Replies to This Discussion

PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on March 1, 2011 at 11:48

Steve

 

With respect, why take it out on Simply Business? If we are naming and shaming insurance brokers/agents for not providing cover for nursery/glasshouse/garden centre businesses, the least we can do is list them all.

 

Thank you for your time Jasper...let's hope this discussion starts the ball rolling so that we may find a solution.

 

T & S Plants said:

Also agree getting commercial insurance generally for nursery/plant centre not straightforward for some reason

 

Yes No Flippin Use and that is the choice?  A free market, not when you insuring a Nursery!!!

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Premium SupplierPermalink Reply by Simply Business on March 1, 2011 at 11:51

Hi Phil, 

To be honest, this topic makes me curious as well. We insure a lot of trades and professions but sometimes we can't and we do refer to specialist insurers. I will come back to the community tomorrow. 

 

I think the Landscape community deserves an honest answer! 

Jasper 

Simply Business

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on March 1, 2011 at 11:57

That's good Jasper...let's hope you get some good answers and maybe find a solution for Steve and others?

Simply Business said:

Hi Phil, 

To be honest, this topic makes me curious as well. We insure a lot of trades and professions but sometimes we can't and we do refer to specialist insurers. I will come back to the community tomorrow. 

 

I think the Landscape community deserves an honest answer! 

Jasper 

Simply Business

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Permalink Reply by T & S Plants on March 1, 2011 at 18:26

Phil,

 

With respect, we were in no way knocking Simply Business, you appear to have mis-read/mis-represented our reply.

 

FYI the term No Flippin Use is the "friendly" term within our industry that is used to describe the National Farmers Union which are usually the only provider of commercial insurance for a Nursery.  We prefer not to deal with the NFU as you will read from our earlier posts.

 

We approched Simply Business, as a LJN sponsor as we wanted to support them, and so support LJN and seek insurance from them.  We are a Business so we qualify, but it soon became clear that Simply Business do not insure every business, well Nurseries.

 

We then relayed our experience to other Members, openly and honestly. 

 

Simples....

 

 

Philip Voice said:

Steve

 

With respect, why take it out on Simply Business? If we are naming and shaming insurance brokers/agents for not providing cover for nursery/glasshouse/garden centre businesses, the least we can do is list them all.

 

Thank you for your time Jasper...let's hope this discussion starts the ball rolling so that we may find a solution.

 

T & S Plants said:

Also agree getting commercial insurance generally for nursery/plant centre not straightforward for some reason

 

Yes No Flippin Use and that is the choice?  A free market, not when you insuring a Nursery!!!

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on March 1, 2011 at 18:28

Phew!...thanks Steve;-0)

 

It looks like Jasper's going to do some digging anyway - maybe this thread will start the ball rolling and help you guys (and others) get what you need.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by chris nangle on March 1, 2011 at 18:37

I have my public and product liability with simply ,and I have to say I found them to be first class very easy to deal with and i got a great price for lots off cover.

 

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Premium SupplierPermalink Reply by Simply Business on March 2, 2011 at 13:53

Hi guys,

I just had some useful feedback from our underwriter Deborah Reid and our product manager James Gilmour.

It's not that "simples"!

 

Deborah:

Garden centres and garden nurseries tend to have a large amount of stock kept outside which is different from other types of shops. For this reason we need to see the risks on a case by case basis to understand how much stock and what type of stock is kept outside and what steps the business owners have taken to reduce the risk of theft from open areas.
James:

Within garden centres there tends to be a large amount of heavy goods, with higher shelves and typically much greater area. The damage the customer can do to themselves through trying to lift a heavy product or handling sharp and dangerous products is significantly greater than in a regular high-street shop.

 

We do insure them in some cases but it heavily depends on:

- amount of stock outside

- type of stock

Insuring a garden centre/nursery can be expensive and many insurers don't want to pick this up. We will always work with you on a case-by-case basis but in general our insurers say no.

 

Jasper Martens

Simplybusiness.co.uk

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Permalink Reply by T & S Plants on March 2, 2011 at 18:40

Jasper,

 

Seems to be some confusion here between Nurseries (Wholesale, Trade Only) like ourselves and Garden Centres.

 

No Nursery such as ourselves in their right mind would look to insure stock.  What would you insure against, frost, cold, sun or rain.  We never requested such insurance.

