TGCL Rant

[GravelyGuy]

I have a customer that I started mowing for last year and she now wants her lawn fertilized for this season. She did not realize that I was offering this service this year until I sent out my spring letters letting everyone know.

Since she was unaware that I was offering this service she had called TGCL to get a quote. My price was $48 per app, 5 apps per year. TGCL came in at $39 per app for 5.

After she found that I now offered this service she wanted to go with me because she had been very happy with my work in the past. I just spoke with her the other day about spring cleanup and she said that the TGCL rep has been calling her like every day pushing like a used car salesman. She said they started being very unprofessioanl and rude when she said that she had found someone else.

She told me that every time they called their price went down. She said that they were willing to go all the way down to $25 per application:hammerhead::rolleyes: I just could not believe this. She's never been the type to bargain with me in the past so I don't think that she would say this to get me to come down. We've already agreed on $48.

So come to find out TGCL can almost beat my prices by 1/2. No wonder I'm having trouble closing on my bids...

Oh and I forgot to mention. I've went on like 5 estimates this season where the people have been very unhappy with TGCL yet most of homeowners are to stupid to switch over when they see that I cost more. People are CHEAP & DUMB! Needless to say, I'm getting very annoyed at this point.

[Runner]

This is what they do...You have to understand...They are not a lawn company...they are a marketing company. They have people - that that is all they do. They ave people that sit in cubicles and do the initial sales and appointments, they have people that knock on doors and do estimates,...and they have people that that is all they do, is call back near potential customers and canceled customers - always offering lower prices, all the while.

[phasthound]

You're right, marketing is their business. It has to be because they do such a terrible job they have to replace 33% of their customers every year.

Could you stay in business this way?

[redbuckcavs]

On Thurs I gave estimates to two homeowners that were upset with TGCL service the past few years. The first homeowners lawn was 8000 sq ft and I quoted $48 That homeowner decided to switch over to us ( She tells me she was paying$58) The second homeowners lawn was 380000 sq.ft and I qouted $140 per app and she tells me thay TGCL was doing it for $58 --- I told her in a very way that "for that kind of a price you should just stay with them-or better yet watch them during the next app to see what is being applied"

If I was a tech at TGCL and had to do a 3/4 acre lawn for $58 I think I would go back and tell the manager to do it himself!!!

[grassmasters lawn care]

I had a lady call for a quote after they gave her 91 year old dad a price of $195 to aerate his 4000 sq-ft yard.That should be illegal.

[CHiP's]

As a former tgcl lawn tech we all worked on commission. so when the sales people under sell a property to make their numbers, and they do this all the time, us techs get pissed and cut as many corners as we can to help our commission. that is why i left that corperate company. tgcl doesn't care about their customers and they never will. the words i could use to describe tgcl would not be good. every indipendant lawn care operation should bring this point to every potential customer they run an estimate for.

[Turfdoctor1]

On Thurs I gave estimates to two homeowners that were upset with TGCL service the past few years. The first homeowners lawn was 8000 sq ft and I quoted $48 That homeowner decided to switch over to us ( She tells me she was paying$58) The second homeowners lawn was 380000 sq.ft and I qouted $140 per app and she tells me thay TGCL was doing it for $58 --- I told her in a very way that "for that kind of a price you should just stay with them-or better yet watch them during the next app to see what is being applied"

If I was a tech at TGCL and had to do a 3/4 acre lawn for $58 I think I would go back and tell the manager to do it himself!!!

This is a great point. i have been running into the same thing. I never know what I am bidding against because sometimes they are ridiculously low, sometimes ridiculously high.

i just wish i could send this link to about 7500 customers in my area!

[grassman177]

tgcl is a joke here. only a few applicators give a crap the rest just send the business to me after bad applications cause the customer to be pissed off.so rreally, they are great for my business. thanks corporate idiots!!!

