This is our story of green garden gates, the most successful group of 746 garden centers in the United States. Follow our adventure building our first store which starts at entry #1, A little Zen, some Zip Ties and a lot of Zinnias! We welcome your questions and comments by posting to this blog or by contacting nickhudson@earthlink.net
(copyright: nick hudson 2008)
Hours and hours of retail managers’ precious time is taken up by fooling around with time issues with employees; crafting schedules, analyzing time, cleaning up errors, and forecasting future needs.
Our time reporting clocks must have the capability of easing this work load for both our employees and our managers. The following are the functions we want for our time clock management system;
An easy convenient method in clocking in and out with a slip/access card
Seamlessly integrated wirelessly into our computer software system
Easily serviced and repaired or replaced by a local source.
Allows full operation and protection against memory loss with 24 hour full battery backup
An internal atomic clock that re-sets for daylight savings time and regular time.
Highlights mis-punches and absences of clocking in and out.
All reporting can be transmitted to any person and/or to the secure management part of our website.
We have one time clock. It is located near the employees'break room.
How does the procedure work?
The employee is issued a “g-card”, a plastic credit type card, that is produced on the same equipment as the green bucks card. The card is white and has only an employee number printed on it. There are three uses for this card, to punch in on the time clock, to allow access to the employee entrance to the building, and to access the cash registers, if the employee is a cashier. (the cashier must punch in their personal three digit code after the swipe) We require that the employee keeps the card in his or her possession and reports to the workplace with the card. They will not be allowed to work unless they have the card.The employee swipes the card through the time clock machine and the recording is automatic.
Who is required to punch the clock?
All employees in the retail operation with the exception of the retail manager.
How do you control buddy punching?
The employees are simple not allowed to access the time clock without their g-card. It is to be kept in their personal possession at all times. No employee is allowed to borrow the card to buddy punch.
Who settles time disputes with an employee?
All time disputes are settled with their department section leaders with the approval of the store manager.
Who schedules employees?
The primary responsibility for the daily and weekly schedule rests with the section leader and his or her employees in consultation with the floor manager.
Cleanliness is an important signature of the green garden gates stores. There are several pieces of equipment that have to be acquired.
First is a large sweeper vacuum for all concrete surfaces of the store public interiors. We have chosen a used Powr-Flite model.
It is battery operated charges quickly and has an operating life before charging of about 4 continuous hours.This model is self propelled, with adjustable brooms and side brushes. The new unit costs in the range of 5,000.00. We purchased a rebuilt used model for 1,500.00 and it can be serviced and repaired easily and locally.
powr-flite.com
For cleaning and blowing of outdoor walkways and parking areas, we have chosen the Husqvarna backpack blower model 150BT.
We have purchased two of these models (one unit for backup) at a cost of 299.00 each. They are high capacity blowers that are light and easy to operate
husqvarna.com
For clean up hard to get areas of the store, we have purchased two Black and Decker cordless 18 volt portable blowers at a cost of 70.00 each.
There are several methods for producing pricing and informational signs for green garden gates. We use weather resistant coated card stock that is available in the industry. Another method is to use regular card stock and laminate it for outdoor protection. That requires the purchase of a high quality laminator.
We have chosen the General Binding Corporation GBC Acco Pro-Series laminator. It allows large sized laminating and can produce several signs at one time. It allows heavy duty laminating plastic that won’t break down and lose the sealing under harsh conditions. It is simple to operate, durable for commercial use and has a local repair and replacement company in case of breakdowns. This high quality machine costs about 2,500.00 new and will give us years of service. Other tools required are the purchase of a good quality table top paper cutter and the plastic 5 mil pouches (don’t cheap out and buy lighter mil plastic for these signs. They will break down in our harsh environment)
If you decide to laminate, don’t just pick up some little laminator at Office Depot. It will break down quickly and soon you will have so many of these throw aways you can make a boat anchor for Carnival Cruise Lines. Spend the money and buy one that will last!
www.gbc.com
Bar Code Printer
There are times when products arriving at our stores will not have bar codes or the bar codes will need to be modified. We have purchased a Zebra bar code machine for this purpose. The equipment is high quality and able to produce bar code stickers fast and efficiently.
