Somebody is Everybody's Customer!

Last evening, I was watching an online program and it brought back some painful memories about customer service and everybody involved.

During the program, the restaurant business was going badly with customers dissatisfied with their dinners at a frightening rate and when the server was asked if it bothered him. All he could say was: “You have to learn to not let it get to you personally, in order to work here.”

LEADERSHIP BEHIND GROWTH

Have you ever witnessed the collapse of a process, organization or department day after day?  I have and it hurts. Perhaps even more frightful is the fact that it’s accepted and appears to be all that is expected of people. That is truly sad.

I’ve watched an organization attempt to improve processes to a point and the internal power struggles often resulted in management turnover. Each time it happened, the end result weakened with less service. The bigger the organization grew the less control it had and the outcome became the norm.

We use to joke that if the service offered today stopped, we wouldn’t see much of a difference. That’s how bad it was.

WHO CARES?

I attempted to let my thoughts be known, because I cared and have seen far better service. My comments weren’t appreciated and fell on deaf ears. The management style is stuck in this “see no, hear no evil” mode and basically the biggest fear is “not being the person to stick their neck out.” The fear of opening a can of worms might prevent the career climb of the ladder, so they invite the typical downward spiral behavior.

There comes a point in time when you must protect your own sanity. What it should have been was a realization it was time to find another job.

PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS 

When you witness an organization so dysfunctional that it fails to follow its own blueprint; there’s no hope. I often talk about how easy it is to accept mediocrity, but this behavior is beneath mediocrity.

Poor leadership with growth and denial is a huge problem. The end result is always the same. Everyone who partakes loses.

Some know it, some don’t get it and some- really don’t care!

Which are you?

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

The Heart of Amish Country!

 

Saturday, we travelled to the heart of Amish Country in Wayne County, Ohio. The peak colors of fall had passed a week ago, so I was hoping for less tourists and traffic to navigate. I should’ve picked a day during the week; it was still crazy with too many crowded shops and congested traffic.   

I often write concerning the opportunity to “wow” your customers. While driving towards our Amish tour, I stopped at a gas station outside of Millersburg, Ohio. The business was an old two- pump station which offered ample staples, including meat and Swiss cheese. I asked the young lady working at the meat counter if we could use the restroom? She replied:  “We don’t have restrooms for our customers.” We promptly headed back to the car.

A few more miles down the road we stopped by another gas station and were accommodated.

Those types of businesses should understand the power of marketing begins by getting you to enter the business. Once inside, the customer’s impulse to purchase candy, chips, or soda is how a shop makes money, not at the pumps.

During our journey, my Mother noticed a mile-marker sign for Mohicanville, Ohio. I’ve never been there. My Mother told us a story concerning her great Grandfather’s brother, who was skinned alive by Indians near Mohicanville. Gruesome stuff! My guess is this could have occurred around 1812, near the time of the Copus Hill Massacre, near Mifflin, Ohio.

We continued through Millersburg and onto Berlin, Ohio to the gift shops of Sol’s Palace and Sol’s Exchange. Sol’s is the area’s largest art and craft mall. Berlin, Ohio reminded me of  Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Crowded sidewalks of people, moving from one shop to the next, like a herd of cattle throughout the business hours. Well ok, maybe a very small version of Gatlinburg.

Outside of Sol’s Exchange was an Amish man selling buggy rides in an authentic horse-drawn carriage. His wife and perhaps their granddaughter sat in chairs near the buggy. The amount of congested traffic in the parking lots wouldn’t appear to be safe for a buggy ride.

After shopping at Sol’s we headed further down the road stopping by Troyer’s Country Market. While my wife and Mother shopped, I took the opportunity to snap a few photos.

 

 

 

Our next destination (by-passing Walnut Creek and Sugar Creek, Ohio) would be the Dutch Valley Restaurant. We arrived at 4:15 pm. The waiting line extended 50 feet outside the doors.

The hostess informed us the wait for a table would be 15-20 minutes. She stated a buffet was served in the basement of the business and there was no wait to be seated. I elected to try the buffet.  The buffet price was $33.00 for two people and included drinks, desert and tip. A young Amish girl served our drinks.

 The salad bar and food were delicious and we were surrounded by continual groups arriving from tour buses. I noticed many people from Pennsylvania and West Virginia at the Dutch Valley Restaurant.

After our meal, we departed for home. The tourist traffic was minimal since most of the shops had closed. We stopped by the same gas station on our journey home. My wife spent a few more dollars on pop.

