A Magic Bullet: Raving Fans

Many of us have a longing
deep within to do something
momentous before we die. Some
dream of summitting on Mt. Everest;
others think in terms of completing
a marathon. Somewhere in
between those two are those who
daydream about leaving it all behind
for 6 months and taking a stroll
from Georgia to Maine along the
Appalachian Trail.
About 2,700 hikers annually
manage to pull off the complete
14-state trek. Some do it all in one
piece, hoping to time it optimally to
avoid getting caught in an inhospitable
spot at the
wrong
time of year. This
means Southbound hikers begin in
May and hope to reach Georgia by
October, while Northbound hikers
would begin in March or even February,
hoping to conclude the trip
before freezing temperatures
conspire to make the most
difficult stretch at the end
that much harder.
Many hikers approach the AT
as a series of a la carte hikes, often
taking years to cover the entire
span. This method has the advantage
of avoiding the crowds of
through-hikers who must stick to a
pretty consistent timetable and find
themselves bumping into each other
along the way.
Bill Bryson’s entertaining memoir,
A Walk in the Woods (©2010 Broadway
Books), offers a vivid glimpse
into some of the aspects of hiking
the trail you might like to know before
strapping on
your backpack
and setting off
on your own.
Some of the
things you will
learn:
• Some
stretches
of the trail
are actually
county
roads.
• Sometimes
you
wind up
sharing the trail and shelters
with irritating strangers that are
difficult to ditch.
• Towards the North end of
the trail, there are some technically
challenging creeks and steep elevations
that must be traversed.
But nobody said it would be easy!
For some armchair daydreamers,
these obstacles only serve to make
the attraction of one day doing this
that much stronger.

A s 2020
comes to a close, I can’t help
but think WOW! This year
has been a whirlwind for
obvious reasons and I know
everyone is looking forward
to 2021 (I am too), but this
year will mark pages in history
books someday. So,
what’s the takeaway? For
me, the answer is simple
– Adaptability to Change.
We’ve all had to make adjustments
this year, in business
and in our personal
lives. Many would prefer to
write the whole thing off as
a lousy revolution around
the sun.
Here is my question: Can
we set negativity aside to
take a good look at how we
adapted to all the changes
and which adaptions made
us stronger? Will they make
2021 a better year? I hope
we all take some time to really
reflect on the positives
in our lives. I also hope you
take time to focus on what
you’re thankful for. That’s
how I’ll be reflecting for the
remainder of the year and
I’m especially thankful for
my wonderful family, the
dedicated team
we have at G&S
and everyone’s good
health.
Over the summer, we
added a couple new faces
to our Account Executive
team for Savannah, GA
and Charleston, SC. You
can read all about Abby
and Ashley on pages 6 and
7. That gives us three people
on our sales team with
“A” names. Luckily, all
three serve different states
so we don’t have confusion
on our end or yours! At the
nursery, we’ve had a couple
of changes as well. Mariela
Caballero (Inside Sales)
has been a huge asset to us
and is now working directly
with many of our central
and south Florida customers.
Our Fleet Manager, Josh
Carter, is fully in charge of
operations now and running
our day to day ops smoother
than ever. Around the office,
he’s earned the nickname
“Mr. Solution” and we appreciate
all his hard work!
Whether or not he appreciates
all the varied problems
we bring him is another
question.
I know everyone at G&S
is happy to see football
Gabriel Curry
President - G&S Nursery
gabriel@gsnursery.com
386-754-0161
season in full swing, even
more than usual this year.
The office banter gets pretty
creative over our respective
teams. We’re all excited
for the holidays and for
time spent with friends and
family too. My goal for next
year is to see the positives
from 2020 carry through to
2021. Despite challenges,
I’ve watched our entire team
adapt and grow in some way
this year. Some took on
more responsibilities. Some
changed position titles. Our
teamwork and communication
have never been better.
I believe we can carry
these positives through so
we can continue to live our
Core Values and as always,
be “The Highlight of Your
Day!” for years to come!
All the best,

I
think it’s fair to
say that anyone
reading this can
think of a time in
the past week or
two where they
faced a less than
positive customer
service encounter.
Mine had to
do with a situation
where I made a
fruitless trip to a
store to pick up
something that
wasn’t in stock.
This was after I
had called earlier,
waited several
minutes for
someone to pick
up, and had been
assured the thing I
needed was in
stock.
It only went
downhill from
there. The clerk
who gave me the
bad news supposed
the misinformation
was due
to new employees.
This seemed
insufficient to
me, so I asked to
speak to a manager,
who happened
to be nearby. She
was so busy taking
care of something
else that she
could only afford
to nod in my direction
and offer
a “sorry” in such
a way as to make
me certain that my
plight was not unusual.
Meanwhile,
an automated
voice on the PA
kept announcing a
caller on hold…
Some companies
manage to
survive despite
having poor customer
service because
the stuff
they sell is essential.
Other companies—telephone
companies come
to mind here—
play a dangerous
game of seeing
how much poor
customer service
they can get away
with and still hit
their targets. When
they overshoot the
mark—and they
always will—then
they invest huge
resources in trying
to rebuild their
reputation.
In the book Raving
Fans by Ken
Blanchard and
Sheldon Bowles
(©1993, Morrow),
the authors make

