Coming Soon… A New Downtown Rising in Paramount
It started with a drastic remake of Town Center West undertaken by the shopping plaza’s owners, Northgate Market. You have probably seen the vibrant new color scheme adorning the buildings, the reconfigured units that will soon house Yogurtland and another national food chain, and the outdoor dining patios sprinkling the Center. Landscaping has been redesigned throughout to enhance site improvements like covered trellis work and decorative walkways. All of this aesthetic activity has helped attract new tenants AutoZone and WSS Shoes to the expanded mix at Towne Center West.
This reinvigoration will soon be spilling over to Paramount Blvd. itself, as the City embarks on a dramatic rebuilding of our main business district.
The story of downtown Paramount is, in fact, entering its third chapter. The long-ago dairy and hay hub went downhill in the 1960s and ’70s, and was revitalized with suburban-style shopping centers in the 1980s. Now the time has come for a reboot.
This new vision for the commercial stretch between Jackson St. and Alondra Blvd. will produce a fresh and ambitious identity. The streetscape will become a “Boulevard of Gardens” using drought-tolerant plants. Widened sidewalks and decorative street crossings will encourage a pedestrianfriendly feel and create opportunities to linger amid the attractive surroundings.
New signage will unify the downtown thematically to Alondra, where the Clear-
water Crossing restaurant development is scheduled to open mid-year and will feature Applebee’s, The Habit, Waba Grill, and Chipotle, all grouped around an outdoor dining patio.
Part of the transforma -
tion will also tie into the Town Center West remodel, with a “parklet” taking shape on the boulevard that will have patio tables and also an elaborate bus bench enclosure with seating and trellises.
Construction for the improvements will start in the next few weeks with a projected completion date of late spring. During this time, all businesses will remain open. There may be occasional lane closures when
the use of alternative routes will be suggested.
So stay tuned and watch as the new downtown Paramount rises up to become a festive locale for strolling, shopping, dining, and hanging out.
Recipient of Senator Ricardo Lara 2015 Excellence in Business Award
Happy New Year, Paramount!
As we say goodbye to 2015, I hope – on behalf of my fellow City Council members and all of our Paramount City employees –that 2016 is a good, peaceful, and productive time for each and every one of you.
As the new year begins, I also want to express the City’s great appreciation for the community members who bring a positive attitude and sense of commitment to our town. Paramount is a strong city full of fantastic residents, businesses, churches, educators, and more. We thank you for your fine contributions.
Recycle Your Christmas Tree
If you still have your Christmas tree, remember to place it out for pickup by CalMet, the City’s refuse hauler. The tree will then be recycled into mulch.
CalMet will pick up trees at no charge through January 15 for single-family residential accounts. Be sure to remove the stand and all the decorations, lights, and tinsel, and do not wrap the tree or enclose it in a plastic bag. If the tree is four-feet-tall or less, you can put it in your green waste recycling barrel. For anything larger, set it curbside on your normal garbage collection day by 6:00 a.m. (Flocked trees will also be picked up.)
After January 15 your tree can still be taken away by scheduling a bulky item pickup.
For apartments or condominiums, trees
on the curb by 6:00 a.m. during the stated dates will be taken away for free on regular pickup days. If it’s necessary to drive onto the property there will be a $5.00 charge per tree. In these latter cases, the service must be ordered 24 hours before the regular pickup day by the manager or owner who must have the CalMet account number for verification.
Also, commercial customers must call CalMet before placing a tree out for collection so a green waste truck can visit their location.
If you have any questions, please call CalMet (562) 259-1239.
Taking Down Your Holiday Lights
Here’s a friendly reminder that the City has an ordinance relating to the display of exterior winter holiday lights for residential properties. The law states that such lights must be removed by January 15.
“Holiday lights” are defined as a string of lights commonly associated with the holiday season that contains multiple- or single-colored or clear light bulbs that are attached to a structure. Only residential properties are affected.
The ordinance was passed in response to concerns voiced by residents about keeping our neighborhoods attractive. The City appreciates everyone’s cooperation.