It is simple to operate and can be repaired locally and replaced quickly. We have chosen a middle of the line industrial model for our uses. It integrates easily with our computer software to produce a seamless flow of operation.
zebra.com
Security and Promotional Card Printer
A card printer is needed in our stores to produce the g-card for employee identification and access and to produce the green bucks promotional card for our customers. We have chosen a Zebra Card Printer. It has high production output and high quality printing.
It produces a durable card and also integrates with our computer software for seamless operation. Once the data is entered from the customer at the checkouts or at the information counter, the printer produces the card and is ready when the customer leaves the store after the purchase.
We hate standard metal retail shelving. It is versatile. It is adaptable. It is butt ugly.
But our decision to steer away from this typical metal retail shelving is much more than its unattractiveness and rigidity. Gardeners often shop for products that are needed for a specific gardening task. They want to complete the job and move on to other jobs in the yard. We will try hard to present our products with a theme of adjacencies, all the products needed for the job in one feature display and even some items that stretch the “need” idea, with only a tiny thread of relationship that brings another need to the forefront.
‘It is the subtle art and science of adjacencies, placing one item next to another to create some spark and sell more of both. You can figure out intelligent adjacencies just by standing near one thing and asking yourself, what else it on my mind here. Sometimes though, it is the irrationality of combinations that provides the power to grab your attention.”
‘Why We Buy”
by PacoUnderhill
Let’s do a featured area for “pruning and dressing your plants” Every product that is related to pruning and dressing will be presented, with a nice large old photo of a orchardist doing his spring pruning and plenty of handouts on how to prune.But how about “stretch need” like a nice handy portable water cooler. A cool drink might sound good awfully good after hanging on that tree sawing away in the hot sun.These features are little worlds for the gardener, the world of pruning and shaping those plants. We believe that if we create these worlds, the gardener will always remember green garden gates for everything I need to prune my plants.
We cannot do these high impact creative theme product features with long rows of metal shelving.
Because we have moved away from lining up shelves like rows of corn in a field, we decided to design and have built many of our own units for indoor and undercover use which fit our display philosophy. We, or course will use standard retail shelving but sparingly and only when necessary.
All the units are constructed with a welded steel powdercoated frame and skinned with high quality wood, finished and painted. They can be moved easily and re-configure to most any form depending on the products that will be displayed. They can be grouped together or at angles, etc. They are the same pattern and modular so construction can be efficient and economical. The display, if desired, can be loaded with product in the receiving area and moved into position on the floor. Vendors can develop “plan o grams” for their products using this display pattern. We also will use these units in other parts of the store, as central product kiosks, in the nursery display area, in the patio area and elsewhere. We will adorn some of the units with colorful decorative roofs, perhaps banner and flags. In the area where the products in this unit may get overflow irrigation water, we have designed a "shower curtain" type pull around covering for protection.
As we build more stores, and the display unit is modified and streamlined for more efficiency, we can have these units manufactured by one company and shipped to the stores for final assembly.
Let’s say we want to display products for planting and caring for a lawn. Each section of the display features grass seed and products for different lawn exposures, “for sun”“for sun and shade”
F The unit is fully constructed on a wooden “pallet” design sturdy base. The entire display, empty or fully loaded with products, can be moved and positioned by a pallet jack.
A. The platform holds large bags of grass seed and hose around the entire unit
D. A sturdy top displays fertilizer spreaders and other lawn care implements ( rounded corners, not shown, for safety)
B. The slat board displays pegs of very small bags of grass seed, nozzles, etc
C. The slat board end caps hold information and handouts about the lawn and seeding as well as specialty items for lawn care,
E. The movable wooden shelves on slat board holds more grass seed in smaller sizes, liquid fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides for lawn care. Any extra shelving pieces are stored flat on the top platform where we can always find them.
