The Growing Concern February 2017 by Sandy Munley

Growing Concern

The

F EBRUAR Y 2 0 1 7

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E O H I O L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

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February 14 & 28, 2017 / Independence, OH PAGE 7

Stone Clinic

March 14, 2017 / Garfield Heights, OH PAGE 19

Grow Your Landscape Business Workshop

March 21, 2017 / Featuring Jeffrey Scott SEE PAGE 11

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PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N

CATHY SERAFIN

ASLA, RLA

Suncrest Gardens

P.A.C.E.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE CURES EVERYTHING As we hit our stride in the winter months of 2017, what does Mother Nature have in store for us? Will we experience another mild winter like 2016, or will it be more like the cold and snowy winters of 2014 and 2015? As I look out of my office window during the early months of the year, I will admit the sky is usually gray, the ground looks hard, cold, and brown – perhaps even muddy. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to see parking and landscape areas covered with a beautiful white snow. Friends of mine from Florida and the southwestern states ask how we ‘northerners’ tolerate and survive these winter conditions. My answer is that with each passing day, there is a promise and potential of beauty in our winter environment. If you have lived long enough in Ohio, our winter weather, good or bad, is what we know. There is comfort in that knowledge – like an old friend visiting for a few months. Sometimes, the stay is short (which makes us happy) and sometimes winter outstays its welcome, dragging into the spring months, and giving us all plenty to complain about! Living and working here, we are challenged to find beauty in the winter look of Ohio. It exists in the crisp winter air which fills our lungs and invigorates our spirits. We hear it as we crunch through

fresh snow or listen to the birds, squirrels and deer that are also challenged to survive the winter temperatures and precipitation. We see it as we witness a quiet snowfall or colorful sunset late in the day, with black silhouettes of houses and trees and a cold wind howling. For many, outdoor sports give a heightened enjoyment of snow and ice. As landscape professionals, winter is a perfect opportunity to appreciate the winter interest of our landscapes. Some of that beauty includes: the different shades of evergreen plants, the pale gold ornamental grasses, the colorful berries of Crabapples and deciduous Hollies and the numerous textures and colorful shades of trees, shrubs and perennials. I find winter is a great time to judge the all-season appeal of gardens. If landscapes look good in the winter months, chances are they will look fabulous throughout the other seasons. At the end of the day, we can chose to be miserable in the winter, or we can approach it with a positive attitude and make the most of what it offers us. continued on page 6 The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 3

TAB LE OF CON TEN TS F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 7 WWW. OH I OLA N D SCA P E R S. OR G OH I O’ S P R OF E SSI ON A L G REEN I N D U ST R Y A SSOCI AT I O N OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION 9240 Broadview Road Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147 Phone: 440.717.0002, or 1.800.335.6521 Fax: 440.717.0004 Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com EDITOR Rick Doll, Jr. REGULAR WRITERS Michael J. Donnellan, King Financial, Inc. Jim Funai, LIC, Cuyahoga Community College Shelly Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Association Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green Thumb Cathy Serafin, ASLA, RLA, Suncrest Gardens

FEATURES

3 8 13 16 20 22 28 29 29

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

P.A.C.E (Positive Attitude Cures Everything)

PERENNIAL FOCUS

Winter Gold

FISCAL FITNESS

2016: A Tale of Two Markets

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of publication. For advertising rates and ad specs, please call 440.717.0002, 1.800.335.6521, or email Rick Doll, Jr. at rick@ohiolandscapers.org. DISCLAIMER The Ohio Landscape Association, its board of directors, staff and the editor of The Growing Concern neither endorse any product(s) or attests to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Similarly, the opinions expressed in The Growing Concern are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Landscape Association.

PLANT OF THE MONTH

Thuja Plicata Western Arborvitae

OFFICERS President Cathy Serafin, ASLA, RLA

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Communications & Events Manager Rick Doll, Jr.

FEATURE ARTICLE

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Membership Coordinator Noreen Schraitle

Distracted Driving: Protecting People and Profits The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Online Reviews

DIRECTIONS ADVERTISING INDEX WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

4 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Immediate Past President Bryan Taynor DIRECTORS Brian Maurer, LIC Domenic Lauria Doug Ellis James Funai, LIC Michael T. Ahern, LIC Steve Moore

OLA STAFF Executive Director Sandy Munley

C AL ENDAR OF EVEN TS UPCO M I N G OLA MEETINGS , EDUC AT I ON SE MI N A R S, A N D OT H E R G R E E N I N D UST R Y EV ENT S

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 3, 2017 THE GREAT BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW Explore the 16 Blockbuster Movie! themed gardens created by some of Northeast Ohio’s top landscapers. New in the Garden Showcase this year, you will also be able to tour “The Sunflower” Idea Home built by Blossom Homes. For more info, go to http://www.greatbighomeandgarden.com/.

