THREE BALLS CHRONICLE VOLUME 3 / ISSUE 4
April 2020
IN THIS ISSUE Letter from the President Letter from the General Manager Loyalty Pawn Family Store Manager Updates Golden 1 Center Events Upcoming Sales Upcoming Birthdays and Anniversaries and New Hires Top Performers in March Loyalty Pawn’s Core Goals, Values and Visions Employee Services Corner
Team Loyalty!! In this issue we have some updates about COVID-19 and we are hoping that you and your families stay safe when going out. Some important dates are that Easter is on April 8th and hope that everyone has a wonderful and blessed Easter with friends and family! Be sure to check out some of the new content that we have added about monthly birthstones and information about them so that we can expand our knowledge for customers about these precious stones. Let’s make 2020 an amazing year here at Loyalty Pawn!
Letter from the President Hello Team Loyalty, I would like to first say a Thank You to all Loyalty Team members, these are strange and ever-changing times sometimes by the week, the day or even by the hour and all of us have been there to adapt. Some had to quarantine themselves for two weeks, we all dealt with a change in hours, more frequent cleaning, shuffling around of team members, client monitoring and the list goes on. I feel that each of you have done a terrific job in reacting to the changes and sometimes it is easier to resist change but you did not, you embraced it and adapted and for that I want to let you know how much I appreciate how easy you have made these changes happen. Thank You. As mentioned above these are changing times. The Coronavirus has changed all of our lives it is important that we follow the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines to the best of our abilities (wash hands frequently, keep a 6 foot distance, face masks if possible, gloves when possible, disinfect work areas frequently). There are more tips that can be found on the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html). Another issue that we may have to face is forced closure. We are an Essential business and therefore you are Essential employees. Throughout the state and the nation as well different government agencies from police and sheriff's departments, building inspectors and health and human services agency have been coming into pawnshops and other businesses and requiring them to close. As you are aware I am very involved in our state association CAPA (California Pawnbrokers Associations) and we have been getting stores re-opened almost daily for the last 7-10 days our largest victory was from the mayor of Los Angeles, in an open letter to the entire City of LA he put pawnshops on his list of essential businesses. Loyalty Pawn has created great relationships with most of our local government officials, so we are well positioned to not have this happen to us. If a local agency does come in to one of our locations, provide them with the letter each of the managers have access to and explain to them that we are an essential business, if they continue to demand that you close, simply comply and then immediately call Wayne, Javier or myself. We will get the store(s) re-opened ASAP. For a point of clarity here is part of the financial code that would define a pawnshop. Financial Code § 31041 defines “financial institution” to mean any commercial bank, trust company, savings and loan association, credit union, industrial loan company, insurance company, or person engaged in the business of lending money.” Again, Thank You for being so patient and willing to adapt. There will be more changes I am certain of that and we will create the best plan of action when we are confronted with ever changing times. Be safe and stay healthy. Gratefully Stan Lukowicz 2
A Letter from the General Manager Hello Everyone, Well, these certainly are new interesting times! We have seen many changes throughout the year and hopefully, the COVID-19 virus will be remembered as a hick-up in time. We are preparing for what many consider a “new norm”. What has changed since the beginning of the year? We have been and continue to deliver our services while maintaining our company culture. By going store to store, our company culture, store values, and goals, are more present than ever! To shine some light on what I have seen, massive creativity coming out of West Sac! The leadership and team at that store are all hands-on deck operating the store and eBay. The El Camino team has been working tirelessly to keep up with the company standards of Loyalty, Dedication, and Creativity. All stores became dedicated and creative when reaching out to our texting customers. This has helped calm nerves amongst some clients unable to come in. Since we created the online payment link, we have many thanks coming from our clients. So far, Roseville appears to have some of the best results through Podium. I’m sure that more clients will take advantage of our easy online payment system. While we are operating as an essential business, we are all “offering immediate relief with a short-term loan”, (let’s not forget). We will continue to provide the highest standard of quality, commitment and value to EVERY customer in our Loyalty Pawn Family. This is our culture, this is our brand, this is who we are. Also, I would like to give a big thanks to all the stores. Each one of you is doing a fantastic job making sure your work environments are clean, sanitized and continue to be cognizant of how many clients we allow in at one time. Please continue to use the cleaning resources on hand to help keep your environments virus free. Even with the new changes in jewelry on hand and inventory for that matter, we still have the 3 top salespeople to report for the month. In first place, Dominic T. $24,781.34, 2nd place Joseph Contreras $15,297.6 and 3rd place goes to Mark Xiong selling $15,156.84. Thank you! The future sales will be interesting to accomplish ahead but we’re inventory ready! Stay Safe! Sincerely, Wayne Silliman General Manager “Make improvements, not excuses. Seek respect, not attention.”- Roy T. Bennett 3
Loyalty Pawn Family Spring is upon us and it seems like nicer weather is here. First things first I would like to say great job to our entire team for our continuous efforts to keep our stores clean and sanitized for not only ourselves but also our clients. We have all been working extremely hard to make the best of the situation and to continue to provide excellent customer service. This month we’re going to get to know Joseph Contreras on of the SLAs from the El Camino location. He has been in the industry for about three and a half years. He never thought he would make this job into a career when he first started with us but now has found much respect and admiration for the industry and what it does for not only it’s staff but also their clients. 1.