Office furniture, desks, chairs, and file cabinets
Our goal in these purchases is to buy this equipment on the local used market. We like the durability of steel furniture and especially products that have been manufactured by specification for the United States Government. The chairs and desks can be purchased through government surplus auctions. Twyla Maline was able to equip the entire Tulsa store with this office equipment because of a nearby Army base upgrade. We estimate that we saved seventy percent of the cost of purchasing new office furniture.
There are some locations in the store, in section leaders’ stations, where water and dirt will be a factor. For these stations we have purchased The Black and Decker SpaceRite Series products that have been design for garage shops and work areas.
They are durable, economical, resist water, easily cleaned, can be moved with little effort to other areas of the section. There is a work “desk” and plenty of light storage which can be locked when not in use.
We have designed and will have built, locally, 20 counters and back counters for the checkout kiosks. They will be about 24-30 inches wide and come in two lengths, 3 feet long and 5 feet long. They have a welded frame of angle iron and are finished with wood, with a easily replaceable Formica top. They will be constructed to easily move and position the counters with a pallet jack or forklift.
There are other counters that will be needed to complete the furnishing of our store. We believe that we can outfit the remaining counters with used fixtures from local stores, through store closeouts and by internet services, such as e-bay
The telephone in a retail garden store is both a blessing and a curse. We have a love/hate thing with the darned thing.
If you ever have been stuck in a line in an auto parts counter waiting for the employee to get off the phone, you know what we mean. The telephone rings constantly in the springtime rush of a garden store. We have designed our telephone system and our procedures to accept calls from our customers. However, our desire is to service, first and foremost, our gardening customers at the store, in person.
Years, ago, when telephones were not so high-tech, a owner of a small retail store would stuff the constantly ringing phone under some pillows to drowned out the sound so he could attend to his gardeners!
We have contracted with a local Tulsa source for the service and purchase of a national brand of telephone equipment for the advantage of convenient and fast service by that company, reliability and quick availability of parts and replacements.
We need a number of features for our telephone system. The following is our checklist for a telephone system for all of our stores.
Checklist and Operating Procedures
Land Line Telephones
Is the total telephone system supplied by one exclusive company?
Yes, we want to deal with only one company and one supply and support chain, one technical support system, one group of spare parts of both hardware and software, and a local repair company familiar with the system.
We have chosen ATT equipment for all of the stores. The worst is to have a bunch of different equipment and a drawer full of different company manuals!
Is the telephone system multi-line?
Yes, we have chosen three outside lines that rotate and only one central store number.
The more lines, the more cost, the more employees to answer them, the less attention we can give to our customers in the store. Our first priority is the customer standing in the store. Others not in our store will have to wait.
Are the telephones portable?
Yes, if one breaks down, we can replace it with a new one or switch a telephone easily just by plugging it in.
Are the telephones in convenient locations?
Yes, there is a phone in the manager’s office, the upstairs residence, and the information counter and another near the rear of the property site.
Do you have a contract for repair and replacement from a local company?
Yes, the contract includes all repair and replacement. We have insisted in the contract that service must be within a two hour window from the time of reporting the problem. We pay a small premium for this availability but we believe it is worth the added cost
How about overall store paging capabilities?
For public paging, especially useful in a store emergency, the system can connect with the music system to page from any hard wired or cell telephone to all the speakers in the store. For private paging, the system can connect with the private cell phones to the store manager, the floor manager and each of the department managers. They can access the call from their store issued cell phones.
How about leaving a voice mail on the system?
We want to discourage all voice mails. The system allows for voice mail messages to each individual manager and department manager. However, it can be disabled easily during busy times of the day and the season. We discourage this as the customers are quickly going to find a pathway to the department managers for questions which will start to tax their time on the telephone answering and calling back. We will watch this closely.
Can the volume of the ring be turned down and the ring tone altered?
There is nothing more annoying that a telephone ringing constantly, which occurs in the garden store in the spring.
Yes, the system allows the ringer volume control, the ringer can be muted, and the ringer sound can be changed easily.
Can a customer get to a particular employee directly through the telephone system?
The system will allow this, but we do not plan to use the feature. We do not have a menu for department transfers. We want our employees to tend to the customers in their department at all times.
Is there a “hold” alarm notification?