Household Hazardous Waste Roundups in January
The County of Los Angeles hosts household hazardous waste (and e-waste) collection events in various cities on a regular basis. Two will be held locally in January, including one in Paramount.
These roundups accept brake fluid, paint, paint thinner, cleaners with acid or lye, pesticides or herbicides, household batteries and car batteries, pool chemicals, motor oil, oil filters, expired pharmaceuticals, anti-freeze, fluorescent light bulbs, computer monitors, televisions, computer CPUs, keyboards, printers, cell phones, and more.
Items should be brought in a sturdy box, preferably with the original labels on any containers. Do not mix items together. There
Life is too short to spend it worrying! The New Year is a great reminder of the choice we have each day to enjoy each moment to the fullest. As it’s been said, “Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles; It empties today of its strength.” The truth is that most of what we worry about NEVER happens…Let’s stay grounded in today, one moment at a time!
Hope for Healing Counseling, inC. Alma San Miguel, LMFT (562) 445-8177
is a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste per trip. Be prepared to leave your containers and boxes, and remove all other items from your car’s trunk.
The first roundup will be on Saturday, January 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Paramount Swap Meet, 7900 All America Way, off Paramount Blvd. across from Paramount Park.
The second will be on Saturday, January 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Bell City Yard, 5320 Gage Ave. (off River Drive) in Bell.
Things you cannot bring include hazardous waste and e-waste from businesses, explosives, ammunition and radioactive materials, trash and tires, white goods such as refrigerators, stoves and washing machines, and controlled substances.
For more information, including upcoming events throughout the year, call 1-888-CLEANLA or visit www.888CleanLA.com.
Sign Up for Online Water Bill Payment
Many water utility customers have taken advantage of the City’s option to pay water bills online with a credit or debit card.
In order to create an account, you can visit www.paramountcity.com to find a story on the homepage with a link to where you can set up the online payment option. (You can also find this link on the “Services” page of the website under “Utilities” and “Water”.)
You can then pay a bill with a card, check your account information, and view both transaction and consumption histories. You can also set up an “auto-pay” feature using your credit card or debit card.
The credit or debit card option is only available online, and cannot be utilized if paying by mail or at the City Hall customer service counter.
All regular terms and conditions of payment apply. For more information, please call (562) 220-2010.
Community Center Available for Events
Need a facility for a birthday party, quinceañera, or other special family event? The Paramount Park Community Center’s hall is available for rent on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Capacity is 240 – 275 people. Call (562) 220-2090 for details.
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” – Frederick Keonig
Stop by the paramount Chamber offiCe to piCk up a Copy of the new 2016 paramount Chamber DireCtory
Mayor, Tom Hansen
There are plenty of facts, figures, and details about distracted driving, but the California Office of Traffic Safety wants you to know the plain and simple ones:
• 80 percent of vehicle crashes involve some sort of driver inattention.
• If something falls to the floor, pull over before trying to reach it.
The Paramount Public Safety Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have a strong partnership that brings the finest law enforcement services to the residents of Paramount. The Paramount Sheriff’s Station, located at 15001 Paramount Blvd., is a prime example of this relationship.
Project LEAD Sending Positive Message to Paramount Fifth Graders
The facility offers a number of services for the public. Among those are: filing crime reports; reporting suspicious activities and talking to deputies; paying parking violations and vehicle impound release fees; and responding to, or reporting, code enforcement complaints. Deputies are also available at the Station to interview victims and criminal suspects.
• Up to 6,000 people nationwide are killed in crashes where driver distractions are involved.
• Talking on a cell phone or texting is the number one source of driver distractions.
The phone number for the Station is (562) 220-2002.
The Paramount Sheriff’s Station hours are 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., 7 days a week, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on holidays.
Avoid Being Fooled by IRS Phone Scam
Paramount has its own dedicated District Attorney – Kelly Tatman – who works out of the Sheriff’s Station. Her duties include making sure that criminal investigations and prosecutions in town receive full attention and don’t fall through the cracks at the larger County D.A.’s Office.
• Texting takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, long enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph. Most crashes happen with less than three seconds reaction time.
Local police departments have reported that a phone scam targeting residents financially in relation to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has again been on the rise in the area.