[rcreech]

TGCL keeps us from having to hire salesman! :laugh:

[humble1]

On Thurs I gave estimates to two homeowners that were upset with TGCL service the past few years. The first homeowners lawn was 8000 sq ft and I quoted $48 That homeowner decided to switch over to us ( She tells me she was paying$58) The second homeowners lawn was 380000 sq.ft and I qouted $140 per app and she tells me thay TGCL was doing it for $58 --- I told her in a very way that "for that kind of a price you should just stay with them-or better yet watch them during the next app to see what is being applied"

If I was a tech at TGCL and had to do a 3/4 acre lawn for $58 I think I would go back and tell the manager to do it himself!!!

Wow if you can do 380,000 sq f tfor $140 i will fly you up here, house you and sub you out! lol im sure you meant 38,000. Yeah its hard convincing customers what they are hiring us for is value of service the only see price

[Russ]

Don't get too mad at TGCL. They have done a great job of promoting lawn care and provide many opportunities for potential customers to us all. They also influence the politic ans to help keep the industry from being even more regulated than it is.

[Ric]

Don't get too mad at TGCL. They have done a great job of promoting lawn care and provide many opportunities for potential customers to us all. They also influence the politic ans to help keep the industry from being even more regulated than it is.

Russ

You have a great point about TG/CL Not only protecting our industry but for Creating our Industry. With out the Marketing power of the large Box Store type operation, We as small operators could never survive. Heck We couldn't of even started without the Marketing power of the Big Boys. We don't eat grass or Do we harvest it for sale, We only look at dark green Grass and walk on it. We would have have more money in our pockets if our grass was brown and we didn't have the expense of Cutting it as often. Green Grass is a status symbol that companies like TG/CL have created.

TG/CL has people who have forgotten more than most on this board know. Let us Thank Heavens that those people are sitting in the Office at TG/CL doing our Marketing while $ 8.00 an Hour Idiots are Driving $ 80,000 trucks screwing up lawns. Yes Thank Heaven for TG/CL. May they survive with their Low Ball tacts and keep enough market share to continue to do our bidding

[redbuckcavs]

Humble1,
I meant to "say" 38,000 sq ft ---- not 380,000

[Lawnpride231]

TGCL has made it a point to try and steal our customers away at every turn. Whether its underpricing to get the sale or talking bad about the competition they do whatever they can to give the green industry a bad name. I know because I was a sales rep at TGCL for 6-7 years and am glad to finally be working for a good locally owned company. Who knew the pay could be so much better!!

[lifetree]

... marketing is their business. It has to be because they do such a terrible job they have to replace 33% of their customers every year.

Could you stay in business this way ?

Alot of companies do stay in business that way !!

[Rayholio]

TGCL has indeed made our type of lawn care popular. they are the reason that we have jobs.

One of the biggest problems I see with their company is that near everyone, from the tech, up to management is paid commission. this creates a climate where they 'gotta have the sale'.. and 'at any price' They'll take a job if they can make 50 cents on it.. and they'll some times take jobs at a loss and justify it as marketing.

When you have 33,000 customers, your prioritys change. They no longer care about maximizing profit from each customer, or even about satisfying each customer. All they care about is the hard numbers, and what influences them.. their current system appearantly generates positive numbers, because they're just doing more of the same.

Luckily this also means that TGCL is NOT our competition.. we have a different market, our customers have different expectations of us, and we of them. We WILL lose customers to tru-green every year.. but what you need to realize is that if that's what they're happy with.. they were never really your customer to begin with.. they just wanted to see life on the other side ofthe fence..

[Green Dreams]

I was one of those techs as well. I remember a few times thinking..."I am gonna be on the front page tomorrow. STOOPID LAWN GUY HIT BY LIGHTNING"

I had some ditzy lady have me out the other day. She never said who she used...just that they are unhappy.

I quote $42, she says we pay $29 now so never mind.

"My website says prices START at $33. I am not sure how you could think it would be $29."

If you really wanna get at them, stop one of their guys and wave a couple of $20s in front of him.

"Got any jugs of Talstar for sale? Banner? Yeah I guess I can give you a $20 for that jug."

It is personal with TG and I. They started it. I have the letter from some ho' in a cubicle threatening to sue me for launching my own gig on my office wall.