 

We have,  no heavy goods, with higher shelves and typically much greater area. The damage the customer can do to themselves through trying to lift a heavy product or handling sharp and dangerous products is significantly greater than in a regular high-street shop.  We just grow and sell plants to the Trade, this talk is geared to the Retail sector.

 

We do not have the Retail/General public on our site, we sell to the Trade only, Landscapers and Garden Designers.

 

We requested Public liabilty insurance and cover for tools and Office equipment kept in a locked barn only, pretty much like a Landscaper would need? 

 

The person that answered Tina's call had never heard of Landscape Juice, and did not understand what a Wholesale Nursery was.  Ours was not a complicated quote, Public liability, tools, office equipment.

 

On a positive, PLEASE come up with a product for many businesses like ourselves, and we will recommend you to all that we know.

 

Simply Business said:

Hi guys,

I just had some useful feedback from our underwriter Deborah Reid and our product manager James Gilmour.

It's not that "simples"!

 

Deborah:

Garden centres and garden nurseries tend to have a large amount of stock kept outside which is different from other types of shops. For this reason we need to see the risks on a case by case basis to understand how much stock and what type of stock is kept outside and what steps the business owners have taken to reduce the risk of theft from open areas.
James:

Within garden centres there tends to be a large amount of heavy goods, with higher shelves and typically much greater area. The damage the customer can do to themselves through trying to lift a heavy product or handling sharp and dangerous products is significantly greater than in a regular high-street shop.

 

We do insure them in some cases but it heavily depends on:

- amount of stock outside

- type of stock

Insuring a garden centre/nursery can be expensive and many insurers don't want to pick this up. We will always work with you on a case-by-case basis but in general our insurers say no.

 

Jasper Martens

Simplybusiness.co.uk

• ▶ Reply

Premium SupplierPermalink Reply by Simply Business on March 3, 2011 at 9:55

Hi all,

 

I got this back from James Gilmour, one of our product managers regarding the last comment of T&S plants:

 

------------------

As before we can consider garden centres/nurseries on referral but can not provide an instant quote.

We need to know: the percentage of stock kept out in the open.

 

This stock cover is important for both theft and malicious damage and also for fire risks. The policy actually automatically excludes storm, frost and flood.

 

Jasper as background from  a product point of view - To provide non forcible theft cover and malicious damage we would want a minimum excess of £500.

We need the client to confirm their percentage of stock kept in the open - this should not exceed 50% of total stock and a monetary limit of £15,000 which ever is the lesser.

---------------------

 

What I think what happened in your case is:

- my colleague automatically rejected your business because of "garden nurseries" and he/she failed to ask more specific details.

- as you can read from the post of James, we do insure nurseries when the stock does not exceeds 50%. In your case the stock is not applicable. You didn't want it so we might have offered you Public liability, tools cover and office insurance.

 

If I'm honest, we should have listen to you better and asked one of our underwriters to check if we could insure you. Maybe we couldn't insure you in the end, maybe we could.

I will circulate this in our contact centre as an example how we can listen to our (potential) customer better.

 

You are probably now insured with somebody else. But if you want me to review your case, let me know. And I will credit this to the Landscape Juice community as well.

 

Jasper Martens

Simplybusiness.co.uk

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on March 4, 2011 at 11:51

This has been a most valuable thread and I hope we've all gained and learnt something from it?

 

I've written an article this morning centering on the online exchange process:

http://www.landscapejuice.com/2011/03/who-insures-plant-nursery-or-...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Geoffrey King North Yorkshire on March 5, 2011 at 16:16

Hi Steve,

From an insurance point of view, as a ''trade' nursery would not anyone not employed by you be part of the public, re: the public liability insurance. The fact that you are 'trade' or 'retail' does that make any difference?

I realise footfall volumes would be different, but you seem tobe either undervaluing landscapers or making the 'lay public' overvalued in establishing a differential.

T & S Plants said:

Jasper,

 

Seems to be some confusion here between Nurseries (Wholesale, Trade Only) like ourselves and Garden Centres.

 

No Nursery such as ourselves in their right mind would look to insure stock.  What would you insure against, frost, cold, sun or rain.  We never requested such insurance.

 

We have,  no heavy goods, with higher shelves and typically much greater area. The damage the customer can do to themselves through trying to lift a heavy product or handling sharp and dangerous products is significantly greater than in a regular high-street shop.  We just grow and sell plants to the Trade, this talk is geared to the Retail sector.

 

We do not have the Retail/General public on our site, we sell to the Trade only, Landscapers and Garden Designers.

