Bad service by garden service

Hi there, Have you ever felt like being cheated, paying for something, but not getting the full service you deserve? Well, that’s my ‘little story’ for now. Hopefully, it won’t take a lifetime to tell! The company in question is Creative Gardens and I thought they were a reputable and good Garden service! Well, you will always find out at one stage, sooner or later, sadly so. We live in a complex and this company has been doing our complex for quite a number of years. Last year, when Covid-19 hit the world, sadly so, our country was also on lock down, like any other. No businesses were functional until Garden services, doing complexes were allowed to resume their work, including home owners, living in that complex. Garden services entering complexes doing only home owners gardens were not allowed in (does that make any sense to you, because it certainly does not to me!) Anyway, I asked the owner of Creative Gardens, if they could do our garden, yes, they could. Anyway, boys were here, did a very nice and speedy job I was very happy with their work. I normally give them two pieces of fruit after that, have done so for years, just as a small token of appreciation. Two months later I learned, that Creative Gardens lost their job in our complex – why, I did not know. In October they did my garden again and it was done beautifully. Next day I sent an sms to the owner’s wife (which I also did not have to do but I wanted to) and it reads as follows: ===quote Hi Ingrid, trust u are well, firstly I want to say how sorry I am to hear u guys not doing our complex garden no more, don’t know why, not interested, all I know ur guys did again a fantastic job in my garden, even Mike, hubby, said so, thank u for that. Payment was made into ur acc. Soon after that, have a lovely weekend, rgds. rosalie z. unquote=== I don’t know about you, but I thought the decent thing to do would be to acknowledge it and even two simple words THANK YOU would go a long way and I think that would be the right thing to do, or am I completely wrong about that??? But, as it is, not a word but they call themselves ‘business people’, it is really sad, to say the least!!! Time went bye and amongst other few ups and downs (don’t’ want to go into it takes too long) I just let it go and tried to ignore it! After having explained all that the best is yet to come. On the 15th of this month Creative Gardens were here again, first service after holidays, which means that some shrubs had to be cut by our electric fence, and for that I needed a ladder, a simple step ladder, which again they did not have and could not provide. In my opinion, and I am sure I stand not alone in assuming this, every garden service should and must provide all the necessary tools (including ladder) in order to do a proper and full service, or am I again wrong in assuming this??? Last year I had a bid of an argument with the team leader, why there was no ladder available, needed one, but because it was just an ordinary fence with some shrubs that needed cutting, I let it go, but told him, that they should please bring a ladder next time. Well, that ‘next time’ was time on the 15. January and these shrubs were all over the electric fence and for that reason I could not switch on my fence and insisted for that to be done. The team leader then phoned William, who told him that he is too far away to provide a ladder (I honestly don’t think he even cared about providing the client with a ladder) he certainly didn’t go out of his way to get a ladder to my house. Then the team leader phoned the office, that would be his wife Ingrid, nothing came out of it as well. I then told the team leader to tell his boss that I will deduct R 50,00 from payment, just to be very clear on that, because I now have to get our new complex garden service to do his job and will have to pay him. I also told the team leader to tell William how absolutely unprofessional that is (am I surprised, of course not) but extremely disappointed!! Then, before the team leader and his guys left my garden, the team leader told me, that they have to do one more garden outside the complex and William will come after that and bring the ladder. So I waited 1 ½ hours only to be told by the team leader that it is now too late and they will bring the ladder next week and do the fence. I didn’t know whether to scream or be nice and civil!!! Then I said to myself that this company is a total joke – and I am even a bigger jerk actually having tried to support them, knowing that they not only lost the complex job but one of the home owners also got rid of them. I now had to ask for somebody else to do the cutting on my electric fence which was done the next day, in order to put on my fence. Do you think William would have the decency and apologise, not a word and absolutely no communication. I took the R 50,00 off the payment and guess what, on Monday 25th Jan. got an email that our service has been cancelled!!! Instead of communicating with the client and do your job as a respectful business person (if he actually knows what that means) it is so much easier to keep quiet and just get rid of the client, who actually was stupid enough to support him!! I know of some business people they go the extra mile to give the best service they can to their clients, Creative Gardens does not fall into this category, sadly to say. Thank you William for the time I had to get to know your guys doing my garden, they did a lovely job, wish them well! Last but not least, don’t ever ask for something to be done for your money, even if it is your full right to HAVE IT DONE, and then take money off your payment, because it was not done!!!! I don’t know if you actually understand what I mean and if it makes sense! Best of luck to all of you with your ‘beloved’ garden service. Kindest regards, Rosalie Zubrinic