Cape Consult Counterpoints!

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Another great post from frequent contributor and good friend Shawn Durham. Enjoy!!

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything for FD but Nunzio’s last post got me thinking about the two sides of every story.  I don’t truly disagree with anything he wrote in his last post but there is more to it than just what is found above.  So as Paul Harvey so often and aptly put it, the rest of the story…

• Be more plastic friendly – The ability to take credit cards is important in our digital currency age but so is maintaining your business.  Don’t go too far and start setting up a web-business, 1-800 number, electronic mall with e-mail lists and  traveling sales staff.  Especially if you’re selling seashells by the sea-shore sally.  Don’t turn away sales because you don’t take VISA, but don’t get too far beyond your own reach by taking VISA, Discover, Mastercard, Diners Club, AARP, Good Sam, and the Meat of the Month Club coupons.

• Stick to your own rules – No.  As an owner or manager (with the appropriate permissions) you need to be the one who goes above and beyond the rules to make the right decision.  One of the more famous customer service stories in recent years comes from Nordstrom’s where a customer had come in to return a set of tires.  The story is amazing because Nordstrom’s doesn’t sell tires!  John Nordstrom himself attested to the fact that the return happened and Nordstrom’s legendary customer service reputation is set.  If your store only takes groups of 10 and a group of 11 comes in, bring in an extra chair.  If your store sells an item for $22,000 and the customer only has $21,999 it’s worth the dollar you lose for the $21000 you gain.

• Differentiate – No.  Not always.  Sure there may be 100 gas stations which sell coffee but that’s because the coffee sells!  Selling tea would differentiate you from the others but it’s not brining you the business that coffee would. There is a reason why certain items are carried and while being unique in your name or business is a good way to bring in additional customers so is keeping the staple products which are expected of stores of your type.  Tourist shops should sell postcards, shoe stores should sell shoe polish, your store should sell the same basic items which are expected of a store in your region.

• Counter presence – As much as I’d love to show you the ‘other side’ to every point there is no other side to this.  There is never an excuse to alienate a potential customer with unwarranted rudeness.  Even if you’re running asthma medication out to a customer and you barrel over a new customer you still have no excuse to not apologize as you run away to get that medicine out.  Remember the rule of 10s.  A happy customer will tell one other customer about their experience, an unhappy customer will tell 10 others.  Or in the case of the Internet, thousands.  I’ve recently purchased a new Dell for the lady in my life.  The HP’s were cheaper but the last HP I purchased had to be repaired 5 times in the year that I had it each time the motherboard was completely replaced and each time the problem came back.  I’d love to regale you with a story of how it turned out well, instead I’ll tell you how not only will I never buy another HP Laptop but I will no longer buy their printers, speakers, phones, or any other products.  I will also never recommend another HP server or networking device.  Every sale missed out because they wouldn’t solve the problem on a single $1400 laptop.  Are you listening HP?  Counter Presence, no matter where your counter is, is important.  Your business will live and die by it.

Now on to a few extra points for the Cape.

• Welcome to the Internet!  When planning a vacation I use the internet to look into hotels, events to attend and shows to see.  If you don’t have a simple page advertising your business you’re missing out on a great deal of traffic.  It often costs less per month than handing out flyers and the benefits are doubly useful.  Not only does it bring in additional customers who are planning their trips online but adding your website to the bottom of your current advertising makes it expand to all of your business, not just what you can fit on the ad.

• Networking, it’s not just for geeks – Yes, computer networking is important but social networking is better.  Join the Chamber of Commerce, donate to the little league, be involved in your community and your customers will get involved in your store.  I’d rather spend money at a store that supports the local boy scouts than one that doesn’t because when I support that store, “I” support the boy scouts.

• Read Financially Digital – Shameless plug.

• Finally, do what you do best and outsource the rest -- You’re a great widgetmaker but that doesn’t mean you know business accounting.  Make your widgets and hire an accountant don’t expect to run the best business you can by yourself.

Shawn Durham is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with ten years experience in purchasing, accounting and information technology.  His company, Kodiak Information Systems trains employees on the use of Microsoft Office, networking, internet resources and running a digital office.



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