Yes, whenever, a customer is placed on hold for a length of time a low volume signal alerts our employee of the holding customer.
Are there individual employee codes to access the long distance on our phone system?
Yes, the manager, the floor manager and the department section leaders are issued a code for these calls. The long distance activity by these employees can be monitored by the manager in real time through the computer system. All other employees are not allowed to access for long distance without specific permission.
Do all the hard wired phones have exterior speaker capability? Can you talk and listen without using the receiver?
Yes
Can the system allow a simple and fast method to change the initial announcement easily frequently?
Yes, the floor manager is in charge of making these announcement changes. We make changes to the announcement all the time
There are a lot of wild stories about this first contact by a caller.
“Thanks for calling, it’s Christmas at Big Jones. Come and see our fresh trees” It is April 15th!!!
My friend Bob died suddenly one night. Two weeks later, when I called the family home, I heard this recording;
“This is Bob, thanks for calling. Leave a message and I will get back to you right away”
I suspect that Bob would not be calling me back!
Is there “hold” music or announcement capability?
Yes, there are both. Both the announcement and the music can be changed easily and often. There is also an ability to allow the caller to shut off these features and just wait in silence on the phone. There is nothing more annoying than being forced to listen to an endless looping of music or hear about a bunch of “specials” while you are waiting on hold
Who answers the telephone?
The information counter employees answer the telephone. However, after four rings, the call is transferred to either the general manager or the floor manager. If the phone cannot be answered at this point, the system transfers to a cordial message (that can be easily changed) about our high traffic in the store and a suggestion to call back at another time or visit our website..
What do customers first hear when they connect with the store?
First, the caller hears a very very brief greeting. It is followed by our hours of operation and the address of our store. Next is a one line informational spot, followed by a request to stay on the line if the customer has other questions. For example:
“Good Morning, ( the system has a built in clock that changes the good morning to good afternoon or evening) Thank you for calling green garden gates. We are open every day now from eight in the morning to six at night. We have a world of plants and plant care products ready for you. If you have further questions, please stay on the line and we can help you or visit our website, greengardengates.com”
We have found that in over fifty percent of the calls to a garden store, the customer is asking if we are open and what are the hours of operation. This repetition just wastes employee time and takes their attention away from the customers in the store.
The first words in the announcement must tell the caller that we are open or closed, the hours of operation. and the store location. We think the caller will put up with a brief description of our store, but it has to be damned brief!We want to answer their questions, so we want to invite them to continue further with the call.
With this process, we are able to answer the question they ask most and invite them to stay on the phone if they have other questions. It frees our employees more to help the customers on the floor and still help the telephone customers if time permits.
Is there a protocol, telephone etiquette at green garden gates?
We encourage our employees to use their own personalities on the telephone
Of course, it is important to identify the store and themselves
We have only three simple rule; be polite, be calm, be helpful.
We have found that cell phones are necessary pieces of communication equipment in retail garden stores. Our store manager, our floor manager (the managers assistant), and all of our department section leaders are issued company owned cell phones during their employment.
The employees are required to use them at all times, both on and off the job for company communication.
We have chosen iphones. Our ATT system is able to interface easily with iphones with all the functions that we require.
Here is a checklist of our needs and our procedures for the cell phones
Checklist and Operating Procedures
Cell Phones
Are the cell phones supplied by the store or are they personal cell phones?
We supply the cell phones. We pay for the services on the phone. It is understood by written agreement that the phones are not to be use for personal business. The store manager has easy access on his or her store computer, in real time, to track the phone calls and the amount and lengths of usage on these phones.
Do they have internet access?
No, they do not. We do not believe that internet access is necessary on these phones
Do they have texting capability?
Absolutely, texting is a fast and efficient method to communicate with suppliers, management and customers.
Are they inexpensive and easy to replace?
No, they are not cheap. It is a tradeoff because we need these interfaced functions with our land line telephone system.
Can you access the outdoor paging speakers on these phones?
Yes, by dialing a two digit number, an employee can announce on the speakers
Do you have a contract to repair and replace these cell phones?
Yes, the contract is all inclusive with the general contract on the telephones and equipment.