Who is your hero and why? a.
My hero is my Uncle Ysmael Villegas or “uncle Smiley” as my family called him. He was one of the few Latinos to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II.
2.
What is your favorite family vacation? a.
I have 2 favorite family trips. Going beach camping in Mexico every year for my birthday as a kid. Also going to O’ahu last year.
3.
What did you want to be when you were small? a.
I wanted to be a Crime Scene Investigator or a Correctional Officer.
4.
What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play? a.
Football is my favorite sport to watch and play. I am a Fan of the greatest team ever known, The Dallas Cowboys.
5.
What would you sing at karaoke night? a.
6.
Have you ever had a nickname? What is it? a.
7.
Juicy by Notorious BIG. My nicknames as a kid were Jojo, joey, boo or big head.
Would you rather win the lottery or work at the perfect job? And why? a.
I’d want to win the lottery, because being in customer service for so many years, I’m used to dealing with challenging jobs.
8.
Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island with? a.
9.
Bear Grylls hands down.
If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to and why? a.
I’d want to go back to 1975, so I could be old enough in time to invest in amazon and google as a startup company.
10. How would your friends describe you? a.
Overthinking, Funny and chill.
11. What is the worst gift you have ever received?
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a.
Knock off Vans.
12. What are some of your hobbies? a.
Shooting, Video Editing and Golfing.
13. If you were a super-hero, what 2 powers would you have? a.
Avatar the Last Air Bender power and be a genius.
14. What would you do if you won the lottery? a.
Tell no one, invest in land, and continue to work.
15. What’s the tallest building you’ve been to the top of? a.
Hmm scared of heights, so none really. Besides hotels.
16. What’s your favorite holiday and why? a.
Thanksgiving, because the Cowboys play, my family gets together and there’s always amazing food.
17. What’s your favorite sports team? a.
Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco Giants, and LA Lakers.
18. What’s one of your favorite movies? a.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
19. What three items would you take with you on a deserted island? a.
Water purifier, Knife and outdoors first aid kit.
20. What was your favorite subject in school? a.
History.
21. What’s the most unusual things you’ve ever eaten? a.
Chicken Intestine.
22. Do you collect anything? a.
I used to collect rocks as a kid, but I guess you could say I collect hats now.
23. What three things do you think of the most each day? a.
My Faith, Family and Job.
24. On a scale from 1-10 how funny would you say you are? a.
About an 8.
25. Where do you see yourself in 6 months? a.
Stuck at home because of this quarantine, and God willing, healthy.
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Shop Talk Manager Updates El Camino Team Loyalty, A lot of work is going into El Camino. We are taking advantage of this slow time to get caught up on many projects over here. First of all, I would like to thank the team here for their continuous hard work in getting this store into better shape. Second it feels good to be back on top as most of you all saw we were in first place in sales in less than a month we were able to get rid of over 40 Xbox ones and 20 TVs. We are committed to stay in first place and make this store 1% better every single day. Javier Becerra
Florin Mall Hello Loyalty Pawn Family, What is going on here at Florin, well we have a new member to the Florin Team. Her name is Jennifer Rodriguez. Jennifer started on March 12 of last month. I would like to encourage everyone to reach out to her and introduce yourself. We ended with $57k in sales for last month. Total Sale Y.T.D we ended up selling $18.5k more than last year. Please stay safe out there everyone with this crazy Pandemic going on. Make sure everyone is cleaning and wiping down counters and practicing safe distance. Let’s have a wonderful 2nd quarter everyone. “Miracle start to happen when you give as much energy to your dreams as you do to you fears” Mark Xiong
Roseville Hello Team Loyalty, I want to start by thanking all of you for your hard work and dedication during this difficult time. We are currently in an unprecedented time. I don’t need to tell you that this is something we have never seen before in our lifetime and we have the opportunity to help. Customers are going to need money and it’s our responsibility to qualify them and get them as much money as we can. We are the Leaders of Local Lending and we have the chance to change the image of what people think of pawn shops. We have the chance to help our community and help our customers to get the money they need. Be safe and stay strong and we will get through this together. Justin Martinez