FEBRUARY 14, 2017 BUSINESS LEGAL CLINIC Business Succession & Asset Protection Every business owner needs an estate plan that protects their assets and outlines a strategy for business succession. If you’re considering selling your business or wish to learn about more effective ways to protect your assets, join us for this seminar. We will discuss practical methods for evaluating your company’s worth, and address issues that ensue when an owner dies or decides to sell. In addition, we will discuss ways to safeguard your personal and company assets against creditors, litigation, and divorce. For more info call the OLA Office at 1-800-335-6521.

FEBRUARY 15, 2017 UNILOCK CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEMINARS (Toledo) This limited availability event will focus on Installation, New Products, New Methods, Design, Sales and Development. For a full list of locations, go to http:// contractor.unilock.com/seminars . To RSVP for this event, call 1-800-Unilock.

FEBRUARY 22, 2017 OHIO GREEN INDUSTRY ADVOCACY DAY Come to Columbus and meet with your legislators to tell them about the importance of the Green Industry to the State of Ohio. This event takes place at the Ohio State House. For more information, contact the OLA Office at 800-335-6521.

FEBRUARY 28, 2017 BUSINESS LEGAL CLINIC Contracts, Hiring & Firing Having solid contracts and understanding the laws when hiring employees are paramount to running a good business and avoiding devastating lawsuits. Under Ohio law, you may be personally subjected to 3x damages for failing to include the right consumer language in your contract. Join us and learn the elements of a good contract and how to avoid litigation. In addition, we will discuss the importance of a solid employee handbook and methods of fighting unemployment. For more info call the OLA Office at 1-800-335-6521.

MARCH MARCH 2, 2017 OLA MEETING (Central Ohio) Break the rules and win more sales! Features Lewis VanLandingham, Sandler Sales Trainer and CEO of Sharper Edge Advantage, LLC. Hosted & sponsored by Wolf Creek Co. For info call the OLA Office at 800-335-6521.

MARCH 9, 2017 OLA MEETING (NE Ohio) Getting and Keeping the Right Employees, featuring Elise Hara Auvil of EHA Solutions, Ltd. Held at St. Michael’s Woodside in Broadview Hts., OH. For more info call the OLA Office at 1-800-335-6521.

MARCH 14, 2017 STONE CLINIC Struggling to rockface 2, 2.5 & 3 inch Berea sandstone? Join us for this hands-on clinic where you will learn rockfacing, cutting, dressing, coping, splitting and tooling. For more info call the OLA Office at 1-800-335-6521.

MARCH 21, 2017 GROW YOUR LANDSCAPE BUSINESS WORKSHOP A 1-day workshop that will help you rapidly build the value and profitability of your business – and bring back the joy of ownership. Speaker: Jeffrey Scott. For more info call the OLA Office at 1-800-335-6521.

MARCH 30, 2017 20th ANNUAL LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARDS GALA Join Ohio’s landscape community for an elegant, fun-filled night of celebrating LO! winners. Dinner & awards presentation. For more info call the OLA Office at 1-800-335-6521.

AUGUST AUGUST 3, 2017 OLA SCHOLARSHIP GOLF OUTING Join us at Mallard Creek Golf Club in Columbia Station for the OLA Scholarship Golf Outing! Proceeds from this event benefit our OLA Scholarship Fund. Our golf outing was created to help generate funding for our scholarship program, targeting qualified students interested in a vocation within the green industry. Registration opens in spring/summer of 2017. Call the OLA at 800-3356521 for sponsorship opportunities. The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 5

PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N continued from page 3

A positive attitude works in all walks of our lives. I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. If you want to lead a life that is blessed with good experiences, good friends and success – it starts with you and your attitude. A good attitude encompasses your mind, body and spirit. Several years ago, somewhere amidst the 2008 ‘down’ years, a customer asked me how business was for our company. Without thinking, I gave them my truthful answer: that I felt like I was a dentist pulling teeth trying to close even small contracts. We exchanged a short laugh about my take on the economy and the customer ended up using another designer and firm for their project. Always retrospective when I lose a sale, I thought about what I could have done differently with that customer and my sales pitch. And as I placed myself in their shoes, it occurred to me that, as a consumer, I would not want to work with a company that was struggling with a small sale or a designer that had a bad attitude. From that moment on, I decided that no matter how dire my business or personal situation was, I would respond with a positive answer and approach, hoping for and almost always resulting in better results.

As we rejuvenate our minds, bodies and spirits over the winter months, look for beauty in your life and your environment. Appreciate it and use it as the basis for thinking positively in all aspects of your life. I think the landscape profession in Ohio is in a great position as we head into 2017. Based on the projects we are bidding and designing, the commercial and residential building industry appears healthy and plentiful, which means numerous opportunities for all of us. The Ohio Landscape Association Board of Directors and I are here to serve you and assist your companies as you grow to be more successful and profitable. We want to help you and your employees to become better educated and happier within the work environment. Please join us at our meetings, educational seminars and discussions – there is much to learn and share within our organization. I am positive we can make a difference in your 2017! We hope to see you soon, perhaps at our next meeting or at the Landscape Ohio! Awards Gala on March 30th at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.

