View Single Post
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 12-04-2006, 06:57 PM
sdinenno's Avatar
sdinenno sdinenno is offline
Seedling
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
USDA
Posts: 76
sdinenno is an unknown quantity at this point
Around here (Atlanta), it's getting to be almost required to give a one-year warranty on plants. I think this is at least partially due to the influence of Home Depot. They not only have their regular stores with garden centers here but they also have 4 stores in the area devoted solely to landscape supply, and all the plants they sell come with a one-year warranty. There is also another local chain of garden centers that offers the same guarantee.

I think it's a good idea to give a replacement warranty because it gives the client peace of mind and, therefore, helps to close more sales. And even though he's paying for it in the original price, it really builds a good rapport when a customer sees you promptly replace plants according to your guarantee. I actually don't mind returning to replace plants now and then because it gives me the opportunity to see my customer and thereby build a better relationship with him.

But unless your supplier is giving you an unconditional replacement guarantee, then you have to include some qualifiers in your guarantee, so that you don't get burnt if you do a large installation and then there is a drought, a flood, some kind of blight, or the customer completely neglects the landscaping. On the other hand, you don't want to include so many stipulations that it sounds like you're trying to find a way out of living up to the warranty.
Reply With Quote