NEW CUSTOMER INQUIRIES
Q.
Why do you require people to complete an application before you sell to them?
A.
The application process is used to protect the wholesale nature of Brehob Nursery, Inc.
We feel that the true definition of ‘wholesale’ has been blurred, since the
establishment of large “members only” stores. We define our customers as
“professional landscape companies that install plant material for profit”
and “retail garden centers”. We do our best not to compete with our customers
by selling directly to residential customers, building contractors,
property management companies, or other types of companies and organizations.
The application helps assure we sell to the right companies. (Top)
Q.
What are the application requirements?
A.
We ask that you provide us with the name and address of your company, as well as
copies of your Indiana Nursery Dealers License and your Indiana Retail
Merchants Certificate. We require a list of nursery trade references that can
confirm your company is a professional landscape company that installs plant material
for profit, or a retail garden center. We also ask that you provide us with a
list of people you authorize to place and pick-up orders. We will openly share
our pricing with these people. (Top)
Q.
Where can I get an application?
A.
You can apply online or contact one of our locations. One can be to sent to
you by fax, email or U. S. Mail. (Top)
Q.
How long does it take to process a “New Customer Application”?
A.
Most of the year it takes up to a week to process an application. However,
from March through May it can take up to three weeks. This is due to the
increased workloads brought on by spring business, as well as the time for
your nursery trade references to reply to our inquiries.
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Q.
May I get a copy of your catalog before applying to be a customer?
A.
No, sorry. We only share pricing with companies that have been approved to
be a customer.
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Q.
When and how can I find out your prices?
A.
Once your application is approved we will mail a copy of our catalog to you.
It contains the descriptions and prices of the things we sell. Your authorized
representatives can also inquire about availability and prices via the
telephone or online. Accessing prices on our website requires a User Code
and a Password.
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Q.
What forms of payment do you accept?
A.
We accept cash, company credit/debit cards (MasterCard, Visa and Discover) and company checks.
Credit may be established through a different application process.
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PRICES AND AVAILABILITY
Q.
Why are there plants listed in the catalog without prices?
A.
These plants, because of price or supply, cause uncertainties. We are not
able to commit to a price for the entire year.
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Q.
Are the varieties and sizes of plants in the catalog all that you have for sale?
A.
If you need something that you do not see in the catalog, please contact one
of our customer service representatives. We try our best to satisfy all
special requests.
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PICKING UP MATERIAL AT THE NURSERIES
Q.
Why do you require customers to check in at the office upon arrival?
A.
This is our opportunity to check to see that your company has been pre-approved
to purchase from us, and that the person present has been authorized by your
company to pickup material. This is also the time to pickup a load sheet or
pre-order before proceeding to the sales yard.
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Q.
May I send my customers, family and friends in to pick up plant material?
A.
No. We are only setup to meet the needs of professional landscape companies
and retail garden centers. We are strictly a “load and go” operation.
We are not a retail garden center or landscape designers.
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Q.
May I bring my customer or family members with me into the nursery?
A.
Yes, but know that your customers will see price signs which show your costs.
If you choose to do this, please walk your customer through the sales yard,
making your shopping list before requesting help from our salespeople.
When you are ready to begin loading, proceed to the waiting line.
It is strongly suggested not to bring children with you. This is a working
nursery. Vehicles, trailers and farm machinery of all sizes move throughout
the nursery. It is not a safe place for children. If it becomes necessary
to bring a young child, they must stay in your vehicle while in the nursery.
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Q.
Why can’t I load my own plants?
A.
We understand the frustration of waiting in line when all you need are a
few items. However, having a number of customers unattended in the nursery
will not work. First, we take care of customers in the order they arrive.
We could easily lose track of who is next in line. Second, not all plants
you see are ready or are available to sell. Lastly, if a few plants turn
into many we may have to unload your vehicle in order to verify the counts,
sizes and varieties of the plants you selected. This will slow down the
whole loading process. We have taken steps to decrease the time spent in
line, hopefully reducing the urge to load your own plants.