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FI SCAL FI TN ESS

MICHAEL J. DONNELLAN King Financial, Inc.

2016 A TALE OF TWO MARKETS The first half of 2016 was, from an investment standpoint, dominated by fear. Stock markets tumbled nearly 12% in January through mid-February. Gold and silver were leading by a wide margin over other asset classes, with a 25% return over six months. The preference within equities for large, low-volatility stocks and aversion to small-cap stocks continued. Then the Brexit vote decimated markets for a couple days. At that point a strange thing happened. People came to their senses and looked at the bigger picture. Did Great Britain voting for more independence really mean their economy and all trading partners were going away? Perhaps it was a prelude to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, but markets rallied off the news. On election night, as the picture was becoming clear that Donald Trump would win the election, the stock market futures were down nearly 5% at 2am. But the days following, markets rallied around the enthusiasm of an administration friendly to lower taxes and less regulation.

Another key outcome of the U.S. election was a dramatic shift in investor sentiment away from the few sectors of the U.S. economy that had been leading for years and into areas that had lagged. Specifically, we had seen technology, staples, utilities, and telecom lead while economically sensitive sectors such as financials, industrials, energy, and materials lag. At the same time, investors avoided stocks that were economically sensitive simply because, by definition, their benefit is only realized when economic activity is strong or improving. continued on page 14 The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 13

FISCAL FI TN ESS continued from page 13 Financial stocks took off because for years they have been shedding unprofitable activities, lowering costs, and increasing their operating leverage. With expectations now that interest rates likely will rise and benefit their net interest margins, the markets are viewing their outlook as suddenly robust given that just a small improvement in revenues could dramatically affect their bottom lines. Coupled with those factors, small-cap stocks roared, both due to their U.S.-centric revenues, which should benefit investors looking to take advantage of a strengthening dollar, and their higher return potential should economic growth accelerate. Treasury yields also experienced a roller-coaster ride in 2016. As spreads widened in the first 6 weeks of the year, the yield on the 10-year Treasury bond fell. Concerns over slow growth kept rates low through the first half, with the 10-year Treasury reaching a low of 1.36% on July 8, after the Brexit vote. But rates started to tick higher in the second half of the year on signs of stronger economic growth and increasing inflation pressures. The move to higher rates accelerated after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency on November 8th and finished the year near 2.50%.

14 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

So what does this mean for 2017? Of course, you always hear that past performance is not indicative of future results. I believe markets will be volatile, but volatility also creates opportunity. Investors will have to be diligent to ensure their portfolios are balanced for risk along with their time horizons. Portfolios should be reviewed since the financials and small capitalization companies outperformed last year and interest rate sensitive stocks lagged. Make sure your portfolios are rebalanced. Diversification is key! Talk to your financial advisor to determine the proper mix for your portfolio. Michael J. Donnellan is President of King Financial, Inc., with offices in Strongsville and the M3 Wealth Management office in North Royalton, Ohio specializing in stock selection and retirement planning. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments. Phone number (440) 652-6370 Email: donnellan@m3wealthmanagement.com Securities and advisory services offered through L.M. Kohn & Company Registered Broker/Dealer Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB 10151 Carver Rd. Suite 100 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 (800) 478-0788

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PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

JIM FUNAI, LIC Cuyahoga Community College

SHELLEY FUNAI, LIC Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

THUJA PLICATA WESTERN ARBORVITAE

It seems we have been trapped on the west coast this month as we discussed which plant to write about. As soon as we revisited the great redwood discussion of last month we ran into their neighbor, the Western Arborvitae. This magnificent tree is native to a similar west coast range of Northern California (right at the coast, with coastal redwoods) up through the Pacific Northwest into the southern reaches of coastal Alaska. There is also a large swath in the Rocky Mountains that experiences much colder temperatures then their coastal cousins. In its native habitat, this tree is another beast. It holds its own with Redwoods, Douglas Firs, and Western Hemlocks, reaching into the mid 200-foot range. Unlike a number of the plants associated with that ecosystem, the Western Arborvitae has shown much more tolerance to a broad range of conditions, allowing it to become very popular in the trade. Now found in gardens on most continents, this tree has become very popular in Western Europe and the Eastern/South Eastern United States. Unfortunately for us here in the Midwest, climatic conditions do not allow the plant to reach its full height potential. While