What is the advantage of employees using cell phones at green garden gates?
There are just a number of advantages.
Communicating with vendors; placing and tracking orders, solving problems, getting nearly instant notices on specials,
Communicating with customers; personalized service to customers, selling more products, giving more information about our inventory
Communicating with other managers; texting and calling them about issues at the store, emergency notifications
Computers, hardware and software and related equipment
Sammy Dodson, The young firebrand partner, has been hard at work on the computer technology for the Tulsa store and the entire store network for green garden gates. We want to start this process correctly and have the ability to duplicate immediately with this technology for this store, the next store and beyond.
Our goal is to find the companies and stick with their hardware and software throughout our network. We do not want boxes of parts for different brands of hardware and manuals that fill up file cabinets. We want consistent and reliable support and local fast service.
We have contracted with a local computer repair and service company for all of our needs with this hardware and software.
We have chosen Dell for all of our computers, monitors, and keyboards, and backup battery/loss of power hardware. We want a solid company enabling us to rely on their stability of innovation, service and parts. We have chosen Hewlett-Packard for our printers, scanners and fax machines. Likewise, this is a reputable nationally recognize organization that will suit our needs. We have chosen Microsoft suite of programs and the latest Microsoft operating system. ATT and Linksys provide the wireless network and support for all of our stores
Our mother server for Tulsa and all of our stores in the organization is hosted by a third party company with the hardware based in New Mexico. We pay a monthly fee for this service. It eliminates any local back-ups and protects all of our programs and files from a remote location. This company can re-boot our entire file and programs in 10 minutes using high speed satellite feeds.
For the overall garden store software program, we have chosen Counterpoint. This program is been a favorite in the industry for many years. It has the sophistication to enable all the functions we need for the operating green garden gates, It is constantly updated and improved and the Counterpoint engineers stand prepared to design extra functions for our stores.
Yes, they run everything. We have desktops located in the manager’ office and residence, the information counter, The blockhouse counter, the nursery office, receiving room and the three portable shacks for receiving,processing and bark sales. We have laptops assigned to the manager, the floor manager and each of the department section leaders. We have one desktop computer and related hardware in storage in case of a failure or emergency with some of this equipment. We are hesitant in giving public access to the internet using our computers and system. We will try this offering on special occasions with a portable kiosk on the retail floor.
Is the computer hardware and software leased or purchased?
Part is purchased. We lease the computers and our software. We purchase the monitors, printers, keyboards and back-up hardware. We are assured new computer hardware as part of a new upgrade or technology we need.
Do you have a wireless connection for computers in the store?
Yes, we have only wireless connections. The entire site has the ability to provide an encrypted WiFi for our employees, our vendors and our employees. The signal is strong and able to penetrate metal barriers and other normal wireless obstructions.
Are there access codes and is there tracking capability?
Yes, each employee has an access code. Their activity on the computers can be monitored easily in real time by the store manager. Each of the employees has levels of information retrieval and internet access.
Do the computers all network with the cash register system?
Yes, it is all networked. The computer system drives the cash registers. We demand many functions for our cash registers and our computers drive those functions
What other functions do these computers drive?
Our heating and Air conditioning system, security system, temperature alarm system, time clock system, ordering, receiving and process operations, total accounting and reporting system, computer generated outreach programs to our customers, music systems, telephones. fax machines and printers.
Do you have a policy for professional and personal use?
Our key employees have the ability to access the internet only for gardening related sourcing and for researching our current and in process inventory. This time is monitored for time spent and sites accessed. We encourage our employees to help customers with their gardening needs using our computers. The store manager uses her own personal computer at her residence accessing our WiFi network. There is to be no personal use on our computers
We are wary of employees and their computer time in the workplace. We want them to use this wonderful resource for their customers and their education. However, an awful lot of time can be eaten away just surfing the net for gardening stuff, when the begonias need watering. We will watch this process very closely and make the necessary adjustment.
How is store policy illegal access and use handled?
We show them the gathered data on their illegal use. We warn them to cease and desist. If there is a second violation, they are let go.