• The act of talking on a cell phone, even hands free, can give you “inattention blindness,” where your brain isn’t seeing what’s right in front of you. You aren’t even aware that you are driving impaired. If you think you can handle both driving and talking on a cell phone or texting, you are kidding yourself and putting us all at risk.
Tatman has been visiting a class of 36 students at Jefferson School as part of Project LEAD. The program, which goes into the classroom once a week for 20 weeks during the school year, uses volunteers like Tatman from the D.A.’s Office to teach fifth-graders about the law and help them recognize the social and legal consequences of criminal behavior.
According to the IRS, this aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targets taxpayers, including recent immigrants. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS, some saying they are calling from the “Crime Investigation Department of the IRS.” These con artists can sound convincing and use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.
The IRS reports that the victims are told they owe money, which must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation, or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.
Sadly, too many young people first become acquainted with the justice system as delinquents. Project LEAD is designed to avoid that scenario.
Or victims may be told they have a refund due in an effort to trick them into sharing private information such as Social Security or bank account numbers. If the phone is not answered, the scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request.
Always remember, the IRS will never:
Distracted driving is anything that takes your eyes or mind off the road or your hands off the steering wheel – especially texting and cell phone use, whether hands-free or handheld. Who’s doing it? Most of us. It has been estimated that, at any one time, more than 10 percent of drivers are using a mobile device.
• Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
A ticket for $159 for texting or talking on a cell phone is a major distraction to your wallet.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
What can you do? Most important, obey the law. It’s there for a reason. Also, do your best to eliminate distractions:
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone
The class from Jefferson recently went on a field trip to the Museum of Tolerance. (They will also go to a local courthouse). In addition, Project LEAD’s curriculum includes speakers connected to the criminal justice system and a mock trial involving either drug selling or gun possession on campus. Students are assigned roles and argue a criminal case to a jury consisting of other students. Teachers and parents attend, too.
• Never text and drive.
• Turn off your phone when you get behind the wheel.
Internet IRS Scams
• Don’t text or call someone when you know they are likely to be driving.
At the end of the program, the kids will participate in a graduation ceremony and receive a certificate of completion from the D.A.’s Office at a meeting of the Paramount Public Safety Commission.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
Summer Vacation Home Checks
Con artists will also attempt to scam taxpayers through the internet whether it is by email or social media websites. According to the IRS, an IRS phishing scam is an unsolicited, bogus email that claims to come from the IRS. They often use fake refunds, phony tax bills, or threats of an audit. Some emails link to sham websites that look real.
• Make a pact with your family, spouse, and caregivers never to use the phone with kids in the car.
• No eating or drinking while driving.
• Don’t program your GPS, MP3 player, or other devices while driving.
• Do not reply to the message.
• Pull over and stop to read maps.
With summertime approaching, remember that if you’re going out of town for an extended period of time, you can schedule a home check.
The scammer’s goal is to lure victims to give up their personal and financial information. If they get what they’re after, they use it to steal a victim’s money and their identity. If you get a phishing email, the IRS offers the following advice:
• Don’t give out your personal or financial information.
• No grooming.
• Forward the email to phishing@irs.gov, then delete it.
• No reading.
• No watching videos.
• Don’t open any attachments or click on any links. They may have malicious code that may infect your computer.
• Try not to get too involved with passengers.
Paramount residents can contact the Sheriff’s Station about having Volunteers on Patrol keep an eye on your home or property while you’re gone. Call (562) 220-2002 to ask about vacation checks.
• If you would like to report a scam-related crime, please go to www.IC3.gov and select the “File a Complaint” option.
law enforcement team commended
Detective Pasqual Delgadillo, Deputy Andrew Hagewood, Deputy Ismael Marquez, and Sergeant Daniel Vizcarra of the Paramount Sheriff’s Station were commended at the Dec. 1 Paramount City Council meeting for their fine police work that quickly solved a major crime involving a burglary at the local AT&T store. From left: Councilmember Gene Daniels, Sergeant Vizcarra, Deputy Marquez, Mayor Tom Hansen, Detective Delgadillo, Councilmember Peggy Lemons, Deputy Hagewood, Vice Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer, and Captain Allen Castellano.
