HOME EENTER MEREHANTI

BILL FISHMAN

Bill Fishman & Affitiates

11650 lberia Place

San Diego, Ca.92128

/r USTOVER service! More has been V said about customer service during the past 12 months than in the entire previous history of the home center industry.

Writers and platform speakers continue to advise retailers to increase their service levels if they hope to maintain or increase their customer base. These advisers, however, are hard pressed to come up.with answers.yhen retailers ask what speci/ic serviees they could offer and how to cover the cost and still remain competitive.

Here are a few things a retailer can do to enhance his perceived service levels:

Transform

NEGATIVE SIGNINC INTO CUSTOMER BENEFITS

Current

"No credit unless ."

Better

"Charge it: We'll be happy to extend credit Here's all we ask .'i

Current

"No exchanges or returns without a receipt"

IJetter

"Satislaction G uaranteed! No hassle return policy. Just return your purchase in the original carton with your sales receipt"

Current

"No deliveries except ," Better

"Delivery can be arranged for all purchases over $75. The lollowing is our deliverypolicy:..."

R E-EDUCATE SALES PERSONNEL

It's difTicult but management must teach store personnel who lace customers daily to not nickel and dime a cus- tomer or bury him in paper and lose him forever.

Frank Meeks, the young Domino Pizza franchiser from Washington, D.C., told us from the stage at the Home Center Show that he finds it diflicult to convince his drivers not to argue with customers who demand $3 off their cost claiming the driver arrived just beyond the 30 minute guarantee. Lose the $3 and gain a lifetime customer he preaches.

ACKNOWLEDGE!

One minute of waiting time seems like | 5 minutes to a customer who is ignored. Let him know that you know he's there and that he is next and his patience quota greatly expands.

FOLLOW.UP PHONE CALL

Show your big ticket purchasers that you care. Have someone from your operation place a phone call asking, "How is the purchase performing?"

CUTTING SERVICES

Offer cutting services. It's OK to charge . . just make the service available.

SPECIAL ORDERS

Keep your supplier catalogs handy. Take the time to place special orders for your customers. Get the full margin and take a hefty deposit.

INSTALLATION SERVICES

There's a big market out there who don't want to do it themselves. Make

(Please turn to page 24)

Each month for nearly seven years, the popular Operating Opportunities column written by Wally Lynch has appeared on this page. But change has entered the arena. Wally is phasing out the column but has promised to write articles on various tlpics for us in future issues. While we'll miss his monthly wisdom, we know our readers share our pleasure that he'll continue on as a contribiling editor -editor.

WALLY LYNCH

Fine Textured/ Kiln Dried

NAVA-PINE

Premium Quality

Lumber

Half Pak PIL.

NAVA-PAK

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association sponsored a credit seminar for Arizona members under the leadership of Fred Caruso. MSLBMDA executive vice president, and Phoenix attorney Thomas C. Horne.

A review of Arizona lien laws and techniques material suppliers can use to protect and enforce their lien rights was an important part of the all day program March 23 at the Fiesta Inn in Tempe. Credit and collection practices also were reviewed.

The annual May golf tournament and steak fry for Arizona dealers has been postponed in favor of more educational programs, according to Kathryn Smith at MSLBMDA headquarters in Englewood, Co.

Lumber Association of Southern California has named Warren Wexler, president of Pine Tree Lumber Co., as a member at large.

The board and general membershiP weekend was attended by 26 members. Solvang, Hearst Castle and Santa Barbara were visited. Four new members were voted into the association during the board meeting: Elsinore Pioneer Lumber Co., Inc., l"ar West Plywood Co., Mill Lumber Co. and Western Wood Treating.

The association is notilying members of changes in the compensation laws effective Jan. l.

The report of industrial injuries (from 5020) must be filed promptly and accurately so that provisions of the law requiring payment within l4 days of in- jury reporting and presumption of compensability within 90 days can be met without incurring penalties.

The employer is now required to provide the employee's claim form to the injured employee within 24 hours of the date the injury is reported. Knowledge of the injury constitutes reporting.

A provision in the law provides for an automatic 1006 penalty payable to the claimant on all benefits unpaid within l4 days from receipt ol the claim form by the employer.

The association in cooperation with Cypress Insurance Co. will be conducting area meetings this month to discuss these regulations. "Effective Techniques To Control Workers Compensation Costs" is the program which will follow a 6:30 social hour and dinner at 7.

Locations and dates: Eastside/San Gabriel Valley, Rosemead, April l0; North San Diego County, San Diego, April l2; Orange County, Anaheim, April l7; Santa Barbara/Ventura, Santa Barbara, April l9; Westside, Culver City, April 24. San Fernando ValleY meeting was April 3 and San Bernardino/Riverside April 5.

Western Building Materials Association will hold its 26th annual all industry marketing management conference at Rippling River Resort, Welches, Or., May l9-21.

Robert Aiken, The Percon Group, Kansas City, Ks., will discuss "How to

(Please turn to page 24)

Handi-cut/ Home Ctr. Brds. Half Pak HLL. and Pyf.

NAVATRIM

Premium Mldgs. and Millwork

Bundled/Unitized/ Pv/.