&VIEWS

E ALL know that we have a new administration, new ideas for resolving the economic, unernployment, and energy crisis. It's a whole new ball game! Setting the government problems aside let's focus on another new ball game.

As a result of the past l8 months of declining building materials market, dealers have realized that the market is becoming competitive to the point that it is dog-eatdog to get business. Competition is keen. Every dealer is concerned that he personally is responsible for his loss of business and feels that responsibility as only his with no one else having a problem. Dealers across the nation are experiencing the same problem.

Owners/managers and corporate officers have scratched their heads to find some means of increasing sales. Out of the dark recesses of corporate offices came the brilliant idea that maybe better trained employees could help improve sales. The shift to employee training suddenly received priority.

The associations, which organize various training seminars, had previously had to hope that they could register sufficient attendance to cover costs. As dealers recognized the ne€d to train their employees, registrations at the training seminars arrived in increasing numbers to the point where additional seminars had to be scheduled and changes to large facilities were required.

The decline in business has started a new ball game that will be the most important move in the industry in many years. There is no doubt in any dealer's mind that employees mean the difference in profit or loss. Employees trained so that they are professionals have the admiration of customers because of their warm, friendly attitude, their ability to answer product questions, their knowledge of the thousands of stocked items and their ability to lead into and close the sale. The employee is the most important asset of the business and the industry is at long last recognizing this fact and taking action to develop employees as fully as possible.

It would be ideal if when a new employee is hired he could be shipped off to a school for a six week training course and returned as a perfect representative of your company. Since this is not practical, the next best solution is the periodic but continuing employee education programs conducted by the associations.

Your employees must be professionals. There is no room in this highly competitive arena for mediocrity. It costs us too much in loss of total sales. The trend toward employee training is gaining momentum as a result of dealers observing others who are taking a great interest in employee training. The trend will continue and it will be necessary for the associations to provide for the needs of the dealers.

The End ls in Sight

Plan a peppy upbeat agenda item for the end of the meeting with the final two minutes used to restate assignments and deadlines, summarize action, and extensions fon next meeting.

OSHA Rules onMedical Records

New regulations on employee medical records are now in effect through OSHA.

Both employees and unions are now entitled to request and rbceive medical records Management also is now required to submit employee medical records to OSHA upon request without prior consent of the employee. Medical records now will follow employees irom .joU to job and must be kept for 30 years after the employee has stopped working.

Management should require written reque_sts for records before releasing them. Management also can insist upon the name and address of a previous employer in ordei to secure the medical records for an employee.

The only medical record entitled to be withheld is one with information on terminal illness and medical problems. These may be presented to a third party chosen by the employee.

OSHASoftens Demands

A new procedure which should reduce litigation and expedite elimination of working hazards is being instituted by OSHA with area directors authorized to deal with disputes.

Employers receiving citations will be advised by letter that they may discuss possible amendments to the citations with the area directors in informal conferences.

After these meetings, an area director may change the citation lowering the level of the charge if the employers provide information which indicates that changes are justified.

REDW00D Design-A-Deck Plan Kits, the California Redwood Association's successful d-i-y deck construction package, are being offered to retailers and consumers for the fourth year. The kits, with complete plans, materials lists, pre-punched deck templates and 20-p. instruction manual, have been used successfully as the focus of d-i-y clinics, in-store displays and point-of-purchase attention grabbers.