16 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

certain cultivars can still reach an impressive 30 to 40 feet (perhaps 50 in time) it seems laughable to the 200 plus of the west coast giants. What the tree will make up for in its shortcoming is an incredibly fast growth rate and marked resistance to deer browse that we sorely lack in our native Eastern Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis). There are a number of cultivars in the market, but the fastest grower is ‘Green Giant,’ which is actually a hybrid between T. plicata and T. standishii – a Japanese native. It is the mysterious “hybrid vigor” that allows Green Giant to push up to 24 inches

of growth in the best of conditions. You may find a cultivar sold as ‘Spring Grove,’ which came from the cemetery of the same name in Cincinnati, though the consensus among professionals is that it is the same plant as ‘Green Giant.’ You may see in Dr. Dirr’s book that he doesn’t speak as highly of this plant as one would expect. Keep in mind that a majority of his viewpoint is written from his home in Georgia, where the heat of summer is quite different than ours. No argument that he is a true plant genius, but sometimes his opinion can be dismissed as “southern people problems”. This plant does exceptionally well for us in Ohio, and while it may exhibit some dulling of color in winter, we have not found it to be as extreme as Dr. Dirr leads on. Perhaps it is wise to keep this plant out of the harshest of winter winds to help maintain winter appeal. While quite adaptable to planting sites, it would be ideal to provide – at minimum – part sun. True, this plant will grow fine in the deep shade, though it may open up quite a bit and not provide the lush deep green screening most people desire. We also must make mention of a great screen planting of these we pass daily by our home that almost make a perfect screen. The issue is the first row of the four staggered rows has fried

out from being too close to a 45-mph road. Salt spray drifting 15 feet off the road burned the plants foliage enough over two winters to completely kill them. Use caution in screen planting near salted areas, as this plant is not your best option (odd considering its native habitat is near the Pacific Ocean!). Perhaps the best uses of this plant is in a mass planting for visual and audio screening in either an informal screening or a true formal hedge. The plants stay narrow compared to their height, perhaps at most reaching 1/3 as wide as they are tall, so planting close together is quite alright to do – they will tolerate that just fine. Pruning into a formal hedge works with great effect, but keep in mind the overall height it wants to obtain. This is a fast grower, so expect a very tall hedge and a lot of very high ladder work to keep it looking good. Scottish botanist David Don is credited with naming this species in the mid 1800s while he was the librarian for the Linnean Society of London (a pretty plant nerdy position to hold!) Plicata is a Latin based word (plicatus) which means folded as Mr. Don noticed the distinct folding pattern on the backside of the small leaves of the tree. Thuja (thewya) is a Greek-derived word (thuia) for a similar tree from continued on page 18 Northern Africa.

The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 17

PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH continued from page 17 A number of common names exist with Western Arborvitae being the more often heard in the Midwest. Other names include Western Red Cedar, Giant Arborvitae, and Shinglewood (often used for shingles). The wood of this tree has long been used in construction, especially for wood that will be exposed to the elements due to high rot resistance. In fact, from most lumber yards this is the wood you are receiving when you purchase “cedar” as in cedar in your closet. There are a number of other trees that also fall under the name “cedar” in wood working, but that is a discussion for another day. What may be most interesting about this plant is the common name of Arborvitae. Arbor which we know means “tree” and vitae meaning “life.” Just as we may have to make curriculum vitae to represent all of the training and education we have gained in life (fancy way of saying resume), the Arborvitae is the Tree of Life.

to fish hooks from the roots, to extremely durable building materials, to clothing and baskets woven from the bark. There is also strong belief that there is a spirit that lives in these trees that looks over the people and gives them these gifts of life. Many even have a ceremony to perform to give thanks to the spirit before harvesting these gifts. We think it is pretty neat to see people form such a strong bond with the trees that support their very life. In fact, all trees should be called arbor vitae as they are all responsible for our ability to have life! Jim Funai is full-time faculty at Cuyahoga Community College, a NALP accredited associate of applied science in hoticulture degree program offering many paths to higher education in the green industry. He is pursuing a PhD in Landscape Engineering and Forestry and is a Licensed Arborist. Shelley Funai is Grounds Manager at Stan Hywett Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio, which offers a historic estate designed by Warren H. Manning and a beautiful manor house museum. She is Landscape

This tree has a long history with Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest of being a vital part to survival from canoes,

18 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association 18 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Industry Certified in Ornamental Plant Care. Both are graduates of The Ohio State University. Contact Jim and Shelley via email at hortsquad@gmail.com.

One of the best uses of Western Arbovitaet is in a mass planting, for visual and audio screening.

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FOR MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT, OR TO REGISTER, VISIT WEBSITE The OUR Growing ConcernAT | January 2017 | 19 19 | Official Publication of TheINFORMATION Ohio Landscape Association OHIOLANDSCAPERS.ORG/EDUCATION/2017STONECLINIC

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DISTRACTED DRIVING PROTECTING PEOPLE AND PROFITS While winter is still upon us, many landscape contractors will be performing snow and ice removal – doing so in some of the most hazardous weather conditions imaginable, with little to no sleep, and in a hurry to get their routes completed so that they can get back to their families. At the same time, commercial auto rates are still on the rise due to an increased number of accidents specifically attributed to distracted driving and higher claims costs for insurance companies across the board. In most instances, some insurance carriers have increased commercial auto rates anywhere from 2% – 20%, with distracted driving being the #1 cause.