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Q.
Why do you restrict customers from using cell phones during the loading process?
A.
We understand the need for our customers to accept calls from their customers
and employees. Unfortunately, our salespeople do not have time to wait for
lengthy phone conversations to end, especially when other customers are
waiting to be loaded. We ask that calls be returned after the loading process
is completed, or at the very least kept to within a minute or two.
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Q.
May I request to have product moved from one Brehob Nursery location to
the other?
A.
This can be done if you are willing to wait for our weekly truck that we
use for stock balancing. Please understand, we do not move plants that are
at risk of suffering from too much handling, such as B&B trees and shrubs.
(Top)
Q.
I see acres of plant material when I go to your nurseries, why am I not
allowed access to all of it?
A.
In addition to being wholesale sale yards, our nurseries are also production
facilities (plant farms, if we may). Many of the plants you see are scheduled
to sell sometime in the future. Though they may look full and beautiful on
top, the root systems may still be developing. Once the product meets our
standards, it is released by our growers. Once released, we do our best to
move this product into the sales area as quickly as possible.
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Q.
Is my company approved to purchase annuals from your greenhouse in the spring?
A.
Yes. Our greenhouse is now open to all of our customers.
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Q.
Are there limitations to what I can buy from the greenhouse?
A.
No, however if your job requires a large quantity of a specific item, we
suggest you call ahead for availability. We will grow large quantities of
greenhouse plants specifically for you, if you place your order prior to
February 1st.
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Q.
When is your greenhouse open for the sale of spring annuals?
A.
We begin selling pansies, cabbage and other cold crops in mid-March.
The rest of the annuals begin to be ready in early April and continue
thru mid-June.
The hours of operation are the same as the nursery and perennial departments,
except during the hectic, busy weeks in the middle of the spring season.
During those few short weeks, the greenhouse department extends its hours
to 7:00 pm weekdays and is open Sunday mornings from 7:00 am until 11:00 am.
Please call during normal office hours to check the current schedule.
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SHOPPING LISTS AND PRE-ORDERS
Q.
Why do you want me to have my shopping list prepared before going out
into the sales yard?
A.
We recognize that our customers need to get in and out of our nursery as
quickly as possible. When customers have a list prepared, we can begin
loading immediately and service everyone more quickly. After reviewing your
shopping list our salesperson can determine the most efficient way to move
through the sales yard. Customers are welcome to walk around and create their
list, as long as they don’t require a salesperson to be with them.
Once their list is created, we ask that they proceed to the waiting line.
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Q.
Why can’t items in the sales yard be moved to a holding area or tagged for me?
A.
We have tried this in the past, but it didn’t work very well. Too often, by
the time the crew came to move the plants to a holding area another customer
had already purchased them. Another reason is that some plants tagged to be
moved were for landscape jobs scheduled well into the future. When picked up,
those plants were past their prime. It is best to trust us to select good
looking plants from crops more appropriate to your scheduled pickup date.
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Q.
What’s a “Pre-Order” and how does it work?
A.
A “Pre-Order” can serve a couple of functions, as a “set aside order” or as
a “shopping list”. “Set aside orders” are orders placed far enough ahead of
the pickup or delivery date for which we can anticipate and hold items. The
merchandise is “set aside” specifically for that order. “Shopping lists” are
created by our inside salespeople for customers who plan to send an employee
to pickup the material, or to serve as a list of available plants discussed
during an inquiry. Please note: Some items on this “shopping list”
were never intended to be pulled from our sales yard and set aside. There is
a chance that some items have been sold between the time of the inquiry
and the time of pick-up or delivery.
We rely on our customers to tell us that they have a “Pre-Order” in our
system.
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Q.
How long will you hold my plant material?
A.
We will hold plants up to five days after the expected pickup or delivery
date. Due to the limited shelf life, plants cannot be set aside indefinitely.
We trust our customers will provide us with accurate pickup or delivery
dates. Customers are encouraged to call us when job delays occur and pickup
dates need to be rescheduled.
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Q.
Can I pay for my order and pick it up later?
A.
No. We see no benefit by doing this. We have no way of making the plants any
more secure than simply holding the material.
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DELIVERIES
Q.
Do you deliver?
A.
Yes, we have our own fleet, which include 28’ and 42’ enclosed trailers,
and 48’ flatbeds.
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Q.
How far will you deliver?
A.
Currently, we deliver throughout Indiana and the surrounding states.
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Q.
How much do you charge for deliveries?
A.
That depends upon the distance traveled, and the number of drops on the
load. The fee is pro-rated if the trailer contains deliveries to more than
one customer. Call our dispatcher for more specific rates.
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Q.
What do I need to provide at the unloading site?
A.
Although our drivers are happy to help, you are responsible for providing a
crew to unload. Also, if large B&B trees are being unloaded you will need
to provide a suitable bobcat, front-end loader or similar equipment. If proper
equipment and/or crew is not available, additional charges may apply.
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Q.
Can I be set up on a regular delivery schedule?
A.
In some cases, yes. This is mostly dependant upon destination.
Call for further information.
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Q.
How is the payment for the delivery handled?
A.
If your company has established credit with Brehob Nursery the invoice may
be charged to your account. Company credit cards (Discover, MasterCard and Visa) must
be called into us in advance of the delivery. For CODs, our drivers will
hand-deliver the invoice and accept your company’s check at the delivery
site as well.
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CANCELLATIONS, CLAIMS AND RETURNS
Q.
May I cancel an order after I have placed it?
A.
In most cases, yes; as long as we have no problem reselling the material.
However, we do not permit fall tree orders to be cancelled once the trees
are dug. Fall trees are only dug to order, since the onset of winter is
unpredictable.
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Q.
Why do you only allow 5 days for shortage claims to be made?
A.
Errors are likely to occur. That’s why we recommend that customers check
their invoices immediately upon receipt. We retain load sheets and preorder
documents for five days after they are audited. After that, responsibility
for the error is impossible to determine.
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Q.
Why don’t you guarantee the productivity of your plant material?
A.
Most often plant productivity is affected by conditions related to the
transport of material, site selection, site preparation or subsequent plant
care. Since we have no control over any of these, Brehob Nursery, Inc. does
not offer an open-ended guarantee on the productivity of the plants that we
sell. If you experience a problem due to insects or disease, it is likely
we and other customers are too. If you experience a problem of this nature,
please complete a “Request for Adjustment” form, available at either nursery.
Credit is freely given when it can be determined that we are responsible.
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Q.
May I return plants if I bought too many or the job I had was cancelled?
A.
No, sorry. All sales are final, unless it can be determined that we were
responsible for miscounting the material, or we loaded the wrong product.
We allow our customers to hand pick the material when it’s loaded and trust
that they are happy with their decision at the time.
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USING OUR WEBSITE
Q.
I'm having problems logging in. What could be wrong?
A.
Companies that have been pre-approved to purchase plant material have been
issued a Username and Password. The Username and Password are "case sensitive",
so you will need to type them in exactly as they appear on the letter that was
sent to you. If the ones issued to you won't work, please call us to reset
your password.
Be sure you are using the Customer Login Link
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Q.
I am not able to print my Plant List. What could be wrong?
A.
The website utilizes a Pop Up Window to display the Plant List and you may have
your browser's pop-up blocker turned on. Try disabling it.
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Q.
The Inventory Search function won't display plants that I know you carry. What
could be wrong?
A.
One plant can be called by many different names. We've tried to anticipate what
each plant may be referred to as, but have limitations. Try changing your search
request to a more general name. For example, change "Everlow taxus" to "Yews" or "Everlow".
The less specific requests yield greater results.
Also, if we don't have any of the items you're searching for currently in stock
and not expecting to no results will be displayed. If this happens, please call the
nursery for more detailed availability information.
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