I had no non-compete, no old lists...nada. Just a gay arse branch mgr that thought he was smarter than I.

[Ric]

TruGreen Parent Company Spent $2.2M Lobbying Last Year
ServiceMaster Co. aimed its efforts at pesticide regulation and labor issues.
http://www.lawnandlandscape.com/News/news.asp?Id=6121

[humble1]

Alot of companies do stay in business that way !!

the bigger you get the less the retention rate, my customers like me even if you beat my price they will keep me in most cases

[Turfdoctor1]

This is only meant about halfway seriously, by the way.

two people i'm always mad at: (1) Dan Skoff, the local weather guy. Why does he feel the need to interrupt my favorite TV shows when there happens to be a cloud in the sky. He likes to scare people half to death. (2) TGCL for driving our prices into the ground.

So, yesterday, watching the weather, and Dan Skoff is going on and on about the pollen count and how "you know the pollen count is probably getting up there when you see ChemLawn out spraying their pre-emergent. ChemLawn trucks were everywhere today."

arrrrggggg. Does he not realize that those were not just CL trucks, that they were my truck and Ted's truck and so and so's trucks and... Why does he have to give them free advertising like that? As if they do enough of it on their own.

[Ric]

This is only meant about halfway seriously, by the way.

two people i'm always mad at: (1) Dan Skoff, the local weather guy. Why does he feel the need to interrupt my favorite TV shows when there happens to be a cloud in the sky. He likes to scare people half to death. (2) TGCL for driving our prices into the ground.
So, yesterday, watching the weather, and Dan Skoff is going on and on about the pollen count and how "you know the pollen count is probably getting up there when you see ChemLawn out spraying their pre-emergent. ChemLawn trucks were everywhere today."

arrrrggggg. Does he not realize that those were not just CL trucks, that they were my truck and Ted's truck and so and so's trucks and... Why does he have to give them free advertising like that? As if they do enough of it on their own.

Turf

TG/CL actually does a big service for me in my area. Their low prices help me sell my service at my price. When I tell the former TG/CL customer. "You don't always get what you pay for, but you dam sure don't get more than you pay for."

TG/CL is a marketing company that must sells on price to keep volume up. True they have many knowledgeable people working for them. However the spray tech that does the work in 95% of the cases, is fresh off the street and knows very little about his job. The service you receive from any company, no matter how good or bad that company is, is only as good as the tech that does your work. If TG/CL is hurting you, then you need to go back to school and learn your trade. Quality sells and good work is it's own advertisement.

[Marcos]

This is what they do...You have to understand...They are not a lawn company...they are a marketing company. They have people - that that is all they do. They ave people that sit in cubicles and do the initial sales and appointments, they have people that knock on doors and do estimates,...and they have people that that is all they do, is call back near potential customers and canceled customers - always offering lower prices, all the while.

You're right, Runner.

They are the BORG !!

[Marcos]

Russ

You have a great point about TG/CL Not only protecting our industry but for Creating our Industry. With out the Marketing power of the large Box Store type operation, We as small operators could never survive. Heck We couldn't of even started without the Marketing power of the Big Boys. We don't eat grass or Do we harvest it for sale, We only look at dark green Grass and walk on it. We would have have more money in our pockets if our grass was brown and we didn't have the expense of Cutting it as often. Green Grass is a status symbol that companies like TG/CL have created.

TG/CL has people who have forgotten more than most on this board know. Let us Thank Heavens that those people are sitting in the Office at TG/CL doing our Marketing while $ 8.00 an Hour Idiots are Driving $ 80,000 trucks screwing up lawns. Yes Thank Heaven for TG/CL. May they survive with their Low Ball tacts and keep enough market share to continue to do our bidding


The TGCL idiots running around right now in the dalmatian trucks couldn't hold a candle, expertise-wise, to the guys I knew...that worked for the first "real" Chemlawn, back in the '70s and early '80s.

Their training programs then were second to none.
Now...they blow the newbie through a week's worth of 'sidesaddling' with another tech on a truck, and call it "training".

