Comments on: Hey TruGreen ChemLawn… http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/ Ramblings of a Computer Geek and his Wife... Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:38:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Laura http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/comment-page-1/#comment-65628 Laura Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:47:53 +0000 http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/#comment-65628 On the subject of annoying businesses and unwanted phone calls, we got a new phone number when we moved, and apparently the previous 'owner' of the phone number thought that paying bills is optional. We get messages and phone calls from collection agencies on a daily basis. Same deal - the automated message saying 'you must call us back'. Dude, I'm on the phone right now, how about you just have a human being make the call and we can set the record straight right now, right? Wrong. I've tried to call some of them back and set them straight, that little miss delinquent on every bill in her name cannot be reached at this number. I literally spent 20 minutes trying to get through the maze of automated options at her cell phone company (Virgin something) and never could get to a real person so I hung up. And they continue to leave 10 minute long messages on my machine. Serves them right that they never get their money. On the subject of annoying businesses and unwanted phone calls, we got a new phone number when we moved, and apparently the previous ‘owner’ of the phone number thought that paying bills is optional. We get messages and phone calls from collection agencies on a daily basis. Same deal – the automated message saying ‘you must call us back’. Dude, I’m on the phone right now, how about you just have a human being make the call and we can set the record straight right now, right? Wrong. I’ve tried to call some of them back and set them straight, that little miss delinquent on every bill in her name cannot be reached at this number. I literally spent 20 minutes trying to get through the maze of automated options at her cell phone company (Virgin something) and never could get to a real person so I hung up. And they continue to leave 10 minute long messages on my machine. Serves them right that they never get their money.

]]> By: EJ http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/comment-page-1/#comment-65624 EJ Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:38:32 +0000 http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/#comment-65624 Well it looks like someone from ServiceMaster (TruGreen's parent company) has seen this post and even took the time to vote on the current Poll. Thanks! On a side-note, Terminix is also owned by ServiceMaster. I think that's enough to keep me away from ever trying their service if, heaven forbid, I need it. And finally, I was glancing through the springfield city code and it looks like TruGreen may be in violation of littering laws: § 170.17.42. Dumping of litter prohibited. No person shall dump, deposit, drop, throw, discard, leave, cause or permit the dumping, depositing, dropping, throwing, discarding or leaving of litter upon any public or private property within the corporate limits of the City of Springfield or upon any property owned by or under the jurisdiction of the City of Springfield unless: (1)   The property has been designated by the State of Illinois or any of its agencies, political subdivisions, units of local government or school districts for the disposal of litter and the litter is disposed of on the property in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Illinois Pollution Control Board; (2)   The litter is placed into a receptacle intended by the owner or tenant in lawful possession of that property for the deposit of litter; or (3)   The person is the owner or tenant in lawful possession of the property or has first obtained the consent of the owner or tenant in lawful possession, or unless the act is done under the personal direction of the owner or tenant and does not violate any statute or city ordinance, does not create a public health or safety hazard, a public nuisance or a fire hazard. That's a $500-$1000 fine... Well it looks like someone from ServiceMaster (TruGreen’s parent company) has seen this post and even took the time to vote on the current Poll. Thanks!

On a side-note, Terminix is also owned by ServiceMaster. I think that’s enough to keep me away from ever trying their service if, heaven forbid, I need it.

And finally, I was glancing through the springfield city code and it looks like TruGreen may be in violation of littering laws:

§ 170.17.42. Dumping of litter prohibited.
No person shall dump, deposit, drop, throw, discard, leave, cause or permit the dumping, depositing, dropping, throwing, discarding or leaving of litter upon any public or private property within the corporate limits of the City of Springfield or upon any property owned by or under the jurisdiction of the City of Springfield unless:
(1)   The property has been designated by the State of Illinois or any of its agencies, political subdivisions, units of local government or school districts for the disposal of litter and the litter is disposed of on the property in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Illinois Pollution Control Board;
(2)   The litter is placed into a receptacle intended by the owner or tenant in lawful possession of that property for the deposit of litter; or
(3)   The person is the owner or tenant in lawful possession of the property or has first obtained the consent of the owner or tenant in lawful possession, or unless the act is done under the personal direction of the owner or tenant and does not violate any statute or city ordinance, does not create a public health or safety hazard, a public nuisance or a fire hazard.

That’s a $500-$1000 fine…

]]> By: EJ http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/comment-page-1/#comment-65623 EJ Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:15:55 +0000 http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/#comment-65623 Wow, that's crazy. I didn't realize how many other people are pretty disgusted with them until I did a search (after writing the post) for TruGreen. Complaints abound - many in line with what you describe. It takes a special kind of company to evoke these kinds of responses time and time again. Wow, that’s crazy. I didn’t realize how many other people are pretty disgusted with them until I did a search (after writing the post) for TruGreen. Complaints abound – many in line with what you describe.

It takes a special kind of company to evoke these kinds of responses time and time again.

]]> By: Anonymous Communist http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/comment-page-1/#comment-65620 Anonymous Communist Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:47:04 +0000 http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2008/04/08/hey-trugreen-chemlawn/#comment-65620 We used TruGreen last summer, and the grass looked worse than it ever did. Plus they kept trying to sell us additional treatments. The worst part, though, was that they'd use a automated dialer and tell me that <i>I</i> needed to call them to schedule the next discharge of toxic chemicals. Then a couple of weeks ago, they came over without calling and sprayed my lawn again. I don't really like having a lawn full of chemicals with two young kids and a puppy I'm housetraining. So I paid the bill through gritted teeth and wrote in big red letters: "PLEASE CANCEL MY SERVICE. THANKS." So guess who I get a call from today? Dude tried to get me to reconsider, saying my lawn "was in real danger of sliding back." I was polite and didn't tell him that they made it worse than it was before. I must have told him "No, we're not interested" about a half-dozen times before he stopped badgering me. Just bad businesspeople all around. We used TruGreen last summer, and the grass looked worse than it ever did. Plus they kept trying to sell us additional treatments.

The worst part, though, was that they’d use a automated dialer and tell me that I needed to call them to schedule the next discharge of toxic chemicals.

Then a couple of weeks ago, they came over without calling and sprayed my lawn again. I don’t really like having a lawn full of chemicals with two young kids and a puppy I’m housetraining.

So I paid the bill through gritted teeth and wrote in big red letters: “PLEASE CANCEL MY SERVICE. THANKS.”

So guess who I get a call from today? Dude tried to get me to reconsider, saying my lawn “was in real danger of sliding back.” I was polite and didn’t tell him that they made it worse than it was before. I must have told him “No, we’re not interested” about a half-dozen times before he stopped badgering me.

Just bad businesspeople all around.

]]>