Joan and I are going to a place that sells both music instrument stuff and Apple tech. While she gets her bassoon reeds, should take this disk tray in and ask for recommendations on computer to utilize these. WhatDaYaThink? Would they even know what these are?
Note: This was from our business’ first computer software installation (early 80’s). I remember liking Word Perfect better than Word. Software was on 20+ disks, plus …. well you can see the 4th disk for printer installation. #floppydisks
Our fundraising convention was in Atlantic City — at the Trump Taj Mahal. I’d never seen anything like it. There were probably over a dozen check in agents. There were all sorts of people who wanted to open doors, carry luggage, etc — all for tips, of course. We experienced a major customer service upgrade.
When we got to our luxurious room, there was something wrong with one (yes, one) of our three phones. There was a phone next to the bed, one on the desk, and one in the bathroom.
When I called the front desk about the phone, I was invited to bring Joan and go to the manager’s desk in the lobby. Once there, we were informed we’d be changing rooms. I didn’t want to move our stuff.
“It has already been moved for you….and I think you’ll like your new room.”
Main lobby entrance.
The tower of rooms.
From the living room toward the bath room.
Living room from guest bath.
Living room from dining area. Notice chandelier. There is a fireplace to the left of the TWO front doors.
Living room from bedroom. TV comes up out of the furniture. Jacuzzi is left of TV.
Bedroom from bath. TV comes up out of furniture. Notice the mirror on the ceiling over the bed.
View out one window.
View out another window.
We were escorted via a private elevator to our “suite”. There were two front doors, a living room, a dining area with a chandelier, and two bedrooms (one had a TV that came out of the furniture, a jacuzzi and a mirror on the ceiling over the bed). The guest room also had a bath. There was a fireplace and large screen TV in the living room. Windows faced two different directions.
This upgrade because of a broken phone. They could have just replaced the phone, but this is exceptional customer service.
UPDATE: 8/17/24: This Casino/Hotel closed in 2016 as the result of a labor dispute and strike.
Before I left my first sales job, I had worked five years for a national manufacturing company which spent a lot of time making the case that, even though ours was a “draw-against-commission” job (straight commission with a regular check, in other words), we had the security of management and big business backing us up and that life on the outside competing as a “trunk-slammer” who represented a variety of manufacturers and importers was an extremely high-risk proposition.
The manager who hired me left the company during my fourth year to go work for an importer that competed with my manufacturing company employer. A few months into his new job he called me…
John, you gotta get outta there. There are too many stupid people out here making too much money trying to do what you have already been trained to do. Make the jump, you’ll be fine.
He sent me information and I started researching the contract I was under. This process went on for several months. I started making plans and connections. Then I got another call from Bob,
John, have you left yet?
No, but I have one foot out the door.
Well, never mind. Don’t go. I’m back!
He had been hired back as upper-level management. I did resign and was one of the very few who did so to start working independently in the same business, who did NOT get challenged on the contract — and my theory as to why — is that Bob, did not want to have to answer in court that he was, in fact, the one who told me to leave and advised me to do exactly what I did. I’m glad they hired him back.
My wife and I ate beans and cornbread for a few months, but we got our business up and running and never looked back.
As I made the rounds to some of my former customers to tell them that I was still in business, but would be operating under another name, George, an Assistant Middle School Principal and Athletic Director started asking me a lot of questions and expressed an interest in coming to work for me in my new business.
But George, you have tenure, a Masters Degree and a Principal’s License. I can’t pay you anything until you sell something. Take a couple weeks to think about it.
A few weeks later I called George,
Just checking in to answer questions and see what I can do to help reduce your stress as you consider your options.
I’m not under stress anymore. I just resigned.
I know it took him a couple years to match the income he walked away from, but I underestimated the thrill of helping get an operation off the ground. George was a faithful and successful sales rep for me for twenty years until his retirement a few years ago.
I was arriving for an after-school meeting in a rural elementary school. Buses were pulling in and I decided to wait 5 minutes in my car for the bell. After the busses pulled away I entered and went to the office. As soon as I introduced myself I could tell something was wrong. The principal was standing behind the secretary with a troubled look. Just then I heard the sound of leather that you only hear if you are really close to a police officer wanting to quietly get your attention. The principal informed the sheriff I was ok. Recognizing MY surprise, he explained that.
