My 2004 Chevy flunked the state inspection the other day, and it kicked me over the edge to buy a new car. In my area of New Hampshire you don't have the option of going from dealer-to-dealer looking for deals. There is one Chevy dealer and one Ford dealer, along with all of the imports. I was only going to buy American, so I had two choices.
The Chevy dealer has a very small showroom, only four cars fit in. Two of the cars were antiques, not for sale. Just there to draw traffic in. Even though they were cool to look at, the car I wanted to buy was nowhere near. It was a nice day so we walked out on the lot. If it had been raining, or in the winter, I would have left without seeing a car. The lesson for you: Show off what you sell. Don't put things in your glass showroom or waiting room that have no meaning to what you sell. It is nice to show tradition in a small way, some pictures of your family, but your main impetus has to be showing products you currently work with and make money from. The person is in your waiting room or showroom; they don't have to be convinced to come in the door!
The salesman did a good job of working with me, and I may buy his car. I met the owner of the dealership and he was proud of his antiques, but didn't discuss the car I was about to buy. A business no-no.
My next stop was the Ford dealer. The had a much larger showroom, and the car I wanted was right there. I sat in it 15 seconds after entering the showroom. This had an impact. But wait...there is more.
While the salesman walked away from me to research a question on paying by credit card ( I wanted the airline miles), the radio station that was being played overly loud in the showroom had TWO commercials for other car dealers. I listened to the competition in their showroom. If buying in imported car was on my target list, there it was...a very good deal on the style of car I wanted.
SiriusXM radio, on an all music package is only $9.99 a month , no commercials, and has 65 music channels, serving every taste in music. Come on now...isn't that better than hearing a competitor's ad in your own store. Also, when you play the local station, there is usually a political point of view. If you play a conservative radio station, you will upset half of the population...and of course you will upset the other half if you play a station with a liberal bias. Your showroom is not the place to promote an agenda other than selling your product!
Don't place magazines in your showroom that feature religion, guns, or politics. There are enough construction, home improvement, architectural and decorating magazines around that every thing in your showroom should encourage customers to ask you questions about glass. Every one of your vendors should give you catalog sheets or brochures that will help you develop business.
Make sure your customer bathrooms are spotless. A dirty bathroom will guarantee that customer will not return to your shop in the future. Are you the great-nephew of Elvis Presley? If you are not, his picture should not be in your showroom. The best things for your walls are actual job pictures of your work and testimonial letters from your customers.
If you have a coffee pot for customers, make sure it is clean and refreshed often. If you have a vending machine for coffee or snacks, keep it clean and well stocked. Don't depend on a traveling route salesman to come in and clean it. The machine represents you and the pride you have in your establishment and your work.
You have a captive audience for a few minutes; use it to your advantage in the glass business.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
US Airlines Collect $3.4 Billion In Baggage Fees
In 2010, US Airlines collected $3.4 billion in those annoying baggage fees, up 24% from 2009. This is what an industry does when they can't raise prices, but costs go up. Doesn't this sound a lot like the energy surcharge? If you are a glass shop anywhere in the world, you have competition; you just can't start charging a new fee that your customers will pay because they have no choice. You have competition, so what can you do?
The airport serving where I live has two carriers, Southwest and US Air. I try to fly Southwest on trips simply because of the baggage fee. But, there are no Southwest-type options for us in the glass business. Each glass shop has too many competitors to be the one that stands out. The advertising budget to let the community know what you are offering would certainly be greater than the increased business you could bring in.
Just about everyone charges a minimum for a service call; you may be able to raise that a little. What you can do is charge more where it costs you more. If a customer needs a service call where you will have to pay overtime, such as 6:00 in the morning, or 7:00 at night, you can charge a premium for labor. Not for your time in doing a quote, however. Your time is just part of overhead in giving estimates or following up on a job.
Make sure you charge for tolls you pay going to the job. Mention this in your quote. If you are going to a secure site, like an airport, and need to spend an hour in line waiting for security clearance, be sure to include this cost in your estimate as a separate line item.
On your estimate and invoice, clearly state your terms, and be sure to add a phrase detailing an additional 1.5% charge for bills over 60 days past due, no matter what the agreed payment schedule is. If customers don't keep the schedule, you should charge this premium.