In general – in our industry – most of the accidents snow/ landscape contractors are a part of are from backing into parked or moving vehicles, running into light poles and rear-ending the car in front of them… most of which are preventable accidents. Here are a few facts about distracted driving:

• The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use Distracted driving typically means inattention due to texting, talking on cell, talking to others, sleeping, changing the radio station, driving too fast for the road conditions, eating, grooming and many other types of distractions. And as you can imagine, couple any one of these factors with a commercial grade vehicle and you have created a recipe for disaster.

20 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

• Each day in the US, more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. • Each year, over 3,331 people are killed and over 387,000 injured in motor vehicle accidents connected to distracted driving.

• 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is • • • •

caused by texting and driving. Right now, 660,000 drivers are attempting to use their phones while driving. 21% of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents were distracted by their cell phones. Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk. In Ohio, all drivers are banned from texting, and novice drivers are not allowed to use cell phones behind the wheel.

Here are five (5) straightforward ways drivers can avoid accidents due to distracted driving: 1. Avoid texting and using your cell phone while driving. 2. Avoid not paying 100% attention while driving. 3. Slow down during hazardous driving conditions. 4. Avoid sleep deprivation. 5. Take extra caution while backing and know your surroundings. One way to reduce the number of accidents due to distracted driving is with proper involvement on the part of management. If your company has drivers who cause accidents during work time with no repercussions, or lack of management involvement and control, accidents will

continue. However, if management shows concern, completes regular safety meetings and holds its employees accountable through the use of disciplinary actions for accidents based on distracted driving habits, accidents will decrease, and so will future insurance costs. Another way some landscape contractors control distracted driving accidents is to review all automobile accidents and possibly assess the negligent driver the full cost of the repair, or at least the insurance deductible. The potential for outof-pocket reimbursement from an employee usually causes them to be more careful on the road. Another option for the landscape contractors to control distracted driving is to have the driver of the vehicle who is involved in an accident meet with a jury of his peers (in management) to decide on a fair settlement and/or proper discipline. Winter driving is more hazardous than any other time of the year. But, if best practices for driving are applied at all times, the chance of having an accident due to distracted driving will be greatly reduced. Greg Botson, Owner of Botson Insurance Group, is a 25-year member of the Ohio Landscape Association. He has over 160 clients in his insurance program. His goal is to put more green in the Green Industry member’s pocket and keep them working after a claim. He can be reached at 440-537-2292.

The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 21

F EATURE ARTI CLE

THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY OF ONLINE REVIEWS Online reviews are one of the most valuable marketing assets for a landscaping, lawn care, or tree service. Online reviews offer social proof and have become an integral way buyers decide which company they want to learn more about and ultimately choose. In fact, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Before they even go to your website or schedule a free consultation with your sales people, online reviews tell the prospect a story that is larger than life. If your green industry company has few (or zero) online reviews, or if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t visibly interacting with the good, bad or ugly reviews your prospective customers are seeing, your reputation may be in grave danger.

22 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Not only do your prospective customers care about your reputation, but search engines do as well. Conduct an online search relating to your business category and location and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see that most noticeable listings often correlate with the number of reviews the company has posted. And which search results are you more likely to click on, the one with the 3-star rating or the one with 4.75 stars? Yeah, I thought so.

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT! CUSTOMER LEAVES GOOD REVIEW

Customer, Jim P. leaves a 5-Star Review: Wow! I love my backyard. All my neighbors think the work you did looks amazing. I’ll be sure to recommend you in the future. Owner’s Response: Jim, thanks so much for taking some of your valuable time to let us know how you feel and to trust us enough to pass our name on to others! We hope that your family gets a lot of use out of your paver patio! We’ll be sure that your landscape designer and the installation team gets a copy of your review. Reviews like these are the reason we all come to work each day! continued on page 24

SCA

Here’s an example of how to respond to good online reviews for landscaping companies:

Good Reviews & How to Respond: • Try to identify the customer if you can to do some research. Respect their anonymity, but sometimes it’s easy with certain names. • Respond within a week, but even more quickly if you can. • Be grateful for their time and kind words. Most happy customers don’t even leave reviews. • Be original in your response. No comments should ever look similar. • Offer more than a few words. Write several sentences and be clever. Naturally use keywords if possible in your reply. • Talk about what services they mentioned, paying attention to key points other readers may be pondering. • Tell them you’re sharing their comment with your team. It shows a culture that celebrates customer satisfaction.

We love the good online reviews. We print them out and share them with our team. We want to buy the loyal customer and everyone else a round of drinks. It’s time to celebrate! But just sharing good reviews internally misses a great chance to properly thank your brand evangelist and also show your true colors to prospective customers.

S S I F I E

ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS Looking for Classified and Help Wanted ads? Want to post one of your own? You’ll find them at ohiolandscapers.org or myohiolandscape.com. HELP WANTED ADS Help Wanted ads are posted on both our industry website and our consumer website, along with bi-monthly postings via social media. CLASSIFIED ADS (I.E. Equipment for sale) Classified ads are posted on our industry website ohiolandscapers.org COST MEMBERS: $35 plus $3 for each 10 words for 30 days. NON MEMBER: $70 plus $3 for each 10 words for 30 days. Please send all inquiries and ad content to: info@ohiolandscapers.org or call the OLA office at 440-717-0002.