 

We requested Public liabilty insurance and cover for tools and Office equipment kept in a locked barn only, pretty much like a Landscaper would need? 

 

The person that answered Tina's call had never heard of Landscape Juice, and did not understand what a Wholesale Nursery was.  Ours was not a complicated quote, Public liability, tools, office equipment.

 

On a positive, PLEASE come up with a product for many businesses like ourselves, and we will recommend you to all that we know.

 

Simply Business said:

Hi guys,

I just had some useful feedback from our underwriter Deborah Reid and our product manager James Gilmour.

It's not that "simples"!

 

Deborah:

Garden centres and garden nurseries tend to have a large amount of stock kept outside which is different from other types of shops. For this reason we need to see the risks on a case by case basis to understand how much stock and what type of stock is kept outside and what steps the business owners have taken to reduce the risk of theft from open areas.

James:

Within garden centres there tends to be a large amount of heavy goods, with higher shelves and typically much greater area. The damage the customer can do to themselves through trying to lift a heavy product or handling sharp and dangerous products is significantly greater than in a regular high-street shop.

 

We do insure them in some cases but it heavily depends on:

- amount of stock outside

- type of stock

Insuring a garden centre/nursery can be expensive and many insurers don't want to pick this up. We will always work with you on a case-by-case basis but in general our insurers say no.

 

Jasper Martens

Simplybusiness.co.uk

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by T & S Plants on March 7, 2011 at 18:04

Geoffrey, you are quite correct, we need Public Liability insurance for all those visiting our Nursery.

 

As regards "you seem to be either undervaluing landscapers or making the 'lay public' overvalued in establishing a differential"  Not quite sure what you mean?  

 

Since, as a genuine "Trade Only" Nursery, we do not allow the lay public on our Nursery.  They are not allowed, nor do we wish to sell to them.  If we did sell directly to the "lay public" we would be liable for Business rates, which as a Wholesale Nursery we are exempt from.

 

We only sell to those in the Trade i.e. Landscapers, Garden Designers, Property Developers and Garden Centres.

 

 

Geoffrey King said:

Hi Steve,

From an insurance point of view, as a ''trade' nursery would not anyone not employed by you be part of the public, re: the public liability insurance. The fact that you are 'trade' or 'retail' does that make any difference?

I realise footfall volumes would be different, but you seem tobe either undervaluing landscapers or making the 'lay public' overvalued in establishing a differential.

T & S Plants said:

Jasper,

 

Seems to be some confusion here between Nurseries (Wholesale, Trade Only) like ourselves and Garden Centres.

 

No Nursery such as ourselves in their right mind would look to insure stock.  What would you insure against, frost, cold, sun or rain.  We never requested such insurance.

 

We have,  no heavy goods, with higher shelves and typically much greater area. The damage the customer can do to themselves through trying to lift a heavy product or handling sharp and dangerous products is significantly greater than in a regular high-street shop.  We just grow and sell plants to the Trade, this talk is geared to the Retail sector.

 

We do not have the Retail/General public on our site, we sell to the Trade only, Landscapers and Garden Designers.

 

We requested Public liabilty insurance and cover for tools and Office equipment kept in a locked barn only, pretty much like a Landscaper would need? 

 

The person that answered Tina's call had never heard of Landscape Juice, and did not understand what a Wholesale Nursery was.  Ours was not a complicated quote, Public liability, tools, office equipment.

 

On a positive, PLEASE come up with a product for many businesses like ourselves, and we will recommend you to all that we know.

 

Simply Business said:

Hi guys,

I just had some useful feedback from our underwriter Deborah Reid and our product manager James Gilmour.

It's not that "simples"!

 

Deborah:

Garden centres and garden nurseries tend to have a large amount of stock kept outside which is different from other types of shops. For this reason we need to see the risks on a case by case basis to understand how much stock and what type of stock is kept outside and what steps the business owners have taken to reduce the risk of theft from open areas.

James:

Within garden centres there tends to be a large amount of heavy goods, with higher shelves and typically much greater area. The damage the customer can do to themselves through trying to lift a heavy product or handling sharp and dangerous products is significantly greater than in a regular high-street shop.

 

We do insure them in some cases but it heavily depends on:

- amount of stock outside

- type of stock

Insuring a garden centre/nursery can be expensive and many insurers don't want to pick this up. We will always work with you on a case-by-case basis but in general our insurers say no.

 

Jasper Martens

Simplybusiness.co.uk

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