Up front is still where it counts
It seems history has always been our best
teacher. Sad are those who do not learn from the past because
they are destined to make the same mistakes again.
Whenever I talk to some of our
industry’s leaders and winners, or they ask me what I
think of our present conditions, I always learn a great deal.
Example: “Are your sales up or down
since last year?” If the answer is good, that they are
up, or even about the same, then I want to know why. What is
the answer?
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Is it time to review our operations and
heed a wake up call? For most, it’s the sensible jobs of
fix up and shape up, or cutting off the boiler sooner, or
getting rid of the wasteful practices of a non-productive
person.
Sometimes that same wasteful practitioner
will have the ability to contaminate a conscientious worker.
I’m referring to the habitual late-comer, or the one who
takes longer breaks, and always leaves a little bit earlier
than everyone else. That part is easy and it says little for
management if we allow it. In reality, we simply can’t
afford it!
What I’m really interested in
is consideration of diversifying and investigating before
we invest. But first, and more important, is reviewing our
existing overhead and being certain we are operating in the
most efficient manner.
If we take things in simple terms we can
basically place everything in thirds, such as quality,
production, and cost.
We would have to start with quality. I
emphatically mean consistent quality. It begins with writing a
proper invoice and explaining why the customer wants this
service, recording the stain or soiled area, the condition of
the garment, the phone number (if a call back would be
necessary) and a release explained properly when it’s in
order, the date promised, and, of course, the customer’s
name with the obvious opportunity of repeating it several times
for the purpose of remembering.
All of this must be handled with courtesy
and respect — to treat others the way we like to be
treated.
When asking why a business is down, it
comes as no surprise to find out that over 33 percent of
customers who have changed and quit a drycleaner did so because
of counter help indifference.
How do we recognize
“indifference?”
Sometimes it’s a sullenness, or an
“I don’t care” attitude to the simplest
question, as “What’s the weather forecast?”
or “Are you busy?” Complete silence to a serious
question… “Do you think this stain can be removed
safely?” In place of “When would you like this
ready, Mrs. Jones?” we hear an impolite “When
yer’ want it fer ?”
We could spend a fortune on advertising,
discount deals and special promotions and still lose the
customer because of “indifference.” The main reason
many a customer continues with a firm is solely because the
store has accessibility, such as parking, or is very
convenient, and they become a creature of habit!
Incidentally, only four percent of
drycleaning customers (4%!) are totally concerned with PRICE!
The moment a new deal appears, the “bargain
hunters” will consider changing. Satisfied customers will
never change because they enjoy dealing with that firm and its
smiling counter personnel. It’s always a pleasant
experience.
Beating the downturn
I found those firms that were least
affected by a down-turn in business had control of their
quality and they were those firms that had an organized
pleasant, smiling counter. Surprised?
The secret is that the person you have
working and representing your business must be an extrovert,
someone who likes and enjoys human contact — a person who
can roll with the punches of dealing with the public.
How do you find and hire such an
individual? Write for my training pamphlet and how to interview
to find such a person and avoid that “hire and fire
syndrome.”
This important interview contains an
unobtrusive personality test, and makes the hiring a pleasant
experience. It also covers how to conduct final inspection,
avoids using critical words, and makes management a part of
continued “Quality Control,” plus an optional
consideration of having a security camera for future control.
The training is continuous and self
rewarding by offering pride in working with small acts of
appreciation. The step-by-step outline maintains that elusive
standard of excellence that plagues every operation and allows
the human element of error to creep into every operation. This
manual, “Up Front… is Where It Counts!” sells
for $20. (See below for ordering inoformation.)
Here is the secret. In reality, it’s
the art of communication and it seems all successful businesses
have come to realize that the customer is king and the
operation that has control has customer satisfaction. I find it
not at all strange that harmony is always possible when the
time is taken to interview properly and avoid trying to place a
square peg in a round hole.
The rules are simple. You see them in
successful restaurants and department stores that conduct
business properly and with courtesy. The counter tells us
exactly and immediately how and who is running and controlling
our business!
Imagine if we could take care of our
counter and with one fell swoop could take care of 33 percent
of our business! We could weather any storm coming our way.
We should reward good counter people with
an appreciation “dinner for two.” Set up a classy
counter uniform dress code with a legible name tag and consider
instituting an interesting confidential “Mystery
Shopper” and how to “inspect” the inspector
(the details are included in the counter training manual.)
Ray Colucci, a consultant to the fabric
care industry, has revised and made available three timely
pamphlets: “Up Front Is Where It Counts” for
counter training; “Pressed for Perfection” for
finishing techniques; and the popular “Route to
Success” for complete route training. The pamphlets are
$20 each or all three for $50. Immediate delivery with all
postage paid is promised for requests sent to R. Colucci, 410
Warren Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543.