The hand crafted furniture is remarkable in Amish country as is the food. The economy always does well in this niche. There’s never a recession in Amish Country.

And luckily, there is only one gas station without a restroom for their customers!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

The Problem of Mass- Just ask General Motors!

 

We’ve seen the history of mass during the Industrial Revolution. It has taken the form of: production, factories, transportation, food, retailers, riots, consumption, marketing, start-ups, dotcoms, healthcare, layoffs, moving overseas and closures. Anyone see a mass pattern here?

During the 1960’s, it was common to find several gas stations at any major intersection in the United States. They attempted to offer free drinking glasses or soda (6 packs, 12 packs, or even a case) to compete for your business. Many offered full service car repair. The service stations paid employees to wash your windows, check your oil and pump the gasoline.

Near the end of the long tail, service stations offered free 2-litre for enticement, but the auto services and attendants began being replaced with mini-market stores inside the business. Check your own oil, wash your own windows, pump your own gas or air into your tires (no longer free). The money was being made from the food and merchandize sold inside the market, not the gasoline product.

Gas card have become the only form of enticement and serve as a form of customer tracking, while some outlets feature a car wash. Few gas stations offer any type of mechanical service.

Slowly gas stations in cities became less prevalent. The economics of the industry changed. Retailing to the masses was no longer sustainable.

Many of those street corner businesses have been replaced by drugstores. Where you find one pharmacy, you’re likely to see another close by.

The same with big box stores replacing grocery stores, hardware and retail stores. Businesses designed to market to the masses by offering one-stop shopping.

Healthcare is another industry falling into the mass trap. Many healthcare businesses are expanding, merging systems to reduce cost and increase services.  This reduces the competition and one company is committed to serving the masses.

The biggest problem of scaling to mass is- it just doesn’t last. One large change in economics, technology or market share can bring a giant to its knees. Just ask General Motors.

The problem of mass:

·        Lower wages (unless unionized).

·        Loss of personalized service. Mass is about numbers, not people.

·        Customer service suffers. Familiarity is gone. Nobody knows you.

·        Quality becomes lost in the focus of mass (replaced with a chant).

·        Lack of standardization of employee roles becomes a morale issue.

·        Consistency from employees between roles, location and businesses differ.

·        Growth is all that matters.

The biggest problem with mass is once the threshold of growth is met, the scale of the business becomes about reduction. Then the pain begins. When you cheapen something to obtain mass acceptance, offering less at the lowest price is the only option. The race to the bottom is all about someone else doing something cheaper!

It’s far better to offer services of exceptional value with customer and employee satisfaction to sustain or grow a business. Natural growth built on a sound business foundation is far sturdier than scaling to mass.

It’s no secret.

Just ask General Motors!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books, products and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Bigger = Better?

Businesses spent huge sums of dollars advertising their product or specialty; yet the closest contact often fails to engage the customers.

Does anyone actually listen to the "Big Box" greeter?

Photo by: dno1967b.

Nothing against the greeter, but why not allow the employee the freedom to express himself in his message? The opportunity exists to create a remarkable first impression, instead of allowing the employee to bore everyone with a script message.

The message you are sending is the workers aren’t creative, can’t be trusted, or have the ability to think for themselves.

We employ computer geeks whose only ambition is to earn a commission. The next time you purchase a computer do your own research on a specific product and ask the sales person a few questions. It is shocking to hear the answers or observe their lack of knowledge. The big box store trains the employees to be “pushy”, aggressive and sell the additional warranty. Nothing else matters!

Sadly, this is part of the dumbing-down of the American worker and customers. The attempt to control the outcome has overtaken personalization.  The employees and customers are just a statistic.

We used to employ people and give them tools to work with to increase the company sales and the customer experience. We wanted to standout and prove we could make a difference from offering something in exchange for valuable insight.

 Instead, the message is “we are all the same.” You, me, the employee, everyone!

The good news is the Internet allows us to research and review any product available. Social media has given us the ability to discuss our questions before buying. No need for scripts or obnoxious sales people, just the facts and opinions.

The opportunity exists for smaller business to “dazzle” customers and build a following by word-of-mouth sales. Entrepreneurs know in order to compete with “big box” companies personalized service is a huge advantage. Many people want to see, touch and experience the product prior to purchasing.

The industrial age took us into mass manufacturing for the masses. The post-industrial age will lead us back to a simpler time. The return of the "mom and pop shops" that understands the need to give people what they really want is the future.

Give customers a unique quality experience and you have purchased their loyalty for life!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com
www.bestofvegaswebsite.com
www.paradisefitgranola.com