2 minute read
The value of trust | Warners Nurseries
The Value of Trust
IAN FIRTH | WARNERS NURSERIES
The last few months have emphasised the importance of relationships. We have had to rethink how we communicate, interact, and stay in touch with each other. We have learnt and experienced the importance of checking in with others to see how they are. In such a short time, the way we communicate has changed dramatically and when compelled to, we were quick were to adopt platforms that were previously so foreign to us. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meets; all have become a part of our daily lives.
In our industry, the capacity to have information at your fingertips, and the reliance on visual platforms to communicate stock availability, has highlighted the importance of providing quality images when unable to experience the ‘real thing’.
While Warners have had a strong online presence and platforms such as Flickr and Instagram for years, our customers have now become reliant on them. Our Garden Centres, desperate for stock, are now embracing the technology and are trusting us to provide them with the most up-to-date images. Importantly the ‘one-off’ images need to be representative of a batch.
At Warners we ensure that there are no surprises and that the stock that gets wheeled off the back of the Warners truck is of the same quality as the stock shown in the images we post online.
Our industries adoption of new technologies is indicative of how we need to react when confronted with challenges. We have needed to analyse how and why we do things and make decisions as to how to best navigate our way forward. We can be most proud of our resilience and capacity to adapt and evolve when responding to events that are beyond our control. The way we have all worked together within our businesses and with our suppliers and customers speaks volumes about the trust we have developed in our working relationships. Trust is one of the cornerstones of success. Having now adjusted to a different way of conducting our business in response to the uncertainties we are faced with, it seems we are heading into a new era. The rise of the ‘Stay at Home’ economy provides many opportunities for the horticultural and landscape industry. With virtually no overseas travel and restricted domestic travel, more people are staying at home and looking at transforming their yards to create a retreat to enjoy. This is reflected in retail sales for entertainment and the increased investment into home improvements and domestic gardens. More people are recognising the health benefits of having plants around them, especially in their gardens, as they provide comfort in uncertain times. Adversity can test us, but it also helps us recognise what is of most value to us and compels us to seize opportunities we would not have otherwise taken the time to pursue.
No surprises when the stock is rolled off the back of the Warners truck.