Holiday Donations made at Sheriff’s Station
A team of Santas made the holidays bright for local families on Saturday, December 12 with donations of gifts and food for 24 families in the community. The donations were made by the Paramount Sheriff’s Station led by Lt. David Auner, the Paramount Dance Company (whose members also helped decorate), the Paramount High School Jr. ROTC, and the local Starbucks and Walmart. City Councilmembers Diane J. Martinez and Gene Daniels were on hand, and a special vintage holiday sleigh was brought along by former Councilmember Lloyd Ikerd. Thanks for your big holiday hearts!
city’s Financial report receives Honors
At the Dec. 1 Paramount City Council meeting, the City’s Finance Department was given an award by the Government Finance Officers Association for producing an outstanding Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, something that every city in California is required by law to do. Paramount’s report has been recognized for its quality by the organization every year for more than three decades. Phil White, a partner in the accounting firm of Vavrinek, Trine, Day and Company, represented the Association at the meeting. From left: Councilmember Gene Daniels, Mayor Tom Hansen, City Finance Director Karina Liu, Senior Accountant Clyde Alexander, White, Finance Supervisor Margarita Gutierrez, Councilmember Peggy Lemons, and Vice Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer.
College Scholarships Applications Available Feb. 1
Grants Awarded to Local Students for $1,000 and $3,000
The Paramount Education Partnership (PEP) awards scholarships each year with the goal of making education beyond high school financially accessible.
The latest applications will be available as of February 1. Hard copies can be picked up at Paramount City Hall, the Paramount City Yard and locations throughout the School District. Copies can also be downloaded on the City of Paramount website at www.paramountcity. com and on the Paramount Unified School District website at www.paramount.k12.ca.us.
Scholarships of $1,000 are awarded to students attending a community college and $3,000 to students attending an accredited four-year institution within the U.S including vocational/trade/technical schools (that figure jumps to $4,000 for students at a UC campus). Scholarship monies may only be used to pay tuition, fees, books, and supplies for the 2016-2017 school year.
Applicants will be reviewed based on their completed application, academic record, financial need, extracurricular activities, work or volunteer experience, and future goals. Plagiarism or false information will permanently disqualify an applicant. First-time applicants will receive priority over past recipients.
The following are the mandatory requirements:
• You must be a City of Paramount resident or Paramount Unified School District student.
• Have a high school diploma or GED.
• Be enrolled in an accredited program to obtain an Associates of Arts or Bachelor’s degree and/or vocational certification. (Students must be able to provide proof of enrollment in an institution to be eligible.)
• Provide one letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor (who cannot be a relative).
• Possess a cumulative high school GPA of 2.0 or better.
Submit forms that demonstrate financial need as determined by FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and include a copy of Student Aid Report. (This is for college students, not high school students, who will need to consult their school counselor about showing financial need. Regardless, all students who apply for any financial aid should fill out the FAFSA – see below.)
Deadline to turn in the completed application is March 25. For information regarding the PEP Scholarship Program, please contact Suleyma Rosales at (562) 220-2132.
Fill Out FAFSA By march 2
The FAFSA application – as mentioned above – is managed by the Office of Federal Student Aid, part of the Department of Higher Education. It is found at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
All federal grant and loan awards are determined by the FAFSA, and nearly all colleges use the FAFSA as the basis for their own financial aid awards.
The FAFSA is available for completion every year on the first day of the calendar year (January 1).
Filing your FAFSA as early as possible will help to ensure you receive all of the federal financial aid you are eligible for, and will leave you with the most options for federal aid. FAFSA is used for an entire academic school year, so you will only need to file once per academic school year. For example, the 2016-2017 FAFSA is used for fall 2016, spring 2017, and summer 2017.
For the 2016/2017 academic year, the deadline for initial awards in California is March 2, 2016.
The FAFSA application should take about one hour to fill out, but this is only if you have all the necessary documents at hand before you begin. Some applicants get frustrated with the application process because they do not have ready access to all necessary tax forms and bank statements, so be sure to plan ahead before you sit down to complete your FAFSA.