“When we see an out-of-county car sitting in our parking lot at dismissal time, we call the sheriff.”
Made sense.
Added this to both my “Stories Through My Ages” and “Selling In The Schoolhouse” books.
It was in one of my early years of fundraising on my own. I was working with an area elementary school and using a program that included chocolates manufactured in Wisconsin. The order taking and product delivery went fine. It was a day or two after I delivered the student-packaged orders that I took a tense call from the principal.
[Mr. S] was a hard man to work with. When I started in fundraising, he was one of the many loyal customers of a long-entrenched and very successful competitor. I kept calling on him, however, and when things started changing with the company and rep he had been using, he asked me to stop by. I was probably one of the few who kept calling on him, so persistence paid in this case.
The phone call was that we had a problem and I needed to come to the school immediately. I did.
Someone [suspect] had called the school saying he bit into a chocolate and found a staple inside. Mr. S was ready to put the word out to return all the product and notify the newspaper. That would have been devastating to my young business and the fall out from something like that could ruin me. I would have had to pay for the product and the school’s profit loss from the returned product.
While I was sitting at his desk, I called the candy vendor and asked for the highest-ranking person I knew. I was told, “He’s in a meeting.” I think I used the words potential injury and lawsuit in the same sentence when I demanded they get him out of his meeting. They did.
When I explained the situation, he said I would get another call momentarily.
That call was from the in-house corporate attorney, who, as it turned out, had partial ownership in the company. He was terrific as he had been through stuff like this before and kept Mr. S and me informed and one step ahead of the situation all the way through.
He explained to us the near impossibility of such a happening — that there are multiple metal detectors on each candy line, including one at the very end. He mentioned that staplers are not allowed in the candy rooms and that the detectors are mostly for any potential metal fragments from the machinery itself.
From the product shipment and candy type, he was able to get a report of the manufacturing process on that line for that day and there had been no problem.
He wanted us to call the person making the complaint and find out:
Is he ok? (Yes)
Was he injured? (No)
Did he go to a doctor? (No)
We suggested he go to the doctor. (Would not)
Where was he when he bit into the chocolate….including a detailed description of what happened? He was in a band rehearsal at a local golf club. Claimed he opened a box of caramel pecan chocolates and shared them with his friends.
Did anyone else find a staple in their chocolate? (No)
Did he still have the piece of candy with the staple in it? (Yes — instructed to bring it to the school).
The lawyer advised me to go to the golf club rehearsal area to look for staples. Mr. S went with me. Not surprising for a reception room, there were staples on every post from where banners and streamers had been hung. We pulled a few from different areas and of differing varieties and sent those, as well as our “damaged” chocolate, NDA to Wisconsin.
At this point, he told us his suspicion and advised how to proceed. The purpose of the “are you hurt” and “did you go to the doctor” questions would prevent the guy from claiming harm later. Collecting staples, including the one in the piece of chocolate, would enable analysis to determine several things.
After the staples were analyzed, the lawyer called and confirmed that:
Even though there are already no staplers in the candy making facility, none of the staples matched the types of staplers they had in the office areas.
The staple in the piece of chocolate was a match to some of the staples we sent, meaning it came from the golf course and not the chocolate maker.
I was to call the man and ask what I could do to make it right for him, i.e. free chocolate and/or his money back. And, the manufacturer would pay for a trip to the doctor to have everything checked out. He refused to do that.
The lawyer said,
“As soon as anything comes out of his mouth that sounds like he wants anything more than that — tell him he will hear next from the corporate attorney, who has already been in touch with federal authorities…and hang up immediately.”
Federal authorities were involved because of the multiple states involved.
During the conversation, in response to my asking how to make it right, the suspect said….
“A big screen TV would be good.”
Boom.
By this time Mr. S was convinced this was not a staple in the candy issue and was extremely appreciative of the way both I and the attorney handled the situation.
The attorney told us that we would hear back from someone about resolution within a day.
It was just a couple hours.
The next call I got was from a man who identified himself as a federal agent. He confirmed that this was fraud and extortion and asked if we wanted to press charges.