Are there gardening recource programs installed and internet gardening websites bookmarked?
Yes, we have chosen and continue to update and bookmark all important garden resource sites. Other programs pertinent to our industry are installed for their education and general knowledge.
Are the computer color printers located in convenient places on the site?
Each desktop has a printer nearby. All the laptops print to any desktop location. The public kiosk also has a printer, but access to print is by permission only.
Is there a service, repair and replacement contract with a local company?
Yes, a local company handles this equipment and these programs at each green garden gates store. We pay this company a small premium for a 20 minute response time in the event of breakdowns or emergencies.
Is the computer hardware and software insured?
Yes, we have a separate and all inclusive policy with our insurance company that specifically covers all computer software and hardware. It covers replacement and labor costs to bring us back to normal store operations.
Where are the fax machines and the scanners located?
We have two fax machines and two scanners. One set is located on the gift counter and the other set is located in the residence of the manager. We encourage and in some cases insist that our vendors transmit all correspondence electronically. Sometimes small vendors are unable to do this and those machines are available to process this correspondence.
Point of Sale Equipment Cash registers, scanners, receipt printers, credit card machines
We want the shopping experience at green garden gates to be as seemless as possible. Our checkout areas must have all the tools to deliver this experience. The design of the checkout counters, location in the complex and the flow of customers through these counters has been discussed in #81. Now it’s talk about the equipment needed in this area.
Cash Registers
The general counterpoint software and the counterpoint point of sale software dictates the level of sophistication needed for the registers.Don’t be just buying cash registers and related equipment unless your computer software is compatible for this equipment. You will just have to use those registers as boat anchors and lay our more money for others that will work. Be careful with these purchases
Here is our checklist for the cash registers and related point of saleequipment manufacturers we have chosen;
Cash Registers:IBM
ibm.com
Printers:Epson
epson.com
Scanner Equipment:DataLogic
Scanning.Datalogic.com
Credit Card Slip Machines:
ingenico.com
Checklist Point of Sale equipment and procedures
What equipment does each checkout counter have?
A POS system electronic cash register
A long leash bar code hand held scanner
A slip credit card machine
A a combination receipt and “green bucks” printer
How many cash registers are to be purchased?
We purchased nine cash registers and related equipment for each store
How many cash register stations do you have?
We have at peak season, a total of eight cash registers stations
We have two permanent checkout kiosks with three cash registers. We have one seasonal kiosk with an additional three registers and we have two peak season portable checkout counters that have two registers.We have one cash register in storage for back-up.
Are the registers close to the retail activity?
Yes, they are convenient to all activity of the store. That area is exclusive for checkout.
Do they have their own back up power supply in case of power failure?
Yes, we have backup power for all registers for about one hour
Do you have a “crash kit” to operate the registers in case of total power failure?
Each register has “crash kit”, which includes all items necessary for hand calculating and hand operation of the registers.
Do cashiers also answer the telephone?
They do not. We believe the checkers have enough to do. Telephone calls distract the customer and we want no part of that. The information counter employees do answer the telephone and can check out customers as it gets busy.
How many employees check out at any one time on these register stations?
Each employee handles one register. Each kiosk has about two employees processing customers’ purchases. We have assigned one carryout/ support employee for each checkout kiosk.
Do you have a maintenance contract for all the point of sale equipment?
We have a full maintenance contract held by a single local company for all the checkout POS equipment on those counters.
What about line busters?
Line busters are portable hand held scanner and credit card processors that can be used anywhere in the store to check out a customer, avoiding the lines of a checkout station. They are nifty but we don't see the improvement in effeciency and we are concerned about having to re-check the basket before the customer leaving the store. We believe that with a smooth flow in the checkout stations with the right amount of checking employees, there is not need for line busters.
Are the registers touch screen?
Yes they are. They are the very latest version of touch screen technology and the technology is upgraded frequiently.
Are the registers able to produce a receipt?
Yes, they produce hard copy receipts and an electronic receipt
Do you have promotions that require sophisticated point of sale functions? What are they?
