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In Chicago’s bustling urban landscape, where the holiday spirit competes with the chill of winter, Delivery of urban trees keeps you warm and comfortable this season. This revolutionary service simplifies the traditional purchase of Christmas trees by delivering the holidays on to your door. Principled sustainable development and exceptional customer support, City Tree Delivery redefines vacationing for today’s city dwellers.
Founded by Chris Hohenstein in 2009, City Tree Delivery has grown from a easy idea into a beloved seasonal business that meets the unique needs of city dwellers.
Initially, Chris’s entrepreneurial journey was born out of non-public frustration and concern for the environment. Living in Chicago, Chris faced the dilemma every 12 months of the best way to get rid of his Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly way.
“I always had to throw away the Christmas tree in January because Chicago didn’t have a good recycling program,” Chris recalled. This dissatisfaction motivated him to take motion, which led to conversations with local officials and deeper involvement in environmental initiatives. Listen to the episode below to listen to directly from Chris Hohenstein.
The real turning point got here unexpectedly. “I was working in public accounting and after being laid off during the financial crisis in 2008, I attended an environmental breakfast where there was a debate about real and fake Christmas trees,” Chris explained. This discussion lit a spark. He saw an opportunity not only to recycle trees, but also to rethink the entire means of selling and handling Christmas trees after the holidays.
The business began modestly, but was guided by a clear mission – to supply city residents with comprehensive, environmentally friendly solutions. “I just wanted to solve the problem. It bothered me that I had to throw the tree away,” Chris emphasized.
City Tree offers a unique rental service that meets the challenges of city living. Customers can choose to rent a Christmas tree for the season, which the company delivers directly to their door, disassembles and then collects for recycling. This service revolutionizes traditional Christmas tree shopping by removing the burden of transportation, setup and disposal.
“Customers come online, select the size of their Christmas tree, the accessories and options they need, and then select a delivery date at checkout,” Chris said, detailing the ease with which customers can navigate the service options. This hassle-free approach alleviates the typical stress of transporting and setting up a Christmas tree and takes into account the spatial and logistical constraints of city life.
The service also goes beyond delivery. “Once the tree is delivered, we educate the customer on how to care for it and ensure it stays fresh throughout the season,” Chris added. This educational element highlights City Tree’s commitment to customer satisfaction and sustainability, adding to the overall value of the service.
At the heart of City Tree is also care for the customer experience.
“Our customers appreciate the simplicity of our online ordering system and the transparency of our delivery planning process,” said Chris. This simplistic approach has been designed to suit the fast-paced lifestyle of City Tree’s urban customers, offering them a stress-free method to embrace the holiday spirit.
Reviewer Ojus P, a loyal customer, shares this opinion. “The communication and transparency of the delivery process made us repeat customers,” he said.
Ojus’ experience highlights the effectiveness of City Tree’s efforts to supply clear and consistent updates from order to delivery. His opinions confirm the importance of trust and reliability in a company customer support experiences, especially during the holiday season.
In addition to services, the basis of our business is sustainable development. “We ensure that every part of the tree is used. From making wreaths and garlands from scraps to composting seedlings, our goal is zero waste,” said Chris. This approach is consistent with a broader environmental consciousness that resonates strongly with its customer base in Chicago, a city that values sustainable practices.
Chris’ efforts include educating customers about the benefits of real trees over artificial ones, helping them make more environmentally friendly selections while on vacation. “Real trees can be composted, which significantly reduces their environmental impact compared to artificial trees,” he explained.
Chris sees his company as a part of a larger effort to foster joy and convenience in urban life. “We are more than just a Christmas tree supplier – we are part of holiday traditions that bring families and communities together,” said Chris. This sense of community engagement is central to City Tree’s operations, driving it to interact more deeply with local initiatives and sustainability efforts.
Looking to the future, Chris is optimistic about expanding City Tree’s services. “We are exploring new ways to expand our offerings beyond the holiday season and looking at how we can replicate our business model for other seasonal events,” he said. This development vision is based on the same principles of service quality and environmental management that have guided City Tree from the very starting.
“Every Christmas tree we deliver carries a bit of holiday spirit and a commitment to a greener tomorrow,” said Chris, capturing the essence of City Tree Delivery’s mission and impact.
To achieve success, City Tree Delivery relies on the following principles:
- Innovate for urban convenience. To meet the unique challenges of urban customers, firms can adapt their services or products to supply greater convenience. Offer scheduled delivery times that may fit around the busy schedules of city dwellers, or develop compact designs to fulfill the needs of smaller living spaces, for example. Simple technology solutions akin to mobile apps for booking services can even increase accessibility and efficiency, making life easier for urban consumers.
- Integrate sustainability into what you are promoting strategy. Incorporating sustainability into every aspect of the business demonstrates a strong commitment to environmentally conscious consumers and can set a company apart in a competitive marketplace.
- Improve customer support with technology. Leveraging technology to streamline ordering and delivery processes helps ensure a smooth customer journey from start to complete. Benefits include increased productivity and customer satisfaction, in addition to improved service quality and operational efficiency.
- Ensure responsive and proactive communication with customers. Regular and clear communication with customers before, during and after the provision of services helps maintain high levels of customer satisfaction. Adopting a proactive communications strategy can assist firms effectively manage customer expectations and improve overall service satisfaction.
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Editorial contributions: Charlotte Che and Kristi Lindahl