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Broadway Hello Everyone, Hello Broadway fans another month down and the outlook is good. We have all been battling a tough few weeks, but the Broadway team has been fantastic. The store has been cleaned and organized from top to bottom. Everyone has been listing tons of items on offer up to try and draw new customers in. We have started accepting text payments for loans and layaways to provide another option to those who can’t make it into the location. We are looking forward to the day where we get the all clear and things can return back to normal but until then we at Broadway appreciate everyone’s support. John Mark
West Sacramento Hello Team, March went fast, bye to first quarter and welcome 2nd quarter. It will be hard to hit our 2nd quarter goal but not impossible we will fight through this and rise above. We say bye to Ryan(eBay) he is moving on to a different industry but always be part of the family. We also welcome Arthur Gates to the West Sac team, he is very eager to learn and make sales. Please help me welcome him by giving him a call. We did install the LED light in our show case, and it looked amazing (for one day only). Will update some picture once we have the Jewelry back. BIG THANK YOU to Loyalty Pawn, Team West Sac had a blast and amazing time at the Golden One Center and even Mr. Luke showed up, unfortunately the Kings lost but we are still keep cheering for them. I want to give Jason Wagner a special recognition and a shout out for stepping into eBay and taking control of it as well as maintaining his duties at the pawn shop. Jose Velazquez
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Golden 1 Center Upcoming Events
Due to the recent events, Coronavirus (COVID-19), all events, Kings Games and all events, have been cancelled at the Golden 1 Center. Once everything gets back to normal, we will continue to put events up that are available to request tickets for. Hopefully it will be soon, Go Kings!!
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Monthly Birthstones This will help educate you about some of the more popular semi and precious stones we come across and it will also help you close some more sales. The idea is to educate you on next month’s birthstone as you can arrange your cases properly and make suggestions to our clients that may be browsing or even looking for a gift. Let’s think outside the box when utilizing this information
MARCH Aquamarine, the birthstone of March, has a rich color and has long been a symbol of youth, health and hope. Its mesmerizing color ranges from pale to deep blue and are reminiscent of the sea. A perfect birthstone for March, the Aquamarine creates a beautiful accent to spring and summer wardrobes. APRIL Diamonds, the birthstone of April, are commonly associated with love which make it the perfect gift for a loved one. While white diamonds are most common, fancy colored diamonds can be found in various colors including yellow, blue, pink and a variety of others as well. May Emerald, the birthstone of May, carries the rich green color of Spring and radiates a beautiful vivid tone. They are considered to be a symbol of rebirth and love. Emeralds are the rarest gemstones and are typically mined in Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan and Zambia.
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April’s Upcoming Sales
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Anniversaries, Birthdays and New Hires April Anniversaries Mark Xiong 9 years
April Birthdays
Juanita Gutierrez April 30th
April New Hires We would like to welcome our recent new hire to our Loyalty Pawn family. Arthur Gates who will be joining our West Sacramento team, Jennifer Rodriguez who will be joining our Florin Mall team and Victor Godinez who will be joining our Roseville Team!!
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TOP PERFORMERS IN MARCH Sales in Dollars 1st
Dominic Tognolini (Roseville #3)
Productivity in Dollars
Phys. Transactions Done
Mark Xiong (Florin #2)
Mike Xiong (Florin #2)
2nd Mark Xiong (Florin #2)
Juanita Guiterez (Roseville #3)
Juanita Guiterez (Roseville #3)
3rd
Marcos Barragan (Florin #2)
Brittany Walker (Roseville #3)
Miguel Lopez (El Camino #1)
4th
Lewis Ramsey (Roseville #3)
Ricardo Molina (El Camino #1)
Ricardo Molina (El Camino #1)
5th
Marcos Barragan (Florin #2)
David Palomares (Florin #2)
Victor Reyes (Roseville #3)
Loan/Buy/Layaway End of Month Balances Loan Balance
Buys Balance
Loyalty Pawn #1 El Camino
$1,110,318.00
$2,765.25
$70,324.56
Loyalty Pawn #2 Florin Mall
$1,685,666.00
$1,602.00
$44,044.14
Loyalty Pawn #3 Roseville
$1,108,993.00
$4,314.00
$50,469.43
Loyalty Pawn #4 Broadway
$892,220.00
$1,510.10
$58,912.33
Loyalty Pawn #5 West Sacramento $426,572.00
$1,409.00
$37,253.50
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Layaway Balance
Loyalty Pawn’s Goals, Values, and Visions “The Leader in Local Lending” Company Wide Goals • To Offer Immediate Relief with a Short-Term Loan. • To Develop, Recruit and Inspire an Elite Work Force, Driven by
Loyal Business Practices. • To Provide the Highest Standard of Quality, Commitment and Value to Every Customer in Our Loyalty Pawn Family!