The FAFSA requires information in five categories:
• Information about the student.
• Information about the student’s dependency status.
• Information about the student’s parents.
• Information about the student’s finances.
• A list of the schools that should receive the results of the FAFSA.
Students applying online can save their work and return to the application at a later date. Again, any financial aid award begins with the FAFSA, so be sure to complete the form before the deadlines for the schools to which you’ve applied.
Scholarship Fundraising Efforts
On November 18, Alondra Hot Wings in Paramount graciously held a fundraiser for the PEP Scholarship Fund, donating 20% of any check from those diners who mentioned PEP. A total of $279.68 went to the fund that helps local students keep their educational pursuits going beyond high school. Thank you to all who visited the restaurant for the fundraiser, and to Alondra Hot Wings for contributing to the community.
Students at Los Cerritos School got into the giving mood, too, holding an art show to benefit the scholarships, raising $174.05. It was a very generous thing for the kids at Los Cerritos to do, and their thoughtfulness and fundraising skills are to be commended.
In addition, PEP received a one-time grant of $2,500 though Edison International’s community outreach program.
The Paramount Chamber of Commerce would like to thank Southern California Edison for sponsoring the Paramount Chamber 2015 Holiday Mixer. The following businesses donated food and services to the event. Event photos and video can be found on the Paramount Chamber Facebook page www.facebook.com/ParamountChamber.
Alondra Hot Wings Antojitos Café Camelia
Gus’s
Mariscos El Perihuete
Pathways Volunteer Hospice Presents…The mousetrap
Agatha Christie does not like people to “share” the endings of her stories with others because she feels it “ruins the experience when you see the play”. In fact, it is said that The Mousetrap, which is the longest play in history, has quite a twist for the ending!
Each year Pathways Volunteer Hospice invites you to join them for a special night out with family and friends at the Long Beach Playhouse to enjoy a show and raise money to continue their work with those suffering illness and loss. Pathways will host a private performance of Mousetrap on January 28th. Tickets include admission, complimentary beverages before the show and complimentary coffee, wine and dessert during intermission; doors open at 7:00 p.m. and curtain call is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, all proceeds benefit programs and services offered by Pathways at no charge to the local community.
LONG BEACH PLAYHOUSE
5021 E. Anaheim Street, Long Beach
Call Pathways for more information, tickets and reservations-562-531-3031 or visit www.pathwayshospice.org
The “PEP” Moms from the Paramount Petroleum Community Learning Center at Spane Park deserve another big “thank you” for their annual holiday volunteer service, again packing the apple and candy cane bags for the Christmas Train in December. There were 30,000 bags in all for Santa Claus and his helpers to pass out in every neighborhood in town. The time, energy, and dedication shown by these wonderful residents – and their great help in making
Chess Class Celebration
Members of the Paramount Chess Class received a big surprise during their Christmas celebration. Each class member was given a chess board donated by Victor Zoquitecath and were treated to a holiday lunch donated by Jorge Bravo. Students
range in age from 6 – 12 years and meet every Tuesday at Progress Park East. Chess Class is free and new students can start any Tuesday, for more information call the City of Paramount’s Community Services & Recreation Department 562.220.2121
NETWORKING BREAKFAST
7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
How to Lead and manage Your Business
Brad Pollak will speak at the Paramount Chamber Networking Breakfast on January 28, 2016. Brad will give advice on how to lead and manage your business.
As a core advisor at the Long Beach City College SBDC, Mr. Pollak specializes in business start-ups, management, leadership, marketing strategies, and business plans. He has 20+ years’ experience as a marketing executive and as a general manager in the music industry, and is the owner of his own management consulting and career development consultancy in Long Beach.