If the customer asks you to remove extra construction debris, then it is alright to charge for your labor and the extra cost of your dumpster or dumping fees. Sure you want to be a nice guy and do something extra for your customer, but don't do something that directly costs you money.
Don't be afraid to charge for a second visit to a customer when they weren't ready for you on your first scheduled visit. You load your truck, and schedule the day; if they didn't have the courtesy to tell you in advance to hold off, then they should pay you.
Make sure you know what your fabricator is going to charge you for oversize glass, special edge work or shape cutting, rush service or anything out of the ordinary, and be sure to quote this up-front. You should also add your mark-up to these additional fees.
On all of your quotes, be sure to add a time escalator. If the customer calls you back in six months and says they are ready for the job, it may be very tough to honor the old quote.
In my opinion the best extra you can give a customer is doing exactly what they ask for in the original quote. Do the job neatly and leave the job site with your product perfectly clean. Have them sign off that the glass is fine before you leave. If you do great work, at your quoted pricing, you will get referrals, which are the best source of work for any glass shop.
The airport serving where I live has two carriers, Southwest and US Air. I try to fly Southwest on trips simply because of the baggage fee. But, there are no Southwest-type options for us in the glass business. Each glass shop has too many competitors to be the one that stands out. The advertising budget to let the community know what you are offering would certainly be greater than the increased business you could bring in.
Just about everyone charges a minimum for a service call; you may be able to raise that a little. What you can do is charge more where it costs you more. If a customer needs a service call where you will have to pay overtime, such as 6:00 in the morning, or 7:00 at night, you can charge a premium for labor. Not for your time in doing a quote, however. Your time is just part of overhead in giving estimates or following up on a job.
Make sure you charge for tolls you pay going to the job. Mention this in your quote. If you are going to a secure site, like an airport, and need to spend an hour in line waiting for security clearance, be sure to include this cost in your estimate as a separate line item.
On your estimate and invoice, clearly state your terms, and be sure to add a phrase detailing an additional 1.5% charge for bills over 60 days past due, no matter what the agreed payment schedule is. If customers don't keep the schedule, you should charge this premium.
If the customer asks you to remove extra construction debris, then it is alright to charge for your labor and the extra cost of your dumpster or dumping fees. Sure you want to be a nice guy and do something extra for your customer, but don't do something that directly costs you money.
Don't be afraid to charge for a second visit to a customer when they weren't ready for you on your first scheduled visit. You load your truck, and schedule the day; if they didn't have the courtesy to tell you in advance to hold off, then they should pay you.
Make sure you know what your fabricator is going to charge you for oversize glass, special edge work or shape cutting, rush service or anything out of the ordinary, and be sure to quote this up-front. You should also add your mark-up to these additional fees.
On all of your quotes, be sure to add a time escalator. If the customer calls you back in six months and says they are ready for the job, it may be very tough to honor the old quote.
In my opinion the best extra you can give a customer is doing exactly what they ask for in the original quote. Do the job neatly and leave the job site with your product perfectly clean. Have them sign off that the glass is fine before you leave. If you do great work, at your quoted pricing, you will get referrals, which are the best source of work for any glass shop.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
What Anthony Weiner Can Teach Every Businessman In America
Anthony Weiner is a US Congressman from Queens, New York City. He has been in the news lately for first denying that he sent some lewd twitters and messages to women. He originally claimed that someone 'hacked' into his personal accounts and sent the photos. A couple of days later he reversed himself, said he did indeed send the messages, and apologized to his pregnant wife, his constituency and to the Congress of the United States.
He then went on to say that this was not a serious enough problem to require him to resign from Congress. That statement is more obscene than the stupid pictures he sent.
When people look up to someone who does something so patently stupid and immature, causing them to become so disappointed that they lose faith in the system---whether it is Congress or your business---employees will lose their desire to work for you.
You are the leader of your business. In our case you are probably in the glass business. You have the responsibility to lead professionally. If you make a mistake like mismeasuring a job, that is part of our lives. But if you make a moral mistake, and your company learns of it, you will no longer have your employees' respect or enthusiasm to help you run a profitable business.
