Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Some things never change...


Okay so we have been open for a week. In the forty years we have been in business one thing never changes, the men. We have two types of male customer, the one's who love to work in their yard and the ones that don't. I hate to generalize but in the early spring it is still mostly men that do the yard work and purchase the fertilizer. You have the "go getter's" that come before we are even open and wonder if they might be too late to put down the crabgrass killer. It is so cold not even a bear has considered venturing out of hibernation but this human is wanting to put down weed killer. He is the customer that comes in on a beautiful May day ready to obliterate the first dandelion that had the nerve to sprout in his yard.

The "other" male loves when the weather stays cold right up until late April. His wife is hounding him to get out and do yard work but he assures her that the "weed killer" can't be applied unless the bag says so. He never reads directions except when it works in his favor. So when it says, "this product can be applied between March and May" he favors May. He hates gardening so much that he would rather go to a dentist appointment than have quality time with his lawn.

The problem is you don't know who you are dealing with when they walk in. My first inclination when someone asks what should they be doing with their lawn is to tell them the best bet would be to purchase the Scott's Four Step program. That is when you find out who you are dealing with. The "garden lover" thinks that having all four steps together is great but the guy that hates gardening thinks I am insane recommending four steps when he thinks one is too many. So when I have a garden hater I just tell him to try the one step and see how he makes out with that. Undoubtedly when the first dandelion pops up his wife makes him fetch the next step. Better her than me!

Until next time...

Donna

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