Details for the event can be
A New Year - A Fresh Start
Hope for Healing Counseling, Inc. Alma San Miguel, LMFT (562) 445-8177
As we begin 2016, we have an opportunity to examine and reset goals, to determine to improve every area of our lives and enjoy a FRESH START! What a wonderful opportunity for a new beginning. All of us can benefit from taking time to reflect on 2015 and what we accomplished through the year. What challenges were faced? What are you particularly proud of? Once you’ve taken inventory, it’s important to celebrate your progress and your successes no matter how small. Then, turn to goal setting. What would you like to work towards this year? What area of your life would you like to improve? What relationship(s) would you like to invest in? Set concrete goals to help you guide, evaluate, and correct your behavior so that you stay on track. Remember each one of us is in charge of our life and capable of making positive changes. It’s important for each of us to real-
ize we have far greater control over our daily life then we think; we often think people, situations, relationships, etc., are never going to change which leads to being discouraged and giving up. Believing you have no control is the big lie. We control our behavior, our attitude, and our perspective. And most exciting of all… how we think, feel and act, which impacts those around us. Remember a positive attitude will positively impact everyone around you.
As we begin 2016 take time to identify a few significant goals you want to commit too. Write them down and keep them in a visible location; this will help you evaluate your progress and make changes as you move forward. Enlist the help of your loved ones to encourage you as you make progress.
You have 365 days to work on making your life better. Work hard, achieve your goals and in 2016 you will have a whole lot to celebrate. You can do it, one day, one moment at a time!
Happy New Year!
C ity S ervi C e S
The following businesses renewed their membership in the Paramount Chamber of Commerce last month, they are celebrating another year as members. Chamber and Business Resource Center services are made possible by their support.
Do You Know What Your Customer Wants?
It was just the other day when I was ordering products for this upcoming holiday season when the question I kept asking myself was, “Would my customers buy this?”
So often we stock our shelves or sell services that we think the customer wants, but how do we really know this is the product or service that they are actually looking for? If you’re like me, you tailor your business to what you like and what you would buy, most of the time just assuming your customers have the same taste you do. Here is my question to you, have you ever directly asked them what they want? In a recession, you cannot afford to let any customers slip away, so it is imperative that you supply what your customers demand. It is also much easier to sell additional items to customers you already have then to go out and look for new ones. There are many reasons why you should be asking your customers what they want; here are a few techniques you can use: Hold a focus group. Gather 8-12 people that represent the demographics of your client base to gain insight into your customers wants. Use a facilitator (which can be you) who will ask the group several targeted questions over a 1-2 hour session. The intent is to find out what these people are feeling, thinking, and wanting.
One of our clients recently held a focus group to find out if a certain location would be able to support a high-end toy store. They brought in a wide array of people that represented each demographic of the potential area. The purpose of this method is to find out what each groups wants and needs are. This model can be tailored to fit whatever type of information you are looking for.
Survey your customers. In my chocolate store I often give brief surveys or questionnaires for my customers to fill out. One time I had given out a questionnaire that asked my customers to tell me what there favorite product was. Once I tabulated all of the results I was amazed to find out that even thought the products they were looking for were very skewed, most of the responses were asking for products in dark chocolate. Prior to this survey I was carrying about 10% of my products in dark chocolate. After, I increased my dark chocolate line to 50% and my sales rose dramatically. By using this questionnaire the customers were able to express to me what they really wanted. As a rule, it is best to give surveys or questionnaires directly in the store. Don’t give your customer the chance to forget about it! To find some good templates of surveys or questionnaires, go to
www.surveymonkey.com or www. constantcontact.com.
Ask your frontline staff. Frontline employees are the people who have the most access to and can build the strongest relationship with your customers. Once you have established a relationship, you then want to give your front-line staff questions they should be asking the customer. They should be prompting the customer to share their feelings about the products and services offered. It is important that some type of mechanism be created so that once front-line staff gets feedback, they know what to do with it. I suggest some type of incentive program, so that employees are eager to share what they have learned. For my employees, I will give them a gift cer-
tificate to a restaurant or the movies to whichever employee is able to get feedback from the greatest number of customers.
Make sure that if you use any of these strategies, that you actually follow through and implement what your customers tell you. Here is my challenge to you, try one of these approaches listed above and see what happens. My guess is that your customers will be more than willing to spend more money in your business if you had additional products they were looking for. When your customers tell you what they want, they are basically telling you that they are willing to spend more money if you have what they are asking for. Isn’t that why we are in business in the first place?
Paramount Chamber of Commerce
Make A Difference • Join A Service Club