As an owner or manager you have no choice. You must take responsibility for your actions. No choice. I just heard a follow-up story on CNN where they stated 53% of Weiner's congressional district thought it was OK for him to stay in his job, while 35% thought he should resign. What would happen in your company if 35% of your employees thought you were unfit to lead. They would begin looking for other employers; they certainly would lose their dedication to your business.
You went into business to create your own future and to make a good living. Don't let something stupid get in the way. Watch for this in your senior managers, watch for this throughout your organization. Make sure you have a confidential communication system for all employees to contact you in the event they feel there has been sexual or any other type of harrassment.
Don't let something stupid ruin your life or business.
He then went on to say that this was not a serious enough problem to require him to resign from Congress. That statement is more obscene than the stupid pictures he sent.
When people look up to someone who does something so patently stupid and immature, causing them to become so disappointed that they lose faith in the system---whether it is Congress or your business---employees will lose their desire to work for you.
You are the leader of your business. In our case you are probably in the glass business. You have the responsibility to lead professionally. If you make a mistake like mismeasuring a job, that is part of our lives. But if you make a moral mistake, and your company learns of it, you will no longer have your employees' respect or enthusiasm to help you run a profitable business.
As an owner or manager you have no choice. You must take responsibility for your actions. No choice. I just heard a follow-up story on CNN where they stated 53% of Weiner's congressional district thought it was OK for him to stay in his job, while 35% thought he should resign. What would happen in your company if 35% of your employees thought you were unfit to lead. They would begin looking for other employers; they certainly would lose their dedication to your business.
You went into business to create your own future and to make a good living. Don't let something stupid get in the way. Watch for this in your senior managers, watch for this throughout your organization. Make sure you have a confidential communication system for all employees to contact you in the event they feel there has been sexual or any other type of harrassment.
Don't let something stupid ruin your life or business.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
What's The One Thing A Company Leader Shouldn't Do?
Of course, you could jump out of an airplane without a parachute, but you shouldn't. Or, you can try to dig a hole to the center of the earth, but not likely. This isn't what I am talking about. The one thing a business leader shouldn't do is have a bad day and let it show to everyone else in the organization.
We all have bad days, no one is immune. Whether business related or personal, once in a while, you have a day this is so upsetting that it gets to you. As a business owner or manager, though, you have the responsibility not to let that bad day take your company down too.
Maybe you publicly yell at Mary for doing something stupid, rather than taking her aside for a private thought, you then ruin every one's day who heard you. If Bill mismeasures a job, and you let the whole company know it, you drag down every one's morale.
If you know you are having a bad day, step away from the business for an hour. Go sit in your car. Get a cup of coffee. When you get your sense of calm back, go back to work.
I am not saying it is wrong to be upset at work. Often times you have to show your disappointment or frustration to an employee. But do it correctly, and be a professional. Don't drag a whole department down because you are upset with one person. And don't let this one person drag you down. You have a business to run, and if one person is hampering the team effort, take the appropriate steps.
If you are upset with your kid's report card, don't bring that to work. If you worried about losing money on a job, get the figures, understand what you have to, and go on. Being Grandpa Grumpy won't help the company pull ahead.
We all have bad days, no one is immune. Whether business related or personal, once in a while, you have a day this is so upsetting that it gets to you. As a business owner or manager, though, you have the responsibility not to let that bad day take your company down too.
Maybe you publicly yell at Mary for doing something stupid, rather than taking her aside for a private thought, you then ruin every one's day who heard you. If Bill mismeasures a job, and you let the whole company know it, you drag down every one's morale.
If you know you are having a bad day, step away from the business for an hour. Go sit in your car. Get a cup of coffee. When you get your sense of calm back, go back to work.
I am not saying it is wrong to be upset at work. Often times you have to show your disappointment or frustration to an employee. But do it correctly, and be a professional. Don't drag a whole department down because you are upset with one person. And don't let this one person drag you down. You have a business to run, and if one person is hampering the team effort, take the appropriate steps.
If you are upset with your kid's report card, don't bring that to work. If you worried about losing money on a job, get the figures, understand what you have to, and go on. Being Grandpa Grumpy won't help the company pull ahead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
