Page 53 - Phonebox Magazine June 2013

MR AND MRS GRASS GURU CELEBRATE 10 YEARS
It was in 2003 that Clare’s family thought she had taken leave of her senses as she announced she was giving up her comfortable, successful career with in the Healthcare industry. Originally a
Nurse and then more recently a Customer Service Manager with a large multi-national healthcare provider, she decided that she wanted to escape the corporate rat race and take control of her own destiny.
When questioned Clare says, “I really could not tell you how or what exactly it was that made me so sure I was doing the right thing but having been so impressed as a GreenThumb Customer for my own lawn at home in Towcester a passing idea turned into an all consuming passion and before I knew it I was the proud Owner and Manager of the Milton Keynes branch of GreenThumb”. Clare continues, “during that first summer, which incidentally had the hottest ever recorded month of August, I did absolutely everything including all the treatments. In the October of that first year I was delighted and if truth be told, relieved that Ray my Partner (aka Grass Guru) was able to join me in the business. So between us we have built The Milton Keynes branch of GreenThumb significantly and today we look after nearly 3000 lawns in and around Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas. What gives us a fantastic sense of achievement is that more than 10 percent of our lovely Customers that started out with us ten years ago have remained Customers to this very day.
The Phonebox went to visit two such Customers to see what the magic formula is that creates such loyalty. “Well, to be honest says Brenda Ingram who has been a Customer since 2003, I decided to take a risk when I got a GreenThumb leaflet through my door. We’d just had our garden landscaped and had new turf laid. I decided that it needed to be treated so bought an expensive spreader, went off to the garden centre to buy a lawn feed and then painstakingly set about the job in hand. All was going well until disaster struck and I tipped over the spreader with a large deposit of fertiliser being left in a little pile on the grass. I scraped as much of it as I possibly could away and thought no more. We then went off on a weeks’ holiday but on our return we were horrified to find a massive burnt patch
right in the middle of gorgeous new turf so you can imagine the timing of that GreenThumb leaflet was very opportune. From the moment I first met Clare I loved her attitude and enthusiasm and somehow we just hit it off. Since then I have watched her and the business grow in every aspect. Clare and Ray have instilled their original ethics of professionalism and honesty amongst their team of Lawn Technicians and Office Staff and to be honest I don’t even think about it now. I just know that GreenThumb arrive four times a year with the appropriate weedkiller and fertiliser treatment, if I’m home we always have a bit of a chat about how the grass is going, very often they might give me a bit of helpful advice or suggest an additional specialist treatment if the lawn needs it and then they’re off again until the next time. It just works really well and it’s far less hassle than doing it myself as I found out to my cost! As a keen golfer Shaun O’Reilly is another GreenThumb enthusiast who wouldn’t have it any other way. “Not that I would ever expect my lawn to look like the golf greens” he is quick to point out, “but it is an excellent concept, the products GreenThumb use are superior to those that I can buy, they’ve got the proper machinery to aerate and scarify, the treatments get done in a timely manner and they get applied correctly rather than that all or nothing stripy affect I always used to manage to achieve and on top of that the price is comparable to doing it yourself. Having said that I have had a couple of occasions over the last ten years when things haven’t quite gone to plan the first time round but it’s never a problem as Clare and her team are very fair and in my experience have always demonstrated a “Customer Is Always Right” approach which is quite refreshing these days”. Shaun goes on “I just love Greenthumb and have recommended them to lots of my friends and neighbours over the years. Just look at my lawn he proudly exclaims. They deserve every success and long may it continue”
With thanks to Brenda Ingram and Shaun O’Reilly for their contributions to this article
If you are interested in GreenThumb making your lawn weedfree, lush and green they can be contacted to arrange a free no obligation survey on 01908 850543
Phonebox Magazine 53