Those who know me from my pre-internet days, will remember me as a Neo-Luddite in my aversion to incorporating technology into the daily operations of The Growers Exchange. My long stand against the fax machine was most certainly my most stubbornly counter productive vendetta. The fax did waste lots of paper as I predicted; but it also cut hours of tedious phone orders and instantly became part of our routine. It wasn’t just faxes, I resisted cell phones, computers of any sort, anything that was different from the things I was used to. Tried and true business tools like pencils, legal pads, and my one concession to technology, the calculator, because I never was very good with math.
It was the computer cash registers that finally introduced me to the internet; they had to be online for our credit card processing. That big colorful flat screen in the store’s office enticed me to start looking around and the staff, mostly college students, were happy to show an old-timer how to crawl onto the internet. I was very grateful for their help. As they are part of the generation who grew up with the internet, I just assumed that they would think that everyone should have the same knowledge as them, so I was pleasantly surprised when they answered all my questions without making me feel stupid at the same time. Not only did they explain to me how the internet worked and all the other technological components that came with it, but they also said that I should look at somewhere like infinity dish if I want to incorporate high-speed internet into my home once I’ve got to grips with how it works. How nice of them to suggest that, and it is definitely something that I will look into once I’ve found my feet with it all.
I don’t mind admitting that when we first began the web store project, I was functionally illiterate about any topic concerning computers. What I did know was that the internet offered the very same opportunities for an independent garden center we were now losing to big box retailers in a bricks and mortar store. I also knew it was where all the smart people were focusing their attention. With the right people helping, one can build a pretty good site with out ever admitting ones’ ignorance. Eventually, I caught up with my staff, and now own my own laptop. I get a little insecure when it’s not nearby, so I think I made it to the computer age!
Most surprising of all in our switch from actual to virtual store is the increase in communication between The Growers Exchange and our customers. Our ability to communicate meaningful and useful gardening information would not have been believable when we first became a nursery, 25 years ago. Online we can communicate through our Blog, The Exchange, Facebook, Twitter, email, or the phone if you want to know what we sound like. Our customer relations management systems mean our staff have a customer’s complete record with The Growers Exchange before them. Seriously, if you are a small business then using something like this crm for small business will make a huge difference. Our systems mean we know you when we are speaking and can get right to the point for whatever you may be looking for. We write articles about plants and gardening, which are posted on www.TheGrowers-Exchange.com. And if we can’t help you, we can link you to someone that can. The free flow of garden information and ideas is mind-boggling. We are very excited about the launching of our new site and invite everyone to join us in the garden.