Our promotional programs require sophisticated software, register and printing hardware to perform these tasks. Here are some of the promotions that have to automatically interface with the register, printers and computers. These programs will also appear in the promotions section.
What is the green bucks program?
Green Bucks is a national program for all the stores of green garden gates. This program is the cornerstone of our promotional effort. There are two saving programs.
First, are the green bucks purchase categories. Customers are rewarded for purchasing at our stores.
Each season, each purchased is calculated and sorted into four accumulated dollar levels of all normal retail price purchases and assigns that amount to the customer.
A customer automatically receives a discount on the purchase according to their accumulated seasonal level.
300 to 600.00—5% discount
601.00 to 1200.00---9% discount
1201.00 to 3000.00---15% discount
3001.00 to 5000.00 or above—20% discount
The program starts at zero at the beginning of each season.
The POS system sorts out all products that are on sale and those products purchased with green bucks and excludes them from the discount.
The receipt notes those purchases with an asterisk and prints the final savings with the program.
The second part of the program is the Green Bucks program which allows the customer to receive a huge discount during our fall promotion
The customer is given green bucks for their purchases. There look like actual dollars with the green garden gates logo and information about the program.
There are in denominations of 5.00, 10.00 and 20.00.
When each final purchase is calculated, a printer at the station produces the green bucks.
Near the end of the season, during our store wide promotional sale, the customer presents his or her accumulated green bucks which can be redeemed for fifty percent of the retail cost of any plant in the store. For example, if a customer wants to purchase a 100.00 tree, he or she can use 50.00 in green bucks and purchase the tree for 50.00 plus tax.
The green bucks are redeemable on the dates specified by the store and can only be used during that time in that season received. They are void after those dates.
The green bucks can be redeemed at any of our stores as long as the dates of the redemption at that store are honored.
The green bucks have to be personally presented for redemption. No bucks, no deal
There is no public record of the accumulation of green bucks by the customers. However, the computer stores this accumulation in case of suspicion of fraud.
Why are you producing these bucks? Why don’t you just record it in the system for the customer?
In other similar programs in the industry, owners have found that customers respond and take advantage of the program if they have something actually in their hand. The promotion drops off dramatically if it is only a digit on cyberspace. Customers put these bucks on the refrigerator as a reminder. Some even store them in safe deposit boxes.(We give away a promotional store magnet, called a "buck counter" for holding the bucks to the refrigerator)
If I wanted a deal at the store, I could just print off some of these bucks just as perfect as the original?
To avoid forgery of these printed green bucks, we have a die that cuts numerous small holes on the face of the certificates with the words GGG and the year the buck was issued.
How does the customer enroll in the Green Bucks program?
The customers submit their identification to the customer service counter. They are required to use a credit or debit card for this program. They are also required to have a valid e-mail address and home address and agree to accept our electronic receipts through their computer. They are issued a Green Bucks "G-Card" plastic credit card and a control number on the card and can either slip the card or slip their personal credit card into the system at the time of checkout. If an electronic receipt gets rejected as a result of a bad e-mail address, the register will not allow the discount until a valid e-mail address is submitted and entered by the check out employee.In this process, we are assured of an accurate e-mail address at all times
Automatic E-mails can be a pain in the ass? How are you using the e-mail communication?
We are mindful of this and are very careful to prevent our stuff getting deleted. Our employees use e-mails when the customer requests a communication. Employees (we call them garden guides or guides) send out a personal thank you notes by mail for large customer purchases. We send out the electronic invoice and thank you bundle. We also will send out emergency weather notices for frost danger evenings in the spring and fall. The customer can specify the frequency of this delivered e-mail invoices, at the time of purchase, weekly, monthly, or yearly. They are also directed to their personal account on the the website where all the purchase information and accumulated bucks amount are available to them.
What is a local group profit sharing program?
We highlight some local non profit groups that benefit the communities of green garden gates stores. We also do benefits for individuals in need in those communities. For a specific plant that we sell, we donate a share of the price of the plant to that group or cause.
For example, a nursing group may be doing a fundraiser for a sick child. We sign the plants and inform the customer about this purchase and that contribution to the child with a link to the website for more information.When that plant is purchased, the percentage is sorted for this category.
