By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer ![]() Recently, I found myself fighting a nasty cold, and as always, expected it to be over in a day or two. No need to see a doctor, no drugs; just some rest and hydration. Boy, was I wrong. I woke up on the third day with absolutely no hearing in my left ear! A friend told me that it was temporary as it had happened to her and her husband a few weeks earlier so I didn’t do anything about it. Again my mistake. Day 5 came and I finally went to urgent care since my 2 day cold was lasting a bit too long and my hearing had not returned. I was then sent to see a specialist, and after 6 weeks of doctors visits, an MRI, blood work and lots of prayer, I was told that I had lost 98% of my hearing in that ear and it would never come back. Why am I sharing something so personal with you? Not for sympathy, but so you will hopefully learn from my mistake. Instead of listening to the signs my body was telling me and seeking out medical advice sooner than later, I acted like it was no big deal and waited for it to just go away on its own. The issue with my ear, like problems with your business won’t always just go away. If you start to see issues in your business, don’t wait; acknowledge there’s something wrong, seek out a solution or get professional advice before it gets worse or before its too late. Leaning on the support of your buying group and the programs they offer is a great place to start. You can also ask for help from other members in your group who’ve experienced similar challenges, or you can go right to the experts that partner with your group who are there to help you solve these problems. Whatever you do, don’t let your business go one day without the proper care it needs to survive and thrive. Happy Retailing, Moe Lastfogel [email protected]
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By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer ![]() The benefit of offering extraordinary service In today’s economy, you can no longer get by with just the basics. By this, I mean people want fries and a sundae with their burger—the works! Delivery, installation and warranties have been our fries and sundaes for years, but if we were to offer sprinkles, whip cream and a cherry on top with the order, how do you think customer loyalty would grow? Delivery is simple. You schedule an appointment, drop off a box, and sometimes install the product—no problem. How about offering “White Glove Service”? A uniformed installer, carpet runners, shoe covers, and yes, white gloves. Add a small vacuum and clean-up after the installation and boom!—the customer gets the works. How many times have you received a call from a client who didn’t understand how to use their new product? In-store classes are a great side order. Offer once a week, bi-monthly, or monthly classes on convection or induction cooking, or roasting and baking. Many distributors or manufacturers would aid in making these classes happen if you used their products. Offer these classes to potential customers and to those who have already purchased a product. Heck, if the order was big enough, send a personal chef out to teach them in-home. This offer can also be a money maker if you offer it as a package line item. The ideas are endless as to how to make the customer’s experience different from that of the box store. That’s one of the biggest advantages you have as an independent retailer. Think outside of the box, and add that cherry on top of the sundae to make your customer think that they’ve just received the best product offering ever. Let’s face it: a box is a box, it’s how you present it that makes it—and your business—special. Happy Retailing, Moe Lastfogel [email protected] |
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December 2021
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