Superior surroundings

Steve MaddoxSteve Maddox got a start in the green industry by quite literally getting his feet wet. His first experience in the field was with Garden Ponds Unlimited, a family-owned water gardening design/build company in Syracuse, N.Y.

“It was a small company at the time, and it helped me learn how to run the day-to-day operations, and learn the principles of working in a small business,” Maddox said. “I honestly think that many of the lessons I learned early on helped shape the kind of management style I have today. I think working with your employees on a daily basis, whether they’re related or not, you learn what each person’s strengths are. If you focus on the strengths and put people in the position to succeed, you’ll succeed as a manager.”

Today, Maddox puts these lessons to work as garden-center manager at Rice’s Nursery, N. Canton, Ohio. He also plays a key role in marketing the business by engaging with customers through social networks and a blog (ricesnurserygardencenter.blogspot.com).

GARDEN CENTER MAGAZINE: You’ve been using social networks like Facebook to promote the business. Has that been working well for you?
STEVE MADDOX: Well, so far I can say it hasn’t hurt us! I have yet to link sales directly to Facebook, but I look at it as one more piece of our marketing strategy. The hardest part is staying up to date with it, and not crossing the line of personal vs. business information. My blog focuses more on my experiences at the nursery, while the Facebook fan page is more sales-driven. Personally I think everything helps in the big picture.

GC: Tell us about your favorite customer(s). What makes the person such a pleasure to work with?
SM: Any customer coming into the store is a favorite this year; however, there are a few that certainly stand out. We have a few that average over 75 visits a year! It reminds me of Norm from “Cheers” when these folks come in. Everyone knows their name, and usually what they are after. We love working with them because of the familiarity, and the fact that they buy something on most trips.

GC: Do you have a customer service pet peeve?
SM: I would have to say that not greeting customers as they walk into our store or any store is a pet peeve of mine. I think the first smile or greeting for someone coming through the door is a great first impression. I find that most questions can be answered in that first interaction.

GC: What tasks do you have planned for this winter to fill up the slow time? Any big projects in the works?
SM: Generally the winter is all about marketing and preparation. However, since we also have a large design/build and maintenance division, we often find ourselves behind the wheel of a plow truck, or pushing a shovel through the snow.

One thing that we might be doing differently is preparing for our new neighbors. We have a winery being built across the street that will be open in March. We may be doing some construction inside our garden center to provide a different atmosphere for the influx of new customers coming to visit.

GC: Have you been seeing more interest in DIY landscaping projects lately? Perhaps more interest in your “we design/you plant” service?
SM: We have definitely noticed an increase in the DIY landscaping this year. Even with a down economy, people are still investing in their home. Our “Snapshot Gardening” program has been very successful because of this. I’m noticing that people are coming in during the week to have a “Snapshot Garden” created with the intent of installing it over the weekend. We love working with these people because they are looking to get it done now, and I have the program and plants to help them achieve that goal.

GC: What do you think will be the big trends for 2010?
SM: I think many of the trends we saw this year (increase in DIY, vegetable gardening, container planting) will continue into 2010. My hope is that people have enjoyed their first experience getting involved working around their house and will want to add more this year. I think our knowledgeable staff gives the new gardener encouragement and confidence to get back out there to do it again next year.

GC: On your days off, what do you typically do?
SM: On my days off I typically start my mornings getting my youngest to school and then relaxing on the back patio with a cup a coffee and my laptop. I like to work on a few things that I may not have had time to do at work. Then I try to catch up on yard work. (Which could mean mowing for the first time in a couple of weeks!)

Unfortunately, I accomplish about 25 percent of what I intend to do on my days off. After I pick up my youngest from school, I try to spend the rest of the day with her either fishing or just hanging out outside. We typically look for insects and other critters that might be devouring our plants. I’ve discovered that I garden less and less each year, and just want to enjoy what I have instead of creating more beds.

GC: What’s the biggest gardening challenge your customers face these days?
SM: Right plant for the right place! I love the people that buy on impulse, but I would rather have them know where the plant is going than buy and not know! If they are successful with their purchases, they are more likely to come back and buy again.

GC: What’s one thing you plan to change regarding your selling/merchandising strategies for 2010?
SM: We have a unique situation next year with a brand new winery being built across the street from us. We hope to capitalize on the new and different customer traffic we may receive by bringing in some smaller gift items. We understand that a lot of people may travel some distances to visit our area. Since we typically deal with larger trees and shrubs, we are hoping to provide smaller garden-related gifts to fit that niche.