Most customer service calls are brief by design. A problem is identified; a solution is offered. The call ends, with the customer likely never to be heard from again.

That narrative does not apply to one Tom Winer, however, who has called the Consumer Services line at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company about 471 times over the past five years. (That math breaks down to about eight calls a month or twice a week.)

Indeed, Tom, 87, who describes himself as a retired businessman, is now something of a beloved fixture for the Consumer Services department. The more times he calls, the merrier.

Tom’s interactions with the team began with questions about his various countertop AeroGardens: a pump that made a new sound or a setting that needed double-checking. But over the months and years, the conversations have flourished, with Tom sharing gardening advice and recipes, asking how a representative’s husband is doing, and once, explaining in great detail how to buy a container of a popular yogurt brand for a quarter.

All the reps had to do was call the yogurt company to ask for coupons. “Tell them Tom from Flaw-rida sent ya!” he advised.

Once you’ve heard Tom’s voice, you remember it. He speaks with a thick Massachusetts accent that makes his sentences a phonetic joy, even though he now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. His long vowels stretch out his stories (that often involve tomatoes) and make even technical gardening advice sound conversational.

“He’s just the sweetest,” said Meghan Short, a Consumer Services Specialist. “And he’s a talker. He loves to talk, and we love to listen!”

Tom has been gardening most of his life. When he lived in Framingham, Massachusetts, he had a massive backyard plot and says his “tomatoes used to grow 10 feet tall!” He learned what worked best through his favorite gardening method: trial and error.

As outdoor gardening became harder due to age and mobility challenges, the indoor hydroponics of AeroGarden allowed him to keep up with his lifelong passion, no crouching in a vegetable patch required. Today, Tom has AeroGardens growing tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and greens throughout his home.

“It’s enjoyable to make things grow,” he said. “It’s a delight.” And delicious: At home, his wife, Faye, uses the herbs for Caprese and vegetable salads. His grandson gets most of the cherry tomatoes, and neighbors and acquaintances are also gifted Tom’s bounty.

This generosity is something the customer service team noticed from their very first interactions with Tom. It was a moment when most people were working remotely during the 2020 pandemic lockdown, and finding unexpected moments of connection in their work. “We were all stuck in our homes,” Short said. “Tom brought a ton of joy to everybody’s day-to-day.”

While Tom usually leads with his reason for calling, what comes next is harder to predict.

“He might be calling about a pod [that hasn’t germinated yet],” said Short. “But he might actually be calling to ask how you’re doing. Or what you’re cooking. And soon enough, you’re not really on a customer service call anymore.”

Sometimes he explains tomato spacing in exact increments. Or he talks through saving seeds with tweezers. He has even offered to help Short design a future backyard garden, walking her through the layout over the phone.

At some point, most representatives learn that a Tom Winer call often includes a recipe suggestion, a wellness check, and advice that was not requested but is usually sound. 

Tom admits to “babbling on and on,” and often, another voice enters the call when he’s veered too far of track. “Now and then, you can hear his wife in the background telling him to hang up,” Short said. “She’ll say something like, ‘Alright, Tom, they have to get back to work!’”

But a Tom Winer call, whether long or surprisingly short, boosts everyone’s happiness quotient. New agents eventually get their first Tom Winer and join the fan club as they experience his warmth and hear his stories. While any call with him is a fun one, when he shares a recipe or a bit of gardening wisdom, it’s even better.

Anne Mills, Supervisor of Consumer Services, says the familiarity runs deep. “He’s like everyone’s grandfather.” Though she no longer answers phones regularly, Tom still asks for her, and she’ll call him back. When Mills was promoted, Tom emailed management to congratulate them on their sound decision.

Last fall, the calls slowed and then paused. Given Tom’s age and health challenges, his absence was noticed immediately.

“We were starting to get worried,” Mills said. He eventually called again (without sharing details, Tom has alluded to giving some of his AeroGarden produce to the chef at a medical facility), and the team breathed a sigh of relief. The conversations resumed where they left off: plants, food, family, life.

For Tom, the calls are part of the same process as gardening. “It’s learning by talking to people about what works and what doesn’t,” he said.

Asked what the Consumer Services team has helped him with over the years, he doesn’t pause. “There wasn’t anything they haven’t done. There is no other company I’ve ever spoken to in the entire country that has been as professional, as kind, and as nice to me.” And the feeling is definitely mutual.

In a job built around problems and fixes, Tom Winer became something else entirely: a reminder that even the most routine calls can turn into human bonding, if you stay on the line long enough.

“We get a lot of difficult calls,” Short said. “Tom’s never like that. He’s usually giving us advice, and then the conversation turns into, ‘How have you been? How’s your husband?’ We just love hearing from him. He really wants to bring joy to other people’s lives.”

Which is a possibility to contemplate the next time you pick up the phone to make a complaint. You just might wind up forging a serendipitous connection.