Case Study - Spruce Garden Services

Thursday 15 November 2018

From a one man round to a team of 23

Craig is the Owner Operator of Spruce Garden Services which he started on his own in 2009 but has now grown to 23 members of staff.

His business has relied on referrals and repeat customers, but to ensure more reliable work is coming in Craig recognises that the Edinburgh Trusted Trader Scheme can help to raise the profile of his business within new markets. In fact, he attributes approximately 25% of his new business directly to his membership of the scheme.

Having had high expectations before he joined, we are pleased to hear that Craig feels his membership expectations have been met. Asking if he thought the vetting process was rigorous enough to provide reassurance to the public, he responded with a firm yes, adding that he felt it was a “thorough vetting process.” Craig also praised his dealings with the administration team, stating he found them “professional and efficient.”

“25% of our business is attributed to scheme membership”

We are always keen to hear feedback from our members, particularly what convinced them to choose to become Trading Standards vetted traders. Craig explained that “the Trusted Trader Scheme provides an invaluable service for both the tradesman and the client, unlike other schemes which only exist to make money.”

The future looks bright for Spruce Garden Services and Edinburgh Trusted Trader as Craig believes that his membership has helped him to “continue to expand the business”, which we consider a real win-win for Spruce Garden Services and Trusted Trader equally.

What the business does today

Spruce Garden Services works from Unit 33 at Castlebrae Business Centre on Peffer Place in Edinburgh, and covers Edinburgh and central Scotland. The business sums up its range simply on its Trusted Trader profile: from a wee bit of weeding to a complete garden overhaul and everything in between. In practice that means garden design, landscaping and ongoing maintenance for domestic gardens of every size, with lawn care, pruning and general gardening alongside the bigger projects.

The hard landscaping side of the business covers driveway paving, patios, decking, stone wall building, brickwork, fencing, sheds and groundworks, with digger hire available where a job calls for it. The team also takes on tree services, pressure washing, patio cleaning and snow clearance through the winter. The company describes its people as hard working, reliable, qualified and fully insured, it is a member of The Gardeners' Guild, and its hard landscaping work is regularly inspected by an independent body. Spruce Garden Services trades as Puzzled Monkey Ltd, registered in Scotland under company number SC445677.

What customers say

Craig joined the Edinburgh Trusted Trader scheme in 2015, and the feedback has kept coming ever since. Spruce Garden Services now holds a rating of 4.9 out of 5 from 364 verified customer reviews, all of them left by real customers whose work has been checked back to a genuine job. That is the kind of record that only comes from turning up, doing the work properly and being asked back.

You can read the reviews in full on the Spruce Garden Services Trusted Trader profile.

Craig Young
Owner Operator, Spruce Garden Services

Common questions

What does Trading Standards vetted mean?
The business and its owners have been vetted by Trading Standards before being admitted to the Edinburgh Trusted Trader scheme, and Spruce Garden Services has been a member since 2015. Trading Standards vet the business and its owners, they do not check, inspect or approve the quality of the work carried out.

What areas does Spruce Garden Services cover?
Spruce Garden Services is based at Castlebrae Business Centre in Edinburgh and covers Edinburgh and central Scotland.

What services does Spruce Garden Services offer?
Landscaping, garden design, gardening and lawn care, groundworks, fencing, driveway paving, patios, stone wall building, brickwork, decking, sheds, tree services, pruning, pressure washing, patio cleaning, digger hire and snow clearance.

• View Spruce Garden Services' Edinburgh Trusted Trader profile.
• Read Spruce Garden Services' verified customer reviews.
• If you would like to become a Trusted Trader, you can apply here.
• If you are a Trusted Trader and would like to leave a case study either as text or as a video, get in touch.