the argument that
great customer
service is the secret
sauce that
guarantees success
in a business.
As one of
the characters in
the story puts it,
Your customers
are only satisfied
because their expectations
are so
low and because
no one else is
doing better.
Just having satisfied
customers
isn’t good
enough anymore.
If you
really want a
booming business,
you have
to create raving
fans.
The story unfolds
as a parable
where a newly-appointed
area manager
meets his
“fairy godmother,”
a golf-loving mentor
named Charlie,
who has special
powers to appear
at crucial times to
aid in the development
of the story.
It’s an enjoyable
read that hides
the medicine inside
a sugar-coated
story.
The step-bystep
principles
taught in the story
can be used
by anyone in any
business to excel
in pleasing customers.
The lesson
is to envision
what the ultimate
customer experience
might look
like, make small
changes over
time to work towards
that vision,
and pay attention
to feedback from
your customers to
refine the master
plan.
I’ve been
trying to think
of a company
that was
renowned for
its customer
service that
has gone out of
business, and
I’m drawing a
blank. I can think
of plenty that
didn’t pay attention
to what the
customer wants
that bit the dust,
so clearly this is
something we all
need to continue
to work on.
Cheers,
Gabriel Curry

In June, we welcomed
Ashley Quick as a
new Account Executive
to the G&S Nursery team!
Ashley is now serving the
Charleston, South Carolina
area market and we are
excited about the energetic
spirit she brings with her.
Originally, she is from Illinois
but came to Marianna,
Florida to accept a full softball
scholarship to Chipola
College. Her junior year,
she transferred to East Carolina
University to play
softball on another
full ride scholarship
and graduated with
a BSBA Bachelor
of Science in Business
Administration with a
concentration in Marketing.
After college, Ashley
entered the realm of
sales working for Beasley
Broadcast Group in Greenville,
NC. She continued to
work in sales and management
until one day she decided
to move to Key West,
Florida where she accepted
a job offer with an accounting
firm. She quickly discovered
sitting behind a
desk was not for her and
landed a position back in
sales with Sysco Foods.
After nearly four years in
their wholesale industry,
she transferred with Sysco
to the Charleston area for
a total of six years with the
company. When coming to
G&S Nursery, Ashley already
knew she belonged
in sales because she
loved finding solutions
for her clientele
and the freedom such
a position affords.
Ashley is also passionate
about the outdoors
and plant life,
“No matter what has
gone on, nature has
always been my go-to
when I needed to get
centered, silence the noise
and find gratitude. Timing
is everything in life. Even
though I am not a very patient
person, I am an example
that when one door
closes, another one opens.”
In her free time, Ashley
loves exploring the world,
catching (not fishing), hiking,
fine dining, and spending
time in the sun with her
two dogs, Harley and Toby.
We are thrilled to have her
on our team here at G&S!

I
n August, we welcomed
Abigail
“Abby Brooks” as a
new Account Executive
for the Savannah, GA
area to the G&S Team!
A native of Atlanta, Abby
is no stranger to Georgia
and its landscapes and has
worked in several facets of
the green industry.
After procuring
her Business Administration
degree,
she made the decision
to shift her focus
from general art
school to landscape
design and horticulture.
Her goal was
to surround herself
with like-minded
people that share
the same level of
passion and enthusiasm
for the green industry.
Abby said, “The Core
Values at G&S are extremely
important to me
and the care and attention
to detail aimed at making
our customers’ days run
more smoothly is exactly
what I was looking for in
my next career chapter.”
While studying horticulture,
Abby was accepted
into an internship that
opened the door to the
green industry
for her. Her career
path has allowed her
experience in Landscape
Design, Project
Management and
Installation, Commercial
and Residential Landscape
Sales, Floriculture Design,
Propagation and Hybridization,
Soil, Mulch and
Compost Wholesale and
Business Development and
even Heavy Equipment
Operation.
What stands out more
than her extensive experience
in the industry is Abby’s
love for plants and
the positive effects they
have on people. Abby
explained, “I love making
people smile and aim
to bring beauty to people’s
lives every day.
To be able to facilitate
the beautification of a
landscape truly makes
my heart full.”
True to form, Abby loves
the outdoors and taking
care of an array of indoor
and outdoor plants, but
when her hands are not
in the dirt, she loves traveling,
drawing, painting,
sewing and cooking. She
and her husband, Christopher,
enjoy creating woodworking
projects together
and checking out the beautiful
sites Savannah has to
offer with their two young
children, Arthur and Woodson,
along with one spoiled
brown dog, Gypsy. We are
thrilled to have Abby
join the G&S Nursery
Team!

Variegated Ginger is a perennial
in zones 8-11, treated
as an annual in zone 7. Other
common names are Variegated
Shell Ginger and Indian Shell
Ginger. This plant likes full sun
but prefers afternoon shade. It
will revert to more or all green in
full shade conditions. Variegated
Ginger needs constant moisture,
but does not like to stay too
wet, so well-drained soil is a must.
When grown in warmer climates, it
will bloom. Blooms appear on older
growth. It will also grow to around
8ft high in southern zones where
the temperature stays above freezing.
All other zones should treat it
as an annual, only reaching 3-4ft
high. It can be grown in a container
in the house or landscape but
will require monthly feeding with
a slightly acidic fertilizer. Propagation
is easily achieved by dividing
the rhizomes at any time of year
provided you keep them well watered.
Typically, the only pests or
problems are spider mites and occasional
rust.