The Best of 2005, Second Half
July
Check Out What's New
A.W. Perkins ButtonLok Chimney Tools, Rods and Brushes: At last, a chimney cleaning system where all the parts and pieces work together without a box full of adapters! No more trying to match threads, screw and unscrew rods and brushes. All the brushes, tools, and rods have the same, easy ButtonLok fitting. Just snap them together and go! Don't worry, we do have adapters to mate to your existing system until it needs replacing, but once you start working with these easy to use tools, you're going to want nothing but ButtonLok!!!!
Class A Chimney Universal Rubber Boot Flashing for metal roofs: We now carry a rubber boot type flashing for venting through metal corrugated roofs. It's easy to use with a universal type design.
Barometric Dampers: A barometric damper is used for oil, coal and some gas fired installations.
Energy Top Plus. The increasingly popular Energy Top is now available in a damper/cap combination called “Energy Top Plus.” The Energy Top Plus gives you the added protection of a stainless steel chimney cap surrounding your damper. The damper seals out cold and hot air while the cap provides extra rain, animal, and spark protection. It is completely made and assembled in the U.S.A. and it comes with a Lifetime Warranty!
If it's not in the catalog, we may still have it. Every Lindemann Chimney Supply location not only carries our full catalog line, but we also carry items that are regional or customer specific. Some locations stock mortar mix, flue tiles, special adapters, etc. We stock many “off catalog” items as a service to our customers. Our job is to make your job easier, and whenever possible we will try to stock hard to get items for you. We feel our job is finished once you've completed your job. If there is any part or product that you would like to see us carry, just let us know.
Thank you for your continued support!
August
Apples to Apples
Have you ever heard the expression: “Make sure you are comparing apples to apples”? We'd like to take the opportunity this month to share a bit of interesting information we uncovered this month.
A very good customer of ours gave us a call and explained that one of our competitors gave him a call after he realized his sales were down from the previous year. Our competitor offered him a 10% discount off catalog prices on all his purchases, if he could commit to $75,000 in business over the next year. Thankfully the customer called us up and explained the situation to us. He really had no desire to go back to buying from our competitor, as he liked dealing with us better, but a $7,500 savings was just too much to overlook.
What were we to do? We charge a fair price, and our margins need to go a long way. We certainly are not willing to skimp on customer service and definitely do not want lose a great customer. We know that our prices are always competitive, and that our honest straightforward, no fine print, way of doing business was better for our customers in the long run. But we needed proof, something tangible. Here's what we did.
We took the customers year to date orders and compared them to what our competition would have charged. We did not include “Shipping and Handling” in the equation as the customer said he would almost always qualify for free freight. This was to our disadvantage as we do not add exorbitant handling fees as the competitor in question has been known to do. Fair shipping prices are one area we know we can save our customers a lot of money. With this out of the picture we still put together a comparison.
We created a lengthy computation of what our customer would have paid if he was with our competitor all year. After an “apple to apples comparison” we found our competition was 13.8% higher on the same purchases. A lot of little factors added up fast. No wonder they can give him 10% back as soon as they realize they have lost him as a customer. Our customer remains a customer, and he is now very happy to see that he really is getting the best service at the best price. We are very fortunate that he gave us the opportunity to do so, often this does not happen.
What we failed to do was to educate our customers on why Lindemann Chimney Supply is the best value. One factor is we change prices one time a year. This means when our vendors increase prices we often absorb their increase to honor our catalog prices. This helps our customers in bidding jobs as they do not have to worry about the price changing four times a year or worse yet, if they are “subject to change without notice”.
Another factor is Lindemann Chimney Supply does not practice pricing the items people tend to compare more competitively than the ones they don't. For example, the average buyer would compare prices on a 13x13 cap to see which distributor was higher, but they rarely would compare the price of a 17x17 cap or a leg kit that they occasionally use. So you end up buying a handful of 13x13 caps thinking your saving money, but when you add one 17x17 cap and a leg kit you end up losing your savings and do not even realize it!
Thank you! We truly appreciate your continued support!
September
Service Is In The Details
If you pay attention to details, the right details, your customers will notice and become life-long customers. It's not enough to merely satisfy your customers. They must be pleased and surprised by having their needs not just met, but exceeded.
Serving your customers covers so much. It's not just performing the job you were called to do; but also answering questions, solving problems, and fixing what's broken or finding what's lost. And time after time, performing the business equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, you must match your customer with the right products and services. Part of your responsibility is helping them enjoy and get the most out of those purchases.
The most important thing you can do is to listen to your customer. Listening is about trust, respect, involvement, and information sharing, more than it is about ears. Most of us only listen to about twenty-five percent of what we hear. The other 75% goes in one ear and out the other. But since good customer service involves listening, understanding, and responding to customers, good listening is very important to success. By listening you will figure out what your customer wants and needs. It will prevent misunderstandings and allow you to gather clues about ways you can provide your customers with the service they really want. Being a good listener will build long-term customer relationships.
To serve your customers well, you need to know what they want, how they want it, when they want it, and how much they will pay for it. If it's a custom made item, how long they expect to wait, and what else they expect with it. There is no need to guess what customers want; they are willing and able to tell you almost everything you need to know if you'll take the time to be a good listener.
Good listeners are made, not born. It's never too late to start improving your listening skills. Practice listening, and the more you practice the better you will get. Make sure you hear what your customers are trying to say. Don't be afraid to ask: “Let me make sure I understand. You said that you……”
When you listen to your customers, try to find a quiet environment, and avoid interruptions like your cell phone ringing. Don't stereotype or label your customers, make sure you present a focused and positive attitude. Then don't be surprised when your sales “sky rocket!”
The First