The vast majority of these people went off to start their own fert businesses, or other related green industry business.
Maybe a few survived through the (awful) buy-out of Ecolab, and may still linger in higher management of ServiceMaster.
But by-in-large the 'brain drain' is complete...at least as far as TGCL 'field people' are concerned.

However, having TGCL around...and letting their customers go through "the gauntlet" allows for plenty of OPPORTUNITY for others.

Opportunity to let the customer see what miserable service even the "big guy" can do...and if someone else comes along at the right time, opportunity to "turn the tables" after TGCL is fired, and build a lawn care relationship based on old-fashioned concepts like trust and cooperation.

Opportunity to spur on bunches of itty-bitty 'spin off' lawn care companies; every time TGCL buys out a decent-sized company, and alot of disgusted lawn techs don't want to sign on with "The Borg".

Opportunity for some lawn care business owners, who do the non-stop 'nut and shell' game every few years with TGCL.
They build up their customer lists in a certain 'territory', then "sell out" to Tru-Green.
Then they simply pack up and move 50 or 100 miles away...and do it again and again.
(TGCL actually encougages this!)

[Ric]

The TGCL idiots running around right now in the dalmatian trucks couldn't hold a candle, expertise-wise, to the guys I knew...that worked for the first "real" Chemlawn, back in the '70s and early '80s.

Their training programs then were second to none.
Now...they blow the newbie through a week's worth of 'sidesaddling' with another tech on a truck, and call it "training".

The vast majority of these people went off to start their own fert businesses, or other related green industry business.
Maybe a few survived through the (awful) buy-out of Ecolab, and may still linger in higher management of ServiceMaster.
But by-in-large the 'brain drain' is complete...at least as far as TGCL 'field people' are concerned.


However, having TGCL around...and letting their customers go through "the gauntlet" allows for plenty of OPPORTUNITY for others.


Opportunity to let the customer see what miserable service even the "big guy" can do...and if someone else comes along at the right time, opportunity to "turn the tables" after TGCL is fired, and build a lawn care relationship based on old-fashioned concepts like trust and cooperation.

Opportunity to spur on bunches of itty-bitty 'spin off' lawn care companies; every time TGCL buys out a decent-sized company, and alot of disgusted lawn techs don't want to sign on with "The Borg".

Opportunity for some lawn care business owners, who do the non-stop 'nut and shell' game every few years with TGCL.
They build up their customer lists in a certain 'territory', then "sell out" to Tru-Green.
Then they simply pack up and move 50 or 100 miles away...and do it again and again.
(TGCL actually encougages this!)

Marcos

That was then. This is NOW.

[Runner]

Opportunity for some lawn care business owners, who do the non-stop 'nut and shell' game every few years with TGCL.
They build up their customer lists in a certain 'territory', then "sell out" to Tru-Green.
Then they simply pack up and move 50 or 100 miles away...and do it again and again. (TGCL actually encougages this!)

This is so true. We had a company roll into town here that just sold last year. They were here for only a few seasons and grew rather well. They do this over and over again, and do well at it. It is merely a "mini marketing" company, though. They do well at what they do, though.

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by Marcos
The TGCL idiots running around right now in the dalmatian trucks couldn't hold a candle, expertise-wise, to the guys I knew...that worked for the first "real" Chemlawn, back in the '70s and early '80s.

Their training programs then were second to none.
Now...they blow the newbie through a week's worth of 'sidesaddling' with another tech on a truck, and call it "training".

The vast majority of these people went off to start their own fert businesses, or other related green industry business.
Maybe a few survived through the (awful) buy-out of Ecolab, and may still linger in higher management of ServiceMaster.
But by-in-large the 'brain drain' is complete...at least as far as TGCL 'field people' are concerned.


However, having TGCL around...and letting their customers go through "the gauntlet" allows for plenty of OPPORTUNITY for others.


Opportunity to let the customer see what miserable service even the "big guy" can do...and if someone else comes along at the right time, opportunity to "turn the tables" after TGCL is fired, and build a lawn care relationship based on old-fashioned concepts like trust and cooperation.