Core Values • Loyalty • Dedication • Creativity
Company Vision • Loyal People Committed to Everyday Satisfaction
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Loyalty Pawn Employee Services Corner April Fun Factoids Here are some wacky things to celebrate in April April 1 is All Fools’ Day—otherwise known as “April Fools’ Day April 8 marks the start of Passover (beginning at sundown) April 10 is Good Friday April 12 is Easter Sunday (April 19 is Orthodox Easter) April 22 is Earth Day April 24 is National Arbor Day
Coronavirus Update I am sure like me, all of you can’t wait until COVID-19 is a thing of the past, right? So, let’s focus on the present instead and find joy (and maybe a little humor) in the little things to take our minds off the world-wide pandemic, shall we? Loyalty Pawn has issued many announcements pertaining to COVID-19 in its efforts to reduce exposure such as reduced store hours and managing number of guests/customers in the store at a single time. And, of course, I understand that with the strong media coverage, anxieties are still likely to be heightened. According to public health officials, employees and their families should continue their normal routines and take the same precautions they normally would during cold and flu season, including: •
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Handwashing which remains our number one defense against illness. Please remember to wash hands often with soap and water while singing the Alphabet song forward AND backward in a single wash cycle. Can you sing the Alphabet song backwards? I can! Give it a try! Daily cleaning of frequently touched surfaces with chlorine containing cleaners. If an employee is not feeling well while at work or exhibiting signs of illness, we need to encourage them to go see their medical provider to communicate all health concerns with their physician/healthcare team. We will not discriminate against anyone who expresses concern about the COVID-19, nor will we prohibit them from seeking medical attention if they’re exhibiting signs of fever, sore throat, coughing etc. If an employee has a fever, please encourage them to please stay home and perhaps seek medical attention as a precautionary measure. We cannot require you to seek medical attention, but we certainly encourage you to do so. Also, there is no evidence to support wearing a mask prevents airborne illnesses from spreading. CDC does not recommend the routine use of N95 respirators outside of the healthcare setting. N95 masks are not designed for and should not be worn by children. While many health officials support getting a flu shot, the flu vaccine won’t protect against COVID-19 but it is still highly recommended as a means to help prevent other flu viruses For additional Coronavirus Resources see these online links below:
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Coronavirus Resources CDC Pandemic Flu Resources, California Department of Public Health, World Health Organization PAID LEAVE-Two New COVID-19 Related Paid Leave Laws in effect NOW Effective April 1st, the DOL (Department of Labor at the Federal level) has announced the enactment of two new paid leave laws: Emergency Paid Sick Leave and the Expanded Paid Family Medical Leave Act. If any employee believes they need emergency leave due to a COVID-19 related issue, please contact me immediately to review the covered reasons criteria-see chart below. EPSLA - Covered Reason for Leave
Rate of Pay
Cap on Payments
(1) The employee is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID–19
The employee’s regular rate of pay (as determined under section 7€ of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 207€).
$511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate
(2) The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID–19
The employee’s regular rate of pay (as determined under section 7€ of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 207€).
$511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate
(3) The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID–19 and seeking a medical diagnosis.
The employee’s regular rate of pay (as determined under section 7€ of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 207€).
$511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate
(4) The employee is caring for an individual who is subject to an order as described in subparagraph (1) or has been advised as described in paragraph (2).
Two-thirds of the employee’s regular rate of pay.
$200 per day and $2,000 in the aggregate
(5) The employee is caring for a son or daughter of such employee if the school or place of care of the son or daughter has been closed, or the child care provider of such son or daughter is unavailable, due to COVID–19 precautions.
Two-thirds of the employee’s regular rate of pay.
$200 per day and $2,000 in the aggregate
(6) The employee is experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor.
Two-thirds of the employee’s regular rate of pay.
$200 per day and $2,000 in the aggregate
If you meet any of the six criteria below, please provide the required documentation to support the covered reason for leave and contact HR (and by HR I mean, me…) immediately and we’ll review together and plan your leave as applicable to your situation. Let’s be smart and proactively open minded as we evaluate each other’s unique situations. The safety and wellness of our employees and their families is our top priority. In the event you need more resources, please feel free to click on the links above and feel free to see me if any other questions or HR support concerns. Here’s to everyone’s continued good health and good health practices. Enjoy the month of April filled with all kinds of wacky celebrations, required training, and good health prevention practices and personal celebrations! Be safe! Remember, if you need HR, Payroll, Benefits, or Family support, Loyalty Pawn’s Employee Services is only a phone call, text message, or email away, on demand, anytime! 916-752-2255 or employeeservices@loyaltypawn.com 15
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Loyalty Pawn Corporate Office: 1708 Broadway Sacramento, Ca 95818
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