The background
Lawn mowing is quite a big thing for Bob Dulieu, our Ed’s Operator in Horsham. He tends to do a lot of lawn mowing, especially over the summer months. However, with one of Bob’s customers, lawn mowing doesn’t come into his service at all . It’s actually another of Bob’s skills that has come into play recently! Bob tells all…
The remit (no lawn mowing required)
“I’m very lucky to help to look after a beautiful garden locally. The garden is not only beautiful but is quite large as well. The first time I saw the garden, I could see that a lot of love and hard work had been focused on it.”
“The owners are a lovely couple who have lived in their property for a number of years. Over the years, the gentleman has spent a great deal of time in his garden. He has always taken great pride in it. Although taking care of it was always quite a big commitment, he loved seeing the results of all his hard work.”
“As time moved on, the demands of the garden started to be an issue. However, it was a difficult matter as the owner really didn’t want to get out of the driving seat, as it were. The couple really needed some help but it had to be someone the customer could get along well and trust to do exactly what he wanted done with his garden. It would have been heartbreaking for someone to come in and ruin the fruits of all his labours.”
The arrangement
“I was very sensitive about the situation from the outset. As soon as I met the customers, I realised that the garden really meant a lot to them. Letting go was difficult and I needed to really listen to what they wanted from me.”
” We managed to come up with a solution which worked really well. The gentleman wanted to continue to mow the garden on his own and I would work alongside him doing all the rest, exactly to his specification. In effect, we got on really very well. We have now been doing that for a few years and we have got to know each other quite well. I always find myself looking forward to my time spent working together in the beautiful garden.”
The future
“Quite recently, my customers decided that it was time to bite the bullet and downsize. There is always the issue of leaving memories behind of a place where you have lived many years. In this case, it was even worse as there was the love for the garden to deal with as well.”
“My customers confided that, although it had to be the right thing to do, it was a real wrench for the gentleman to have to leave his cherished garden behind and he found it quite upsetting that he wouldn’t be able to see it any more. I was really quite affected by how upsetting the situation was for him”
Capturing the memories
” I found myself thinking about it quite a bit and then an idea came to me. In my previous life before Ed’s, I ran a professional photography business some years ago. We specialised in architectural and landscape photography and were one of the first companies to use drones in photography. We were acclaimed for our work and published in two magazines. I just knew that, given the mandate and the time to photograph it properly, I could do the garden justice and create some beautiful photographs to immortalise it for my client.”
” I was slightly nervous about suggesting it to my client’s wife. Not quite what you expect your gardener to suggest! She was really touched by the idea though and knew that her husband would just love the idea. She thought it would be even more special if we could keep it under wraps and just surprise him with the end result. A conspiracy was born!”
Tactics time!
“We plotted together that the customers would be away for a long weekend and I would have a window of opportunity to take my time and take all the photos I needed. I thoroughly enjoyed the task. It was even more enjoyable due to the fact that I suspected the final product would be much cherished.”
The grand finale
” Having done all the editing work necessary, I sent off my photos and had it made into a really beautiful book. Then we presented it to my customer and it was such an emotional moment. To say that the gentleman was completely overwhelmed by the gesture is an understatement. Even his wife underestimated just how much it would mean to him.”
‘Since then, I have had a number of calls from my customer, saying how appreciative he is and just how much the book means to him”
“It has been a wonderful experience for me as well. Going beyond the call of duty I suppose but the job satisfaction I got from being able to deliver that was just immense.”
If Bob can help you with any of your garden needs in the Horsham area, please just give us a call…