Opportunity to spur on bunches of itty-bitty 'spin off' lawn care companies; every time TGCL buys out a decent-sized company, and alot of disgusted lawn techs don't want to sign on with "The Borg".

Opportunity for some lawn care business owners, who do the non-stop 'nut and shell' game every few years with TGCL.
They build up their customer lists in a certain 'territory', then "sell out" to Tru-Green.
Then they simply pack up and move 50 or 100 miles away...and do it again and again.
(TGCL actually encougages this!)
Marcos

That was then. This is NOW.


Tell me what part of this you think isn't true now.

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by Marcos
Opportunity for some lawn care business owners, who do the non-stop 'nut and shell' game every few years with TGCL.
They build up their customer lists in a certain 'territory', then "sell out" to Tru-Green.
Then they simply pack up and move 50 or 100 miles away...and do it again and again. (TGCL actually encougages this!)


This is so true. We had a company roll into town here that just sold last year. They were here for only a few seasons and grew rather well. They do this over and over again, and do well at it. It is merely a "mini marketing" company, though. They do well at what they do, though.

There's one guy locally that's been playing this 'TGCL game' between Cincinnati and Dayton OH for a long time. But he's got a reputation locally, at least among other lawn care business owners, as being cheap, and a real shyster.
I can almost mark my calendar to the month, every 2 years, when he'll "SELL" to Trugreen again, and move the 30 or so miles to Dayton...or back.

[Ric]

Originally Posted by Marcos]


Tell me what part of this you think isn't true now.

Yo

I bad, I didn't read your total post.

[Turfdoctor1]

If TG/CL is hurting you, then you need to go back to school and learn your trade. Quality sells and good work is it's own advertisement.

Ric, why the rudeness directed at me? i started my post by saying that I was half joking anyway.

Good for you, CL's bad work brings you more customers. That is not as easy for me, since I am just starting out and do not have the name recognition. If a customer is unhappy with CL, and they call someone who is referred to them, the chances that it is me is not too great because I occupy about 1% of the market. Does that mean I do not do quality work or that my customers would not go to bat for me or that they do not give me great referrals? No, it just means that i'm not starting with that many customers. Not complaining about it, it's just the facts.

[americanlawn]

Lost a customer today. She said a door-to-door salesman from TGCL offered her a super cheap price.....asked if we would drop our price. As always, we said no. She had prepaid us for 2008 and asked for a refund. Wife said....it's in the mail, but you'll be back. I never blame the local TG guys cuz they are just doing what they're told.

33% cancellation rate Nationwide? A few years ago, it was 40%. They're gettin' better.:)

[mattfromNY]

I lost a wholesale bag salt customer to them, only until they opened the bags (same exact bags I was selling them, but must have been 'seconds', salt had as much dirt, looked like fireplace ashes, as rock salt in the bags, Apt. Mgr. spread a couple bags and had to go home and change his clothes)
I had a commercial customer show me their proposal for mowing, almost $200.00 per mow more than I charge. Last year I was the highest bid, they went with me, and this year I am the second highest (only lower than TGCL), been told I have the bid again this year, just waiting for the signature.
Only two full years into the business, so they havent affected me much yet, but I'm sure eventually I'll feel it.

[Ric]

Ric, why the rudeness directed at me? i started my post by saying that I was half joking anyway.

Good for you, CL's bad work brings you more customers. That is not as easy for me, since I am just starting out and do not have the name recognition. If a customer is unhappy with CL, and they call someone who is referred to them, the chances that it is me is not too great because I occupy about 1% of the market. Does that mean I do not do quality work or that my customers would not go to bat for me or that they do not give me great referrals? No, it just means that i'm not starting with that many customers. Not complaining about it, it's just the facts.

Turf

Don't get in a up roar. I was directing the more education comment to the unwashed masses in general, not you in particular.

[Grassman08]

I used to do commercial Apps. for a small Company here in Ohio, and we recieved alot of customers(pissed-off) due to bad service, no advice to costumers.