. Afterwards, they are thrown study material to hopefully pass the state minimum required tests for certification then, as a afterthought they take a watered-down company written test that the company tallies branch by branch to determine the many shortfalls. Many branches have been fined and threatened by state regulatory agencies with padlocking the doors until they get at least one licensed applicator on-staff to satisfy minimum requirements. I've heard tales of tech's taking the simplistic cert. test over 10 times before passing. As a former trainer and manager (Chemlawn) I remember taking several new tech's for the tests and all my guys being the first to hand in the tests and with the highest test scores. The pale-imposter that currently owns the rights to Chemlawn has retained the name in a vane attempt to give some level of credibility to the current corporate marketing giant. One other "hairsplitter", while Jack VanFossen was a considerable stockholder when the company went public, he was the president and CEO, NOT the owner. That distinction went to the Duke boys.

[Norm Al]

the problem with trugreen is NOT their training its,,,,,the paying by commission thats the problem!

[firedude26]

Did a little research on this and you will not believe what i was told......

The guy in question takes care of his own lawn and the professional applicator was servicing the wrong lawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a friend that lives a couple doors away and knows the guy and i had to ask, he called me and told me what happened. I am sorry for the remarks on how he was spraying with a lesco gun and watching the birds fly while treating the wrong lawn.:hammerhead:

[Turfman999]

Do You remember the plaques that came from the "Dukes"? They said that if you take great care of your employees, they will take great care of your customers and the profits will definitely come. The original ChemLawn deserved the destinction of a great #1 company. The new TG will try to hold #1 with a flawed plan. "Sell and treat alot of customer lawns, they will produce alot of profit until they cancel in 2 years, replace employees as needed" It is hard to believe TG was ever able to purchase ChemLawn with that mentality! They did understand what alot of money can "buy"

[TurfProSTL]

Chem Lawn was the benchmark in quality customer service when I started in the business.

They sold all of that and their thousands of good employees to the used car salesmen in Memphis.....