Garden Goddess provides plants and garden accessories. The employee handbook outlines how to provide excellent customer service through greeting customers, offering assistance, displaying product knowledge, and suggesting additional items. Employees are encouraged to engage customers, learn their gardening needs and goals, and help ensure their projects are successful.

1. Employee Handbook

2. Denise Brown
Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
Garden Goddess provides quality plants and garden accessories to enhance your garden. We have a
variety of bulbs, and plants in an array of colors to accent your home. Our accessories will make
great accents for your garden and patio.
Come shop in a relaxing environment with a variety of products to stimulate your gardening ideas.

3. Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
GARDENGODDESS AND YOU
Customers come to browse and customers come to shop. You are here to make the experience at
Garden Goddess enjoyable, to make sure that customers remember Garden Goddess but, most of all
to provide exceptional customer service to all that come to Garden Goddess. How do you do that?
Simple, you are not only to talk with the customer, but converse with them. Find out their needs or
wants when it comes to their garden desires. The customer may not know exactly what they are
looking for, but may know the result of what they want to achieve. You have knowledge the
customer wants but does not know how to ask… To encourage this interaction try:
Greeting customers, every customer. If you are walking past John with a customer, greet John
by name and greet the customer as well.
Yes, you are going to ask if there is anything you could help them find, then you are going to
walk them to the location. Easy. While you are there, impress them with your knowledge of
the product, and introduce them to new products and companion products.
Be nosey. Look in their cart, see what they have and make a suggestion to go along. Potting
soil, plant food, a sun catcher, fencing to keep small animals out, etc….
Direct the customer to our garden for ideas.
Invite customers to use our “Virtual Garden”, where they can plan and decorate their desired
garden and get a print out of materials needed and best time to plant. Great time to make
some sales!
Remember, customers are not likely to interact with you if you appear disinterested or do not display
any product knowledge. Let each customer know that we are there to help them with their garden
projects.
Many families bring children. Invite school age children to visit our children’s garden (with parents’
permission)! This area will allow children to plant their choice of flowers where they can come back
to check on its progress. (Pumpkins will be planted May-June for our October harvest; Carnations
early spring.)

4. Denise Brown
Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
MUD ON YOUR SHOES
Don’t worry if you get dirty, we expect it. In fact, if you are still clean at the end of the day – you
haven’t been working! So, lets’ get our hands dirty and show we all have a “green thumb”.
Customers can tell when you are enthusiastic about your job. A smile can tell it all as well as a frown
can let you down.
Gardening is not a job, it is a hobby. An enjoyable, profitable hobby. If you have an idea, we want to
see it. You can grow any plant, if you are willing to share your techniques and knowledge with the
rest of us.
Each employee will be responsible for a section of our garden. Planting and landscaping.
Flowers, vegetables, bushes, whatever you desire for your dream oasis. We will let the
customers vote on the most creative, colorful, and easily maintained section. We might even
have a suggestion box for the customers and if you want to use their suggestion, you could
email them and ask if they would be interested in helping you.
Because this is such a laid-back atmosphere, we can enjoy casual dress every day.
Each month we will have a specialized item(s) for sale. The item(s) will be determined by
employees who have birthdays in that month. My birthday is in July and my favorite flower is
Lilac. July we will have a sale on Lilac bushes. I will provide each customer with care
instructions and possibly a little info on why this is my favorite flower and how easy it is to
care for.
If you have a pet you would like to bring to work, we will work it out for you to bring in that
pet for one week (Maybe not cats, sorry). You dog can wander free through-out the green
house, just watch for digging in the plants. Remember they must be well behaved.
For those of you that don’t have a pet, we can substitute with children. Your own special
helper for a week.
Since business is very high during the spring and summer, early fall there will be a huge picnic for
our entire families to come together and have fun with prizes, awards and contests.

5. Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
GARDENGODDESS CALLING….
Let’s not just close the sale. Let’s continue the sale! Think about this….Suppose I just purchased a
do-it-yourself water fountain from Garden Goddess. I go home and put it in the garage. Weeks pass
by and now I am ready to install it, but, I forgot how and the instructions are gibberish. I’m
scratching my head thinking this was not a good idea now. Have you ever felt like that? Would you
want your customers to feel like this? If they are displeased, they will return it. What could you do?
Call the customer, especially if you know they had plans to work in the garden immediately,
and just ask how the gardening is going. Offer any help, tips, suggestions.
Invite the customer to one of our weekly “live” demonstrations. We will be demonstrating
proper planting techniques, repotting, installing fences, where to place certain foliage, etc...
Send the customer product information.
Send a thank you note/card. In essence, not only thanking the customer, but include your
name and email for the customer, becoming their personal horticulturist.

6. Denise Brown
Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
Garden Goddess
1 St. Rt. 140
Cincinnati, Ohio 45211
Mr. John Smith
123 Warsaw
Cincinnati, OH 45205
Dear Mr. Smith,
Thank you for letting Garden Goddess help you to realize the garden of your dreams. We look
forward to continuing helping your garden grow.
Please contact us with any questions or concerns that may arise regarding your purchase. We also
invite you to come-in for our live demonstrations or call us if you need Garden Goddess to help you
with your landscaping.
Thank you,
Denise Brown
Operations Manager, Garden Goddess

7. Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
DIG DEEP AND CULTIVATE YOUR ROOTS FOR A-PLUS SERVICE
Every customer expects good customer service. We can all agree on that. But what every
customer really wants is excellent customer service. Service that goes beyond what he/she expects.
That is A-Plus Service! This does not just mean being on-hand to help a customer find an item. It
means anticipating the customers’ needs/wants. You are to become their Garden Goddess or God.
The one with all the answers, information, tips and suggestions for all their needs!
When we cultivate our customers, we help bring out their passion and their desires, which will help
us to make them happy, satisfied and loyal customers. The customer will want to come back.
We can emphasize garden success- if the customer follows the guidelines for planting, feeding and
watering plants which we provide. The dos’ and don’ts for a healthy garden. This information is
valuable to customers. What happens if a plant is purchased and remains in the same pot it was
taken home in? It will start to turn brown and die. That customer will either think something was
wrong with the plant or think that someone did not give them the information needed to take care of
the plant. That is not acceptable. We value or customers and want their projects to succeed. How do
we help? By providing information.
Modern technology allows us to find what the customer wants, suggest other items they may need
and introduce items the customer will need. It also allows the customer the convenience of online
shopping, and home delivery. This is important since it allows customers to shop at their
convenience and with other responsibilities demanding their attention this is a time-saver.
We can make in-store shopping easy by having flat-bed carts. Making it easier to slide items onto the
cart and into the trunk, truck bed or backseat. Having each section and aisle clearly marked so
customers can maneuver to their desired location without feeling lost. Having artful displays of
suggested projects that can be done in one afternoon, or projects for children to do with parents, will
satisfy the whole family.
"Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle-shells
And pretty maids all in a row!"
--Mother Goose.

8. Denise Brown
Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
The Value of Our Customer Garden
If Mrs. Jones tells you she doesn’t really enjoy digging in the dirt but wants pretty flowers,
don’t offer her annuals. She will be upset
when she has to do all that work each
season. Show her perennials. Explain the
benefits, make a point that once planted,
they will return year after year. Then show
her an array of colorful plants!
You already know she is not an avid
gardener, so suggest fertilizer, explain which
plant would do well in the type of
environment she is creating. If you can
delight her in the details, she can envision
her garden area blooming!
Make a package for your customer. Plants
that do well together, plant food, walk them
past the accessories and maybe suggest a
solar-powered sun catcher. Use your
imagination!
Our plants will grow! If they don’t – we will
plant new ones for you and oversee their development. We definitely stand behind our products.
That is why we make sure each customer is sent a reminder note to water, remove from direct
sunlight, or re-pot plants. Plus a description and care information for each of the plants they
purchased.

9. Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
You have the Information
Do you know all the services we offer?
If you don’t know, then our customers don’t know. It’s that simple.
We offer a service to go to the customer’s home, when invited, to personally check plants to
make sure they remain healthy or help with a landscaping project?
We have an online site where customers can view a quick
video showing the stages of growth for the plants they
purchased. Give tips and shows what the plant should look like at
each stage. It will also give useful information on how to solve
any problems the plant may be experiencing such as bugs, over
and under watering; helpful information on repotting, when to
place outside or to bring inside, when direct sunlight may be too
much, etc….
Our weekly ads give customers the information they need
also in planning their gardens. Our feature in the ads will be the
item/product most needed by plants at that time. For example:
Summer time plants need water of course but also food, some
need pruning. Late fall plants will need to be prepared for winter.
Some can be brought in the house at this time. As the early frost
comes, tips on covering plants. All these tips can be included in ads with our feature products. We
not only inform them but have the products on hand, and some on sale!
Customer support. That’s just what we do. If you have a customer, you need to make sure
you support that customer’s needs. Every employee has a cell and business cards. Each customer
should be getting a card and encourage to use the number for any questions or concerns. I ask that
each employee keep track of the questions and at our weekly meetings bring these issues into the
discussion so we can prevent future problems.
"If we don’t
take care of our
customers,
someone else
will."
- Unknown

10. Denise Brown
Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
Convenience and Timing
Timing is everything in our business. Customers need the information concerning time as to
when to- till the garden, when to plant seeds, set out bulb, put out grass seed, etc.
A customer(s) walks in to Garden Goddess, what do you do?
A. Greet the customer and welcome them to the store?
B. Ask customer how you can help them?
C. Personally show the customer where the products are they are looking for?
D. All of the above?
The correct answer is: “D. All of the above.”
Why?
To simple put it, “For the customer”. Customers not only want A-plus Service, they also want
something that is convenient. Easy to use, understand, not too many steps. How can we make their
process of creating, starting, or updating their garden/patio easier?
We can show customers a variety of selections for them to choose from. Yes, we can bring the items
from different areas of the store to their location; the customer can then make a selection.
We can do this by loading their car or truck with their purchases. Making sure the items are secure.
Having a variety of flat-bed utility carts will be a real convenience for the customers. The usual
basket carts will only hold a limited amount of items that will need to fit in a confined space. The flat-
beds will allow for long, wide or tall items.

11. Garden Goddess
Plants and Garden Accessories
Convenience and Timing
We can inform them of our free local delivery – same day or next day. We can offer a time
that is convenient to the customer. Have the items delivered and placed in the back of the house
while they are at work or be there just around the time they will be arriving home.
Check-out can be painless. All it takes is knowledge and preparation. Knowing the products
will take the guess work out of pricing. Everyone should know regular and sales prices. If there is a
question concerning a price, each employee can and will be able to make a determining decision
without having to wait for a manager.
Customers really get discouraged, and upset when employees have to call for a price check or wait
for a supervisor, or manager to approve something. Keep this in mind. Customers’ time is valuable.
They just spent the past hour walking around the store, they have all the items they want, do you
really think that now they want or have the time to stand in line and wait for you-the employee, who
works at the store, to find a price? No. If this happens, next time- they might just go somewhere
else.
.