Tag: Point-of-Sale-Merchandising-Companies-Pune

What’s On Your Goddard’s List?

John Goddard, now in his seventies, is a renowned adventurer, scholar and lecturer. He has covered much of the globe during his travels; climbed a few of the world’s tallest mountains, floated the Nile, Amazon, Congo rivers and other; learned several languages, become accomplished in many sports and generally earned himself the title “Renaissance Man”. What drives a person to be so resolute and driven in pursuing their goals? As Mr. Goddard relates about his own life, he was inspired at age fifteen to sit down at the kitchen table and begin crafting his “life list”, an inventory of experiences he wished to have, his life’s road map.

As it happens, he has been largely successful. View his list at www.Johngoddard.info and see for yourself the amazing breadth and depth of his accomplishments. Why are this man and his ambitions germane to your business, you may ask? In tumultuous times when market forces remain unpredictable and many are uncertain of where the next pay check will be coming from, remembering the bigger picture, those fundamental reasons one decided to become and entrepreneur or independent contractor in the first place is key. Most of the real estate agents I know who have been in the industry for five years or more are not speculators; people who have come into the business for a quick killing and fast exit. My colleagues tend to be clear in their vision. Whether it is to use their expertise and licensing to build a portfolio of rentals for retirement income, or simply to provide altruistically a service to their fellow man, they share a vision of where they wish to be five, ten, fifteen years from now. This profession is their means to that end.

What strikes me most about John Goddard is how forward thinking he was at age fifteen to articulate then pursue the path to his dreams. He’s not a naive man. In an interview on the web site, Mr. Goddard readily admits his first two marriages were casualties of the dream. Still, if he lost focus, he regained it quickly. I can only imagine that, when his fellow adventurer capsized his kayak while paddling the Congo and perished, Goddard questioned the purpose of his own venture. Though perhaps not under such dire circumstances, we all have those moments; that flash of self-doubt and fear when we ask ourselves “what the heck am I doing this for?” Your Goddard’s List then becomes a beacon in those uncertain waters. Its light draws you to safe shores where you may reassert your footing on firmer ground and forge ahead.

I’ve been working on my list. In it I state all those things I feel I still have yet to accomplish or experience. As I am not a fifteen year old, I have not only constructed one representing my vision of the future, but I’ve also created an inventory of the past, those events, people, places and moments which have passed through my life, reminding me of the significance of my own experience.

We all must have a compelling reason to steer a straight course. Whether the goal is secure retirement or being fit enough to jump out of an airplane at age eighty, it’s all valid, compelling and necessary to keep the fires burning, your dreams alive.  

The Customer is Always Right

I ate at Houston’s the other day.  For the uninitiated, this place is a well-oiled machine (and a cash cow no doubt) serving fantastic food with stellar service.

I ordered my usual Hawaiian fish sandwich, substituting mixed greens for the french fries it comes with.  My perky waitress said I couldn’t do that and that I could pay $5 for a side salad or choose one of the three other vegetable sides for no charge.

I was stunned.  My routine was being upset by another greedy restaurant charging way too much for a bunch of grass (mixed greens has to be far less expensive than the brussel sprouts they offered).

I said that I would like mixed greens at no additional cost.  She said no, she couldn’t do that.

Finally, I offered that the last three times I had been there I ordered the exact same thing with no issue.  She gave me an emphatic “no” without any further explanation at which point I shut down.

Maybe it was just a blip, but a noticeable one.

Quite frankly, Houston’s is so consistent, you can count on your host or hostess warmly greeting you, someone stopping by your table to say hi within 60 seconds, and your food arriving less than 10 minutes after you place your order. It happens every time. 

Now contrast that with my experience at Frontrunners, my local athletic shoe store where experts are well trained in all aspects of their shoes.  They not only measure your foot, but also watch you walk and run, and ask a host of questions about how you’ll be using the shoes.  Then they offer up a couple options.  I’ve been a customer for years because of this expertise.

I was trying on one shoe and it turned out to be like a bad goldilocks dream.  One was too small, one was too big and of course, the one I needed that was just right wasn’t in stock, nor was it on order.

Not to worry, my very helpful sales associate found it at a New Balance store that the company owned and it was just ten minutes away.  When I asked if he could just have the shoe sent over, he said that it would be more beneficial for me to go there as I could then try on all three shoes and compare and contrast the three sizes again without having to wait to have the shoe sent over, causing me to make a return trip to Frontrunners.

I went to the New Balance store and a great guy named Mani worked with me on the three sizes, on fitting the shoes with inserts and made the experience altogether fantastic.

See the difference?

THE REAL WORLD RETAILING TAKEAWAY

The customer is always right.  Period.

We’ve heard it a million times.  So why do retailers and restaurants not realize that customers can go elsewhere?  Do whatever it takes to hold onto your customers.

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