The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 23

F EATURE ARTI CLE continued from page 23

THE LUKEWARM REVIEW: JOB WAS GREAT, BUT SLOW AS MOLASSES IN JANUARY Then there’s the lukewarm review, or those with back-handed compliments. These often present themselves with the fenceteetering 3-Star review, but some do make their way into the twos and fours. A customer is fairly happy with results but something went awry along the way. They may forgive you in time, but they want people to know there’s still room for improvement. They also may be fishing to still get some issues resolved. This is a great opportunity for your company to probe more deeply to resolve issues and show your helpful character. Lukewarm Reviews & How to Respond • Respond as quickly as possible. Don’t let it go more than 12 hours. • Try to identify the customer. If it’s not easily concluded, provide them with an alternate means of how to contact you so you can get more details. • Empathize with their concerns and goals. • Don’t make excuses, shift blame, or assume you know the whole situation until you learn more details. • Acknowledge any positive elements of their comment. • Take ownership of the solution. Here’s an example of how to respond to lukewarm reviews: Customer, Mary Z. leaves a 3-Star Review: Came out quickly and took the tree down, but the stump’s still there 3 days later. I hope they are coming back or guess I’ll have to call and complain. Owner’s Response: Mary, we’re happy it just happened to work out to fit your tree removal job in a little early for you since the crew finished up a little more quickly than we anticipated on another job. Thanks for allowing us to fit you in on Monday afternoon. Rest assured, we didn’t forget about your stump removal. With the rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, we wanted to make sure the ground wasn’t too soft. Driving the stump grinder on your lawn could have left some ruts. Looking back, we should have given you a call to communicate that, so sorry for assuming you knew this. I just spoke to Mark, the crew leader, and he says the conditions will be favorable on Friday

24 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

to finish that part of the job. I’ll have him call if something changes. Thanks again and call me directly if you have any other questions! -Bob Smith Customers can go back and change their review. After the job is all taken care of, discuss with the client that they have this option once completely satisfied. Just tell them if they wish, they can log back into the site and there should be an easy way to edit their prior review and change the rating. Don’t insist, and only ask politely once. You’d be surprised, but some customers will willingly turn your 3-Star into a four or a five.

The funny thing about online reviews for landscaping companies and tree services is that we either want to buy them a round of drinks or take them out in the town square and shoot them full of holes. Bad Online Reviews & How to Respond • Respond as quickly as possible. Don’t let it go more than 12 hours. • State the rarity. Try to let them know that this is an anomaly that you are upset that happened and need to discuss it ASAP with your team. • Empathize with their concerns and goals and use emotionally expressive, yet professional, language when responding. • Try to identify the customer. If it’s not easily concluded, provide them with an alternate means of how to contact you so you can get more details. If you cannot identify them easily, state that. • Don’t make excuses, shift blame, or assume you know the whole situation until you learn more details. • Don’t lecture, berate, or patronize the customer. • Document what you have done to resolve the complaint. • Take ownership of the solution, stating your name and contact info.

THE BAD ONLINE REVIEW: MY LAWN IS UGLY AS A (INSERT EXPLETIVE HERE)

Here’s an example of how to respond to bad online reviews for a lawn care company:

It’s bound to happen, even to the best companies. Someone is going to leave you not just a bad review, but a downright ugly one. They will personally attack you, your people, and try to hang you in the town square.

Customer, Murray S. leaves a 1-Star Review: What a joke! They said they would get rid of the weeds in my lawn, but yet there is still crabgrass everywhere. I tried calling them multiple times but no one calls me back. Don’t bother using this company!

You may want to come out with guns blazin’, or hide like a yella’ bellied toad. But you just cannot ignore the bad review and hope that it gets buried. You also can’t overreact. It takes true grit to handle a bad review with class and come out the winner on these ugly duels.

Owner’s Response: Murray, thanks for taking the time to let us know what’s happening with your lawn. I was saddened to see your comments, because your technician usually does a great job at not missing weeds on properties. I’m pretty sure I have identified your account (we don’t have any other continued on page 26 The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 25

F EATURE ARTI CLE continued from page 25

Murray). I see that your tech, Josh, left a note on your invoice explaining that the crabgrass control will take about 10-14 days to die due to the dry, hot conditions. We’ll give you a call on day 14 to see how things look and we can definitely stop back to retreat the weeds at no charge. As far as the unreturned calls, I see that Josh called you and left a message on the home phone, with the last two numbers of “82.” He called on Tuesday at 10 am, and then again on Friday at 3:15 pm. Is that number still good? I’ll try to call you now, but you can also reach me at the office M-F, 7am – 5pm. Just ask for Bob Smith. Of course, there are times where you won’t be able to win, no matter what reasonable efforts or honest mistakes there may be. The point is that everyone online can see your response. No company is perfect and will make mistakes. The measure of the heart of a company is how they handle these situations.

