Do the Right Thing isn’t just a motto here at Level Green Landscaping — it’s really how we work, live and serve our clients.
And we love talking about it.
Each of us here has our own take on what it means to “Do the Right Thing.” And often, a favorite example of what it really looks like.
Here’s what some of our team members have to say:
Corey Rill, account manager
Do the Right Thing doesn’t have a single meaning — it’s a mindset of how you approach your job.
It’s providing a service with integrity and respect, while maintaining goals.
Yesterday, crew member Alberto took it on himself to water the flowers he had installed for a client the week before. He saw they were dry. Even though this wasn't in the scope of the contract, he knew it was the right thing to do to keep the client happy.
Ryan Rimshaw, account manager
Doing the right thing doesn’t always involve long drawn-out thought. It’s more of a reactive thought and action.
I once had a small HOA that was essentially bankrupt after being the victim of a bad management company. They had to remove all “extras” from their contract and could just afford basic mowing.
We had extra flowers leftover so a few of us went over one day after work and weeded their entrance bed and planted some flowers.
We didn’t have to do it, but it went a long way toward our relationship.
Gabe Hohman, operations manager
Do The Right Thing means that we always put our employees and clients’ best interests above thinking about profit.
Recently an older woman at a job site asked me for help planting a few things in her personal garden that we are not responsible for, because she has arthritis and it’s hard for her. Of course, I took 10 minutes out of my day to help her.
Juan Olivar, operations manager
For me, Do The Right Thing means doing what is best for the greater or common good. It means behaving in ways that serve the most people in a positive way.
Our company began landscape maintenance on a new building located in a large flex-industrial warehouse park.
When our crews arrived for their first visit for spring clean-up, they noticed a large pile of dumped construction debris on one of the parking lot islands that was near our client’s building, but not within their property boundary.
The crews knew it wasn’t their responsibility to clean up the debris, but they recognized that the eyesore would negatively impact the curb appeal of our client’s building, nearby.
The crews double-checked with their managers and got approval to remove the debris, cleaning up the area and disposing of the debris back at our shop.
The crew felt great and our client was thrilled. A win-win for everyone!
Marion Delano, business development manager
It means the company measures success not primarily in terms of economic profit, but in terms of the “social good.”
It means treating our clients, employees, and all stakeholders with the respect, dignity and kindness that we would hope to receive ourselves.
A few months ago we overpaid a number of supervisors or crew members due to an accounting error. Instead of trying to get the money back or deducting it from a future paycheck, we knew it would be unjust to try and take away money from our employees that they thought was theirs. We took the hit because we understood that while it would have a small negative impact on the company profitability, it would have a larger positive impact on our employees' well-being.
Brad Sarno, operations manager
To me, Do The Right Thing means treat people the way you would want to be treated — whether they’re a client, customer or someone you meet on the street.
One of my water truck drivers was driving through a narrow street in NW Washington when she realized her truck had broken off the side mirror of a parked car while she slowly navigated between two vehicles.
She pulled off to a safe place to park and immediately left a note with my business card on the damaged car’s windshield. She called me to report the accident, as is our policy.
Later that day I got a call from a grateful car owner and I was pleased to tell her that Level Green would pay for all damages to her car, and we did.
This is doing the right thing. This is what we do.
Dave Briggs, account manager
Doing the right thing is taking care of the customer, even if it isn’t on the price line.
A few years ago we did an enhancement at a condo association where we installed about 20 30-inch boxwoods in the spring.
That summer a maintenance crew mistakenly sheared the boxwoods into perfect ‘pencil’ shapes — not what the client wanted.
We could have assured the client they would grow back to their original shape, but we replaced them all at no charge.
They stayed with us for several more years.
Doug Delano, co-owner
For me, it’s fairly simple. It’s a test of the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
If you feel that you would not want to be treated in such a manner, it’s not the right thing.
Paul Wisniewski, division manager
It means being honest to your customer, company and yourself. If you say you are going to do something, do it. If you make a mistake, own up to it and get it corrected. Treat employees and clients the way they want to be treated.
I see examples of this all the time, but it may be taken for granted: The way branches help each other out on a daily basis; the way our people take care of their vehicles and equipment; if a client is not happy with a certain plant, replacing it with something else they like better.
Jose Aguilar, operations manager
I try to be polite with customers. I tell them we will do whatever is in our power to get the job done so we have happy customers.
It means being polite to our crews. People make mistakes. Computers make mistakes. I try to do the right thing for them by being fair and friendly.
Do The Right Thing means I keep my word. My word counts.
Brad Butler, chief safety officer
At Level Green, doing the right thing isn't just an occasional moral choice, it's a way of life. We don’t just pick and choose when to follow the high road or make the tough call – we strive to do the "right" thing every time, regardless of the circumstances.
When ownership endorsed the motto: Safety First, Quality Second, Efficiency Third, they showed that “Doing the Right Thing” isn’t always simple.
Putting the safety of our employees and the public ahead of anything else shows that it isn’t all about making fast money or taking the easiest path.
Putting quality next shows that we truly respect our clients and value the pride we take in our work.
Working efficiently is obviously the right thing to do for a company that is trying to grow to provide more opportunity.
Eric Bross, business development manager
It means being a positive role model and a good human. It means making a positive, lasting impression on everyone we interact with on a daily basis.
Doing the right thing means we hold each other accountable to work hard each and every day.
Each week we have a team meeting. Instead of immediately diving in to “what’s wrong” and how do we fix this or that, we first go around the room and have each person say what is “positive” at work or in our lives.
These simple positive thoughts become positive words. Then the positive words become positive actions. The positive actions become positive habits.
Then these positive habits become our positive culture. And lastly, our positive culture is spread through our lives, our communities and our world.
Let Level Green Do The Right Thing For You
Here at Level Green Landscaping, we take as much pride in how we do things as in the quality landscaping work we do every day.
Everybody here strives to Do The Right Thing, every day.
If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers.
Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.
Contact us at 202-544-0968.
You can also request a free consultation to meet with us one-on-one.
We’d love to hear from you.