No. The negative publicity would still have been harmful and the type of attention that could encourage school officials to ban product fundraising.
The case was closed. And I did earn additional business at that school and with that principal.
All of this happened over a two day period with the second day only because of the transport time to get the staples to Wisconsin for immediate analysis.
I was working for the national fundraising company and in my first few years as a full-time product fundraiser. I spent most of my time calling on larger groups such as total elementary and middle schools, bands, choirs, leagues.
It was a time when you could still walk into an elementary school, go to the office and ask the secretary if you can see the principal — and have at least some chance that you might. No security cameras, buzzing in, showing id and such.
It was almost always okay to leave product samples. I would often leave something in the office for the secretary because everyone knows secretaries know everything about what is going on and have the power to get you (or prevent you from) the decision-makers. When I had chocolates available, those were especially appreciated. Principals and group decision-makers would usually accept chocolate samples.
Other gifts were sometimes problematic. There was a choir director I had worked with for several years. At the time, I was working with a prize vendor who offered novelty phones (land-line, of course). I especially liked the coke phone as a student/seller prize. But I wanted to give this director a piano phone and he wouldn’t accept it — until he was in his last year ready to retire. It wasn’t a matter of “buying” his business (the phone cost @$20) but of genuinely showing appreciation to a long-loyal customer.
Samples and small gifts were one thing. This story is about something else. I am not including the name of the town, school corporation, school, or individual. I want to emphasize that school teachers, sponsors and administrators are overwhelmingly highly-ethical people with a real desire to help students.
This visit was at a medium-sized elementary school with a principal I had yet to meet. He invited me into his office, closed the door, and sat behind his desk. He was an older guy who appeared to have put in enough time to retire.
I was immediately shocked when he started telling me how he hated children, hated his faculty and staff….and, well, everything about his job. As a former teacher, I was simultaneously uncomfortable and angry as he continued. But then it got worse.
After what was supposed to be ice-breaking information gathering prior to giving me details to include or address in my “sales presentation”, he asked me a bizarre question that caught me totally off guard;
“If I sign up to do a fundraiser with you, what is in it for me?”
He couldn’t be asking what I thought he was, and I didn’t want to assume, so I implemented my excellent sales training by asking questions.
“You mean what is in it for your school? [Immediately continuing]….your school should earn about $xxx which will help fund some of the needs you already mentioned.”
“Well, yes…..but what about ME? This is going to be a sizable sale with a good amount of commission for you and I want to know what you would provide me in appreciation.”
At that point, I started putting my materials away, stood up, thanked him for his time, and told him I couldn’t work with him.
As I made my way to open the office door, he mentioned something about confidentiality, and when I glanced back his facial expression was something in between anger and fear.
My dad was a 32-yr career firefighter, retiring as an Assistant Chief for a moderately sized, full-time department that had about 10 stations throughout the city. I recall a childhood time when my siblings and I were vising him at the firehouse. When the alarm sounded, he abruptly pointed to the wall, and said
“Stand right there ’til someone comes for you.”
Immediately, 10 doors (5 front, 5 rear) open, the intercom is announcing location and status, and people are hustling from every direction Twenty seconds later, the building is open, empty and quiet. One of the dispatchers invited us into his area while our mother scrambled to come pick us up.
As a small business owner, Ibelieve some of my Dad’s Fire Department practices could help Small Business when it comes to putting out fires. Here are 11 things Small Business and Fire Departments should have in common.
Fire Departments
The Facility is well cared for. There are assignments (often seniority based) for sweeping/moping, washing/waxing, cooking, dishes, janitorial, supply maintenance, inventory and more. Rookies get the grunt jobs, but everybody has assignments and responsibilities with accountability.
Saving time is paramount.Vehicles are always facing the door for quick departure. Driver doors are left opened. Boots and pants are kept close to the truck (or the bed) and set for the firefighter to step into the boots and pull up the pants. Coats and helmets are on the truck to be added en route. When the bell rings, things happen and seconds count.
Equipment is organized and ready. Hoses have been carefully cleaned, inspected and rolled, and tools have been cleaned and stored so everyone knows where they are. Tire pressures, water levels and fuel have all been checked and readied. Efficient access is essential.