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26 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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F EATURE ARTI CLE A TRAIL BLAZED FOR A PURPOSEFUL ONLINE REVIEW STRATEGY

A TRAIL BLAZED FOR A PURPOSEFUL ONLINE REVIEW STRATEGY

There’s a chance that some bad online reviews for landscaping companies or lawn and tree services may be completely fictitious. This is rare, but it happens. They may even be a competitor posing as a disgruntled customer. Still, they may be legitimate but you cannot get enough of a response to take any corrective actions.

After a few reviews, you may start realizing that without an intentional effort, you’re handling online reviews incorrectly. You may need to appoint a new sheriff in your organization with a full array of deputies to assist them in handling reviews. Think it through and make sure to set up the proper notifications so they learn about reviews immediately.

If you’ve gone through the steps above, and haven’t gotten a response, you can go back and add-to or change your response.

You also may be struggling to get more good online reviews for your landscaping company, or lawn and tree service. That’s a story for another time, but that will also take some careful thought and learning what works and what does not.

Here’s an example of how to respond to the bad online reviews used above. Go back into the review and edit your response like this: Customer, Murray S. leaves a 1-Star Review: What a joke! They said they would get rid of the weeds in my lawn, but yet there is still crabgrass everywhere. I tried calling them multiple times but no one calls me back. Don’t bother using this company! No Reply, Owner’s Response: Updated Response – Murray, sorry we still haven’t been able to address your concerns. We’re here if you need us... (original response still remains here). Here’s an example of how to respond to the bad online reviews used above if you cannot identify who the person is. Go back into the review and edit your response like this: No Validation, Owner’s Original Response: I’m sorry and surprised to hear you aren’t fully satisfied. That isn’t very common that we hear this. I am having trouble finding your account to remedy this issue. We don’t have a Murray S. in our records. Could this account be under another name, perhaps? You can contact me directly by calling our office and asking for Bob Jones. I’d like to get to the bottom of this and hopefully fix this problem for you. Just not getting a reply isn’t a case for petitioning the site to remove a review. However, there may be a slight chance of the review sites removing it if they can conclude it’s fake. I haven’t seen this happen much, but it’s not impossible. You can typically easily report a review that is abusive or suspicious on the review site. Look for buttons nearby or search online for instructions.

In any case, we hope your great reputation precedes you two towns away and throughout the valley. Much obliged for reading this article, and we wish happy trails to you. Chris Heiler is the founder and CEO of Landscape Leadership, a sales and marketing agency for lawn and landscape industry companies. Learn more at www.LandscapeLeadership.com.

TOP 10 MOST POPULAR CONTRACTOR REVIEW WEBSITES • Yelp: Get on, get reviews, & get going. • Google Maps: You are missing out on business if you

are not on Google Maps.

• Bing: Popular search engine with a map feature. • Yahoo: Free & easy to get your business signed up. • Facebook: Free profile page for businesses and allows

reviews and engagement with customers.

• LinkedIn: Very popular professional networking site. • Houzz: Reach new clients, showcase your business in

photos & work smarter.

• Angie’s List: Pay to advertise and customize your

profile, but the leads are solid.

• Home Adviso: Free review site with over 2 million

reviews and used by over 30 million homeowners.

• Kudzu: Growing review site specializing in local searches. The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 27

D I RECTI ON S

SANDY MUNLEY

Executive Director The Ohio Landscape Association

REACHING OUT The OLA continues to work on your behalf to let the public and our elected officials know about the quality work performed by members of the Ohio Landscape Association. CONSUMER OUTREACH This month, the OLA garden at the Great Big Home and Garden Show will feature our consumer website, MyOhioLandscape.com. This website provides homeowners and property managers with information to help them make an informed decision about the landscape contractor they hire, and offers information on plant material and seasonal tips to keep people coming back to the site. One of the many benefits of being an OLA member is your free basic listing in our public referral database on this site. All regular members are asked for six (6) zip codes that they want referral work in and a list of services that they provide. Visitors to the site can type in the zip code of their property, check off the type of service(s) they are looking for, and come up with a list of OLA members that satisfies their criteria. If you haven’t provided us with this information, or have changed the services you offer, or the geographic area you serve, we need to know! You can update and complete this information fast and easily online by signing into the Member Center of our industry website, OhioLandscapers.org, or by calling the OLA offices.

