What Is It With These "Off The Shelf, Vanity Awards"

I would not normally post such things as this again, But, this business that this post is referring to has just Poached a potentially good contract from me, and this is all because he seems "Obsessive with these Off The Shelf Awards.

The customer that he got in front off, and persuaded to go with him, rather than myself, had the gall to call me Uncredible becuase I dont have any of the Vanity, Off The Shelf Awards, yet, I am vastly more qualified in Woodland Management than he is.

I spent my early working life as an Parks and Countryside Ranger Aprentice and then went on to work for a Park Holiday's centre in there 2 Acre Woodland Garden.

This is a Post that i had put up on one of my Social Media channels a few months ago, the Landscaper in question has now got another "Award? under his belt (Best Country/Rural Estate Management Company. This is the sector that i'm "Trying, to break into) and he spends Thousands on them as he always "Buy's Into the premium packages. I bet he even gets the Awarding Company to write his entry for him? There's just No Skill in that!

Am I being a bit Obsessive with this? and i know that i have vented on this topic many times, but I'm Genuinely intrigued and curious. Let me explain.

A fellow Landscape Gardener has just got yet another "Off The Shelf Award" as i call them, and he always gets Lots of Exposure from them. He has recently won the Build Facilities Management top award and the SME Midlands Business Of The Year award as he Always does.

I tend to shy away from these things, as in my mind, they are not that Credible.

If you are going to go for Business Awards, it's best to opt for "Industry Specific, such as in my case, the Horticulture Trades Association, British Association of Landscape Industries etc.

Whereas, what I'm doing with getting Triple Chartered (Im currently a Member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, and am going for Full Chartership) I'm also going for Associate then Technical membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and subsequently the Society of Environmentalists and SocEnv.

That to me is More Credible and worth shouting about even more so than the Off The Shelf Awards that some people are going Mad for all of a sudden.

Is this just me, more worried about what's going on in the Other lane, rather than staying in my Own Lane? This company isn't on LinkedIn, or if he is, it's not an active account. And he doesn't really do much on Facebook either, he is mainly on Instagram and TikTock. (Instaglammers and TikTwatters, as I refer to these infidels!)

So I really don't know where he is getting his High Profile Clientele from, or, this could be a load of BS!

I am a little Curious as to what the Hype is about, the same as all the Handymen etc thinks that they are the Bees Knees by being Check A Trade vetted.

This scenario is one of the catalysts that has prompted me to leave the garden maintenance industry and opt for a less Fickle and Oversubscribed sector!

One of my previous customers had used this company that collect "Vanity Awards, after she had dropped me, citing that, although i had done Everything she had asked me to do and more, she had accused me of doing Nothing but "Hiding in the Shrubbery and On My Phone all the time (I have photos of work done, to prove otherwise)

And yet, this other business, pulled up her Prized Lillys and all she said is, not to worry, just plant them back in.

This is the same lady that i apparently "Disappointed as, in her words, I'm a Chartered Horticulturist so i should know what I'm doing, but i don't!

After a great conversation with her Carer ensued, it all came down to Price, I charged her £150 for 6hrs, yet the other "Award Winning? business charges £15 an hour.

So it didn't matter that he wrecked her garden and doesn't know prized flowers from a Weed!, as long as the Price Is Right, all is forgiven...Go Figure!

And this is the overriding factor with the majority of Domestic clients in and around Telford.. Should i just let them get on with it, or is it a case of "If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them"

If anyone wants to look this business up and let me know what he's doing better than me his business is

Priestgate Garden Specialists.

He is Mainly a Landscape Gardener with a "Tree Surgery Division?

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