Exceeding Expectations

The following is an exact reprint of a message written by Craig Ruppert for the Winter 1993 edition of the Ruppert Report, which was the name of our newsletter at the time. We hope that this throwback serves as proof that we have held our promises as stated here over the past 14 years, and as a reminder that while many things have changed, our Ruppert values—like that of customer service—have remained at the core of our business model and continue to drive what we do every day.

The theme of this Ruppert Report is quite clearly customer service. If you are questioning whether we are following a trend or whether we’re sincere, let me put your mind at ease.

In an effort to maintain this company’s success, we strive to always plan ahead. Our planning process includes holding a five-year planning session and periodic in-depth reviews of both that plan and our current status. During these examinations, we continually ask ourselves: “How can we improve?” We review the company’s performance to date, analyzing our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. At our most recent meeting, one of the primary goals developed was the need to become the undisputed industry leader in customer service. In order to accomplish this, we created a customer service mission, “Exceed Expectations.”

In order to do so, we will:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive training program, which includes the orientation of each new employee. Training and company certification will be offered in:
  • equipment operation and care
  • safety
  • vehicle operation
  • management and customer service skills
  • horticultural knowledge
• Restructure our organization as it relates to production management so that small, quick turnaround projects can be handled in a streamlined manner.
• Focus a larger portion of our public relations efforts toward internal communication and customer-service training.
• Increase the odds of success in our goal to lead customer service by slowing our 1994 growth rate, giving us the time to tighten and strengthen systems, stabilize and educate our workforce and in general, improve our ability to meet the needs of our clients.

Consistently exceeding expectations won’t be easy. If we can serve you better, tell us. If we have served you poorly, tell us. Help us to be even more of what you want in a landscape contractor.