28 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

In addition to basic listings, the OLA also offers upgraded Premier Listings. For a nominal fee, Premier Listings add optimized search engine placement, company logos, extended profile information and links to your company’s website. Upgrading your listing can give your company the edge by quickly grabbing the attention of potential clients, and prior to the Home & Garden show is a great time to take advantage of this upgrade. Please call the OLA offices for more info. I would also like to remind you that the Spring/Summer issue of Landscape Ohio! Magazine – OLA’s consumer publication dedicated to promoting the green industry – will once again be in the May issue of Cleveland Magazine and Ohio Magazine. This issue will highlight the winning projects of the 20th Annual Landscape Ohio! Awards Program. In conjunction with Landscape Ohio! Magazine, Great Lakes Publishing will offer members of the OLA special advertising rates. This is a great opportunity to let the public know about your company and the quality products and services you offer and is open to anyone associated with the landscape industry (i.e. landscape contractors, lighting and irrigation companies, material and equipment suppliers, garden centers, etc.).

ADVERTI SI N G I N D E X WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

The Ohio Landscape Association is delighted to welcome the following new member to the association:

REGULAR MEMBERS Blooming Designs 247 Denby Avenue Akron, OH 44313 (330) 836-4662 Susie Dempster Greenscapes Landscape Company 4220 Winchester Pike Columbus, OH 43232 (614) 830-2600 Bill Gerhardt Jackie Ansara Landscape 7833 Dunhill Drive Sylvania, OH 43560-1007 (419) 283-5062 Jackie Ansara

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Heartland 4541 Glen Eagle Drive Brecksville, OH 44141 (440) 829-5868 Adam Niec Geauga County Ironworks 14750 Georgia Road Middlefield, OH 44062 (440) 488-4837 Mike Blair Do not think of marketing as an expense, but as an investment that produces a measurable return in the form of qualified leads. Both Cleveland Magazine and Ohio Magazine are quality publications with proven track records to reach those quality clients. Watch your email for information regarding the Spring/Summer issue of Landscape Ohio! Magazine. The section will sell out…so don’t delay! For more information or to reserve your space, contact your current ad representative or Paul Klein at Great Lakes Publishing at 216-377-3693 or klein@glpublishing.com. POLITICAL SUPPORT There is a saying that all politics is local, and I can tell you from experience that this is true. It is very important that constituents from every district get to know their representative and senators. Legislators listen most to those who can cast their vote to keep them in office. Therefore, while I can speak to your legislators,

Abraxus / Royalton Supply

Botson Insurance Group, Inc.

Davis Tree Farm & Nursery, Inc.

Mason Structural Steel, Inc.

Medina Sod Farms, Inc.

O’Reilly Equipment, LLC

Premier Plant Solutions

Shearer Equipment

Sohar’s / RCPW, Inc.

10 Unilock 15

Valley City Supply

VanCuren Tree Services, Inc.

Zoresco Equipment Company

continued on page 30 The Growing Concern | February 2017 | 29

D I RECTI ON S continued from page 29 the only ones that I can really influence are those from my district. YOU need to make the effort for your district. On February 22th, the OLA is partnering with several other associations for Ohio Green Industry Advocacy Day at the State Capitol. This is a really important day and I encourage all of you to join us! We need to make relationships with the freshmen legislators and reacquaint ourselves with the seasoned veterans.

of your businesses. They have promised to share important information that could be applicable to your business with us in the future, and will hopefully write an article or two for the Growing Concern.

Attending Advocacy Day in Columbus can be extremely educational and is actually fun, too. We are there as a group, going together on legislative visits to take the fear out of the meetings for inexperienced attendees. I encourage you to invest a day to travel to Columbus with us and would be happy to send you registration information, or you can visit the events page on our website to register.

CONNECTING WITH US Finally, we have just updated some of our technology in the OLA office. We changed our phone system to (VoIP) Voice over Internet Protocol, and while we are really excited about the new features and cost savings, there is a bit of a learning curve. So, please bear with us as we master this new technology. I am sure it will not be long before we have figured out the features we use most often. So far, we have been very happy with the sound quality and the opportunity to have our own private voice message box, in addition to a general message box most of you have become accustom to.

Along those lines, last month, two staffers from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office called me and stopped in the OLA office. They wanted to learn more about our industry and to understand what problems exist in our member’s world. It was great to meet with both of them and to know that such an important office in our state is concerned for the well-being

I hope to see you all at the upcoming OLA events, as you prepare for spring. We have a full calendar of events – so I hope you will find something that appeals to you. If there are areas you feel OLA could be helping you, please let us know. We are here to be of service and are continuously working for you!

30 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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02/17

ician tified Techn r e C y tr s u scape Ind 2017 Land Test Dates Written test

Certification is an important tool for all landscape companies and individuals in the landscape field. That’s why the Landscape Industry Certified Technician program deserves your attention. A Landscape Industry Certified Technician is a proven landscape professional who has been certified through an internationally supported testing program that is administered by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and licensed to Ohio – a partnership of The Ohio State ATI, Ohio Landscape Association and Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association.

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By earning your Landscape Industry Certified Technician certification, you send a message to clients and employees that you meet, or exceed the industry standard. For additional Information about testing, registration, or to obtain study materials, please visit LandscapeCertifiedOhio.org, or call the Ohio State ATI at 330.287.7511, or 330.287.0100.

STAND OUT! Encouraging Professional Standards and Promoting the Green Industry