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With Thanksgiving comes our order of Christmas trees. Now we are the last store in town to still sell cut trees for Christmas. Wal Mart stopped after a warm week caused ALL their trees to brown out on them almost over night.
And of course with the Trees, come the SCs.
You know, at one time Live Trees were better than artifical ones. The artifical trees did not look as good and they were complicated to put together. But now, the artificial trees look great, they often have only 3 or 4 parts and many have built in lights. And when you compare their cost to the cost of a new cut tree evey year, they are cheeper.
But some people have to have a "real" tree and they are the Screw nature, I want a perfect tree! customers. They have to look at every tree, "Can you pull out this one and twirl it for me?" and "Can you open this one that is still netted up?". They will complain, complain and complain. Some may make several trips looking at the same tree, I don't know if they expect it to have grow since their last visit, or maybe we have straightened it out for them while they were gone, but eventually they will make up their mind and go in and complain to the cashier.
I don't know what it is about selling trees in the parking lot, but some people suddenly think they are in a Persian Bazar and they want to barter. You would think I was selling used cars, they tug on the branches to get the needles to far off thinking if the damage the tree they will pay less. They complain that one tree is too tall, but the next one is too short, but they're the same size to my eyes. I remember one guy who was trying this and his little kid, no older than ten, said "You should just give us a tree for being good customers." I really wanted to tell him "My good customers are the ones that actually buy things and don't try to steal from me."
Then there is the Family Horde, you know, Mom, Dad, Big Sister and Little Brother. One parent is "Just pick one!" while the other is measuring them down to the micrometer. Sis is complaining how cold it is and Junior is running back and forth in the trees. Junior is also the reason I do not keep the electric chainsaw plugged in. I have had several run into the greenhouse and grab it! There are variations of course; all little kids all over the place, Sis brought her boy friend and is in heat, and the classic, Junior gotta go weee!
Another I see on occation is the Drive By customer. Often he (alway a guy), was sent to get a tree, by his wife, mother or boss. He wants the first tree he sees and is ready to leave before I have it off it's stand. "Oh don't bother cutting it." Are you going to? It cannot drink water without a fresh cut.
On the opposite side is the Impulse Tree customer, no stand and they are driving a pinto, so naturally they choose the 9ft tree for their 8ft ceiling. Yes they will be back to see if I can cut it down a foot or two. I especially like the version who forgets that their spouse is allergic to trees......every year they forget.
And of course with the Trees, come the SCs.
You know, at one time Live Trees were better than artifical ones. The artifical trees did not look as good and they were complicated to put together. But now, the artificial trees look great, they often have only 3 or 4 parts and many have built in lights. And when you compare their cost to the cost of a new cut tree evey year, they are cheeper.
But some people have to have a "real" tree and they are the Screw nature, I want a perfect tree! customers. They have to look at every tree, "Can you pull out this one and twirl it for me?" and "Can you open this one that is still netted up?". They will complain, complain and complain. Some may make several trips looking at the same tree, I don't know if they expect it to have grow since their last visit, or maybe we have straightened it out for them while they were gone, but eventually they will make up their mind and go in and complain to the cashier.
I don't know what it is about selling trees in the parking lot, but some people suddenly think they are in a Persian Bazar and they want to barter. You would think I was selling used cars, they tug on the branches to get the needles to far off thinking if the damage the tree they will pay less. They complain that one tree is too tall, but the next one is too short, but they're the same size to my eyes. I remember one guy who was trying this and his little kid, no older than ten, said "You should just give us a tree for being good customers." I really wanted to tell him "My good customers are the ones that actually buy things and don't try to steal from me."
Then there is the Family Horde, you know, Mom, Dad, Big Sister and Little Brother. One parent is "Just pick one!" while the other is measuring them down to the micrometer. Sis is complaining how cold it is and Junior is running back and forth in the trees. Junior is also the reason I do not keep the electric chainsaw plugged in. I have had several run into the greenhouse and grab it! There are variations of course; all little kids all over the place, Sis brought her boy friend and is in heat, and the classic, Junior gotta go weee!
Another I see on occation is the Drive By customer. Often he (alway a guy), was sent to get a tree, by his wife, mother or boss. He wants the first tree he sees and is ready to leave before I have it off it's stand. "Oh don't bother cutting it." Are you going to? It cannot drink water without a fresh cut.
On the opposite side is the Impulse Tree customer, no stand and they are driving a pinto, so naturally they choose the 9ft tree for their 8ft ceiling. Yes they will be back to see if I can cut it down a foot or two. I especially like the version who forgets that their spouse is allergic to trees......every year they forget.
Yeah...we're slightly well-off...it's embarrasing at times. *hides*
The last year we had one, it damn near killed me--so no more real trees. I don't like fake trees, since they're a bit too "perfect" for me. At least this way, there's no mess to clean up and with a little Glade, it smells almost real. Throw in the not-having-to-string-lights (which I hate!) and I think I've come out ahead 
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