The customer’s receipt will indicate the plant and the amount the store will donate
Mention of the donation and a link to the website of that group in mentioned in the body of the thank you e-mail notification for the total sale. In that mention, the total donated to date is also mentioned.
Other in store and advertised sales
A reduction in the retail price of a product is deducted from the promotional programs and advertised specials. The cash register through the computer system sorts these products and indicates the sale items on the cash register hard copy and electronic receipt.
The g-card is a valuable tool for tracking our loyal customers in our green garden gates network.
Throughout our green garden gates network, we are continually capturing cumulative purchasing and preference buying date from our “g-card” holders of garden plants and products
We have contracted with a company to implement a process called “Active Decisioning". This is how it works:
E-mails are sent to our g-card holders during the season. The e-mail content is not populated (blank), nothing in the e-mail. When the customer opens the e-mail, the computer instantly analyzes the previous and real time present purchase history of the customer, what kinds of products purchased, the amounts purchased and numerous other profiles in the buying data, like the time of day or the day of purchase.
In a terabyte, lighting speed of time, the computer builds several offers of plants or products tailored to those buying needs and instantly fills the e-mail content with that tailored offer.
For example, if John Abbot has been purchasing a lot of perennials each Saturday at green garden gates, the computer recognizes the buying habit as well as the time of purchasing. The offer is loaded into the blank e-mail which allows him to purchase perennials the next Saturday for an attractive savings. If John’s purchasing profile changes during the season, let’s say, from perennials to fruit trees, the blank e-mail is preloaded with an offer for savings on fruit trees and/or perhaps plant care products that will help his fruit tree order successful.
Do you use bar codes and scanners?
Yes we do use them exclusively. The bar code identifiers are placed on the products by the manufacturers and vendors before they are delivered to our stores. We, also, have the capability of producing bar codes.
What is on the hard copy receipt?
There is an abbreviated but easily readable list of the plants purchased. There is a calculation of the savings to the customer by belonging to the green bucks program or other shared profit programs at the store. There is our general plant guarantee, and of course, our name, telephone, website and street address of the local store of green garden gates.
Can the receipt be instantly sent to the customers e-mail address?
Yes, at the completion of the sale, the receipt can be transferred immediately to that address.
What other information is transferred electronically with the receipt?
First there is a cover thank you from the store manager of green garden gates and a calculation of the money the customer has saved in their purchase category and the amount of “green bucks” accumulated? There is also mention of any shared donation programs and the amount contributed with this purchase. At the bottom of the cover letter are photos of the department managers from where these purchases originated. By attachment is the receipt of the purchase.
The computer also sorts what kinds and varieties of plants and products purchased and sends by attachment care and planting instructions for all those products.
That attachment may also include the ability to view from our stored library of short videos on caring for those particular plants and products purchased.
An additional attachment is a coupon redeemable for the next purchase at green garden gates and specials we are promoting in the store with their dates of expiration.
Can the registers view all the real time available inventory of the store?
Yes, the register employees have total access to the inventory to verify a purchase or look up a price without a bar code.All purchases at the store and by on line purchases are deducted immediately from the working inventory.
Can the registers generate a quote on material rather than an actual purchase?
Yes, by scanning the item or entering the bar code number a quote can be generate on a register receipt of printed on our printer at the nearby information counter.
Do you use bar code scanners for inventory control?
Yes, everything in the store is bar coded by the vendor before arriving in the store. We have opted for hand scanners in our stores because of the environment handling plants and products.
How about the credit card slip machines and the debit code machine?
Yes, we have leased these machines so we can get updated periodically. The machines have to accept credit and debit cards as well as our bonus bucks cards.
Who approves unusual changes in the register process?
The manager, floor manager and the checkout section leader approves all credit, returns or exchanges.
How do the checkers access their registers?
The checkers used their g card to access the their register (the g card is explained in the next discussion on the timecard equipment?
Who is in charge of the checkers at these stations?
The checkout section leader
How is the money handled in the store?
All money is the responsibility of the checkout section leader, with direct oversight of the store manager.He or she:
