We were on the NEWS!

[JimLewis]

Spring weather has been here for the last two weeks (very unusual) and a news reporter decided to do a piece on how the nice weather has affected local nurseries and landscapers. So she came out to one of our job sites and interviewed me and took film of me and my crew working on a nice property.

The 1 minute spot aired on the local Portland NEWS last night TWICE! Great shots of our trucks, uniforms, workers, etc. and about a 20 sec. clip of yours truly being interviewed. Man, you can't buy that kind of publicity!

The great thing was - 5 minutes after it aired at the 5:00 hour I got a call from a guy who said he just saw us on the news and had seen us in his neighborhood for a while and just decided he should give us a call! He wants full service plus tons of extras and wants us to start ASAP. I couldn't believe it! Meeting him tomorrow.

I was glad that I had invested in some nice clean trucks, lettering, uniforms, etc. because our company name must have come up 10 times in the 1 minute clip. Not to mention a text title at the bottom of the screen with my name and co. name while they were showing the clip of me talking.

[excel25]

Awesome, Nothing like being in the right place at the right time. Do you know how much 1 min. of air time would cost you.........$$$$$

[kutnkru]

jim lewis wrote:
Sheesh, some people are so touchy....
I can't believe it. Today I was mowing a lawn and when we were done the lady came out and asked if we were going to fertilize today. I said, "Well, duh. Yah." and she said, "Oh, ok. I just didn't know. It's been a while since I saw you do it here and my lawn is getting yellow." I said, "Yah, no kidding. That's why I am going to fertilize." She looked at me kinda weird. I guess she thought I was stoopid or something.

So then she had the nerve to ask me what kind of fertilizer I was puting on her lawn. I told her, "The nitrogen kind." She said, "I kind of figured that, smart ***. What I meant was, is it regular fertilizer or winter fertilizer or what? Shouldn't you use a winter fertilizer this time of year?" I told her that it was our policy to apply regular fertilizer unless the customer requested otherwise. She said, "Well, I'd like to request it, is that extra?" I said, "Well, yah! The stuff ain't cheap, lady." By this time I was so sick of her stoopid questions and she was getting so annoying.

So she asked how much extra and I figured, 'what the heck', this lady wants to spend some money obviously, I'll take her money. Truth is, it wasn't extra but you know if I can make a few bucks off someone I will. So I told her it would be $25 more to apply winter fertilzer. She was shocked! She said, "Twenty Five dollars! I bet I could buy TWO BAGS of Scotts Winterizer for that price. And my lawn is so small it only takes maybe a quarter of a bag." I said, "Yah, but this is not Scotts. It's the good stuff. But if you like that Scott's crap go get some and do it yourself then, chica." Then she started to get pissy, which I totally don't understand. Truth was, I really WAS using Scott's Winterizer. Haha.

She said, "That's not the point. I could do it myself but I should be able to have you do it for a reasonable price." I said, "Well that seems reasonable to me. Take it or leave it." She finally caved. I was thinking, "YES! SHE IS SUCH A SUCKER!!!" Then I figured I'd take her for some more. I'm gonna eat all weekend off her money!" So I told her, "You know, you should really think about having us apply a little iron as well." She didn't know what that was and I wasn't going to explain it so I just told her, "Trust me, you need it. It's good stuff. " She asked me to explain and I just said, "Hey, I don't have all day. Do you want your lawn to look nice or not? That guy over their uses iron and look at his lawn!" Truth was I didn't even know the guy or what he used. Haha!

The stoopid lady finally agreed to buy iron for $25 more. SUCKER!!! So, long story short I also convinced her to buy some "moss killer", which is really just iron. Another $25 for me. HAHA!

Now here's the best part. We applied our winter fertilizer which already contains trace amounts or iron. Then I went and asked for my $75. She asked when I was going to apply the iron. I said, "It's in the fertilizer. The fertilizer says on the bag that it contains 2% iron." She got pissy again. I don't get chicks. I really don't. She said, "And what about the moss killer. I told her iron IS moss killer. She said, "Well then I shouldn't have to pay an extra $50 for that since I would have got it anyway." I said, "You gotta pay it. That's what you agreed on. You didn't even know it was in there." Then I stepped in real close because I tower over this lady and held my hand out. It was obvious I wasn't gonna leave without my $75. So she paid me.

At this point she was so pissed off she asked me not to come back. I said, "Sheesh. I provide you a good service and this is how I am treated? You know what, you can't fire me, because I just quit!"

Some people are soooooo touchy. Sheesh. This is like the third customer I lost this week. I don't get it.

Yeah, it sounds to me like they interviewed the RIGHT SCRUB for the upcoming season!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Just what OR needed was to have YOUR FACE broadcasted throughout the community!! :angry: :angry:

[Heller Landscaping]

Jim lewis thats great for you. I hope you get alot more calls.payup






I hope that story that kutnkru posted about you is not true.

[Tvov]

Originally posted by kutnkru
Yeah, it sounds to me like they interviewed the RIGHT SCRUB for the upcoming season!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Just what OR needed was to have YOUR FACE broadcasted throughout the community!! :angry: :angry:


LOL! :laugh: :laugh:

Even though you didn't put when or where that post was from, it was funny!

[SLS]

"Well, duh. Yah."

"Yah, but this is not Scotts. It's the good stuff. But if you like that Scott's crap go get some and do it yourself then, chica." Then she started to get pissy, which I totally don't understand. Truth was, I really WAS using Scott's Winterizer. Haha.

Then I stepped in real close because I tower over this lady and held my hand out. It was obvious I wasn't gonna leave without my $75. So she paid me.




All I can say is that if anyone talked to, lied to, or menaced my mother that way they would be on the news alright.....looking for their teeth!


Ok, so what's the deal here? That sounds more like "Al Capone's Lawn Service" than it does Jim Lewis. :laugh:

[65hoss]

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=24308&highlight=Scotts

It was an old joke thread. Although, its pretty good!;)

[SLS]

HAAAAAA...........Good one! :D

[jeffex]

good deal Jim Lewis!!

[Gravely_Man]

Jim, That old joke thread that you wrote was very funny to say the least! You couldn't buy this kind of publicity. That is great. Let us know how it turns out meeting with this gentleman today. Unless this was another joke?



Gravely_Man

[Sean Adams]

Congrats Jim. Hope it turns into a lot of work for you.

[kutnkru]

Yes in fact my antagonistic post was to bust Jims chops -LMAO!!

Jim
I have to agree that you absolutely without a doubt could not have asked for a better FREE advertisement than what you received for your hard work and diligence.

In our area a 30 sec spot can run you well in excess of $100
for a PRIMETIME news slot ONE TIME, and thats not including company coverage as you received.

Just goes to show, what the old saying can do for you:
If You Look Like a Professional, Act Like a Professional, You Will Be Treated Like a Professional!!

Hats off to you Jim for the double coverage!!

Kris

Disclaimer: I notifed Jim by email I was j/k and he had every right to be proud of his accomplishments and therfore should gleam accordingly!!

[bob]

Free television advertising- way to go!. Ask friends and family to call the television station and ask them to re-play your clip!

[Barkleymut]

I don't get it? Which one was the joke thread???

[Mykster]

You suck. J/K. Just a little jealous that you were on TV. You should see if their's anyway to get that clip and post it on LS for the eveyone to see.

[cos]

How did it all happen? You were working and the news van rolled up to you? Man, what luck!!!!

[GraZZmaZter]

WOW! I was flipping out when i read that! That didnt sound like Jim at all. I though there was something more to it. Good one!

[IBGreen]

Thats great Jim, nothing like that will ever happen to me though.

[JimLewis]

Well, it started when the news lady called and began asking questions about if we had seen an increase in business because of the early spring weather. I told her, "Yes. Definitely. We already have half of March booked and typically we don't get real busy until the END of March." So she said, "Would you mind if we came out to one of the homes you or your crew are working on and just took some clips of you guys working?" I said, "We'd love it!"

And so I gave her an address (one of the nicest homes we maintain) and then I had my guys wash their trucks and head over there and start working. We had some work to do there anyway. Then they arrived and just starting shooting and asking questions for 45 minutes or so. Of course all of that turned into about 1 minute when it reached the cutting room floor.

I asked how she found us. She said she just went on the internet to Google and we popped up first. Which is another thing I am thankful I've spent some time on..... our website and advertising on Google.

[JimLewis]

You should see if their's anyway to get that clip and post it on LS for the eveyone to see. Yah. That'd be WAY cool. I'd love to figure that out. But I know I don't have the right kind of video card and software to do that. I'll ask my cousin though. I think maybe he can do it. If I can find a way to get it into .mpg format I'd be glad to put it up on the internet for you all to view.

[Bob Minney]

Good job, should be great for business.

BTW with this development I want to suggest a new logo;)

[gkell88]

You had a better experience than we did.

I've been involved in 2 local broadcast news reports, and both times they were very shallow, superficial and nothing to be proud of from my point of view.

The only thing worse was the 4 sentence paragraph that appeared in the local paper, selected out of a 20 min. phone interview :cry:

[grshppr]

Right on Jim! You can't beat that king of advertising (especially since its free):) We got on the news one winter for snow removal after a big dump, about 45second -1min of footage. They just took clips of us plowing, and interviewed me on what I thought about the snow. Your lucky they called you ahead of time. I was "surprised" when they came up to us, and still had "bed hair" from waking up at 2am and going out.:mad:

[crazygator]

Great job Jim. Great to hear the good guys win, and win big.

Jim send me the tape and I will get it into mpeg for you. All just for being a nice guy!

Email me if you want my help.

[GraZZmaZter]

I almost forgot i was on the news a few months ago. Unfortunately it was to interview me about a dead 18 year old boy that was shot, and dumped on my road. (dead end dirt road - aprx. 20 houses) Cant wait to move out of the hood! lol

[JimLewis]

Well, re: the guy who called just after it aired - I gave the guy an estimate yesterday. He signed up for a new year-round package at $160 / mo. and AutoPay. Not bad. :) No other calls since then though :( But I have had a lot of current customers write or call saying they saw us. So apparently it got good exposure.

Re: the mpg. thing - my cousin says he can do it and even put it up on our website. So I'll let you all know when it's up.

[Mykster]

Originally posted by jimlewis

Re: the mpg. thing - my cousin says he can do it and even put it up on our website. So I'll let you all know when it's up.


Excellent, can't wait.