Skill sets are in place for lots of contingencies (types of fires, whether people are at risk, etc). Sometimes things don’t go the way they’re supposed to.
Practice, practice, practice. They practice driving through the streets (need to know every street, location of every fire hydrant), practice moving through smoke and fire, climb ladders, spray water, use the tools, lots of speed tests, inspections and homework. Ready to perform.
Group and Individual Goals plus Assignments are clearly defined, understood and bought into. There is no discussion about who gets to shoot the water cannon or hook up the hoses. They already know who is primary and secondary in hose control or who is going up the ladder first. Avoid unnecessary drama.
Coordination, Collaboration and Communication are essential. Control the traffic lights, mobilize police, roll the ambulance if needed or in doubt, notify the hospital and street departments, hold the trains, and get the business owner on the line. My dad always said, “We’ll be there in under 90 seconds”.
The Chain of Command is absolute. On a fire fun, the police are in support mode. Everyone has expertise and input, but primary is to trust and obey, for there’s no other way.
The only pic I have of my dad at a fire and he is there in street clothes. As the Asst off-duty Chief, he’s there getting his hands dirty.
Firefighters know who they work for and will sacrifice to serve. When someone calls 911, firefighters will do what firefighters did on 9/11.
No firefighter is ever left behind.Period.
When the gig is over, get ready for the next one. The trip back to the firehouse can be exhausting, but some things can’t wait until tomorrow.
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Small Business
The Facility is well cared for. What does your work area look like at the end of a day? Are there water bottles, messy desks, stacks of mail and reports? Unless you have a fantastic janitorial staff, make assignments. Delegate. What is your expectation for facility cleanliness and functionality?
Saving time is paramount. When it is time to start, is everything ready? Is there an agenda, task list or to-do list for the day?
Equipment is organized and ready. Desks are clean, waste baskets empty, floors swept, restrooms supplied, light bulbs in, etc? When that important phone call comes in, you don’t want to have to spend time getting ready to handle it.
Skill sets are in place for contingencies. Have you cross trained employees so that you can still function if the secretary, receptionist or warehouse manager are out sick or otherwise unavailable? Can you still answer phones, respond to emails, texts, faxes or social media messages, know where to find records when needed to answer a customer call or complaint, load or unload the truck and know where to place or retrieve product?
Practice, practice, practice. Schools have monthly fire drills even though there hasn’t been a school fire-related death in over 60 years. They also practice tornado drills and, increasingly, active shooter drills. Hopefully they never encounter any of those, but if they do — they have a better chance survival because they practiced. Having a list of procedures or contingencies is good, but nothing is better than practice. Practice your cross-trained assignments.
Are Group and Individual Goals plus Assignments clearly defined, understood and bought into? When a fire fighter makes a mistake on scene, someone can die. Business is not usually life and death, but do your order fulfillment personnel understand what happens when they make mistakes?
One of the most effective practices I put into place was to bring in a salesperson to talk to our order fulfillment crew and explain to them what happens to his customer, his income and even their jobs when orders go out with too many errors.
Coordination, Collaboration and Communication are essential. You have administration, management, office and warehouse staff….do all the appropriate people know what you are doing? Do you?
The Chain of Command is absolute. Everybody needs to be on the same team, but there can only be one coach. Encourage and welcome input, but make sure the team understands that once a decision happens, debate ends and action begins.
Employees know who they work for and will sacrifice to serve. If they won’t go above and beyond for you, then you have a different problem. Strive to instill pride and earn loyalty.
No customer is ever left behind. Period.
When the gig is over, get ready for the next one.
Meticulously planning and preparing for, and then efficiently and effectively fighting “fires” is something both fire fighters and small business owners should be good at. Business should be ready, but not always “putting out fires”.
The purpose of THIS post is to encourage you to be READY and SET so that when the alarm rings, you are prepared to GO!
Thanks for reading,
JohnGardner@VirtualMusicOffice.com
I wrote a tribute to my Dad, the firefighter, and included description and picture from the worst fire he ever fought…. the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire of 1977 that took the lives of 165 people, including my high school clarinet teacher. I also talk about his Fire Chief experience with accusations and responses to sexism and racism. Read more….
Last Christmas, we purchased an Epson Eco-Tank printer and I ordered extra ink from LD Products. I’ve worked with LD for years and have always had good products and, when necessary, good customer service.
So impressed with the ink usage. Finally, after a full year, which included printing a dozen or so copies of a multi-hundred page memoir (2-sided in color)…. we FINALLY had to replace the black ink. Note, the rest of the colors are only half used in a full year — and these cartridges are well under $10ea. Much more economical and efficient than the cartridges we dealt with for years prior.
Only now, however, did I discover how messed up our order was, including bottles that didn’t fit, one that was sealed without a nozzle, one where the nozzle stayed in the lid and ALL the color cartridges were the wrong number for the box.
I had to prove what I had, so sent this pic to LD. I’m confident they will take care of me.
The good news is that I was able to get one bottle to work and fill the black (with still more left in the bottle for next time).
Bottom line — and I knew this from my years in business:
1) Assume Nothing, and 2) Check your order when it is received.
There is a sales technique called the “Puppy Dog” close. It gets is name from the puppy dog at the pet shop scenario:
A mother and young child go into a pet store to buy a dog. They find one, but mamma says it is too expensive.
The wise sales clerk invites the mother and child to take the puppy home for the night….with the offer to bring it back the next day if they don’t think it is worth the price.
They will NOT likely bring the puppy back.
I fell for that sales close with a car once. My wife wasn’t with me when I stopped on the lot (intentional, so I had a way out of a pressure sales situation). The smart salesperson invited me to drive the car home to show her. SOLD!
I used the “Puppy Dog” approach with a clarinet student (I will call her Sally). The first time I heard her play was in a middle school concert. I didn’t know Sally, but I noticed her. It was 2-3 yrs later when I convinced her parents to let her study privately with me. She had incredible musicianship but was hindered by a mediocre instrument.
When I would ask about a step up instrument, she always responded about how busy her parents were. Knowing her father’s occupation, I knew PRICE was NOT the issue.
The music dealer let me borrow a top of the line clarinet for a day, with return privilege that I was not expecting to utilize.
I took the clarinet to Sally’s band rehearsal at the high school, instructing her to play it in the rehearsal and then to take it home that night to practice with at home and either return the clarinet or payment the next day. She handed me the check for payment in full.
“I’m fairly certain that you’re the only high school band director in this part of the state that actually responds to e-mails from the public.”
Response
Thanks. I try to respond to most emails quickly. Comes from decades in the BUSINESS world. No matter what business you are in, including the business of education, answering email is basic courtesy-101.
From a business perspective
As a business owner, I am generally responding to a variety of email
– VENDORS. (Educational equivalent = Administrators). You NEED vendors and their cooperation and quick responses can ensure that you continue to get the products, services and support needed. A vendor can cut you off (fire you) and force you to look elsewhere for an opportunity to generate income.
– CUSTOMERS. (Educational equivalent = Students/Parents). You NEED customers to survive in business. An unhappy customer takes his/her business elsewhere. A disgruntled student gossips or quits band. A Parent withdraws support, pulls the child out of the program or contacts an administrator to complain.
– BUSINESS OWNERS. (Educational equivalent = Band Directors). Sometimes businesses who compete can also collaborate. For example, in the fundraising business, I will respond to a request from a competitor who needs some brochures that the vendor is temporarily out of, but I have on hand. And then, when one of my vendors is backordered on a product, I will ask a competitor if I can purchase some of their stock. A Band Director should always respond quickly to another Band Director.
Joan and I are going to a place that sells both music instrument stuff and Apple tech. While she gets her bassoon reeds, should take this disk tray in and ask for recommendations on computer to utilize these. WhatDaYaThink? Would they even know what these are?
I was arriving for an after-school meeting in a rural elementary school. Buses were pulling in and I decided to wait 5 minutes in my car for the bell. After the busses pulled away I entered and went to the office. As soon as I introduced myself I could tell something was wrong. The principal was standing behind the secretary with a troubled look. Just then I heard the sound of leather that you only hear if you are really close to a police officer wanting to quietly get your attention. The principal informed the sheriff I was ok.
Last Christmas, we purchased an Epson Eco-Tank printer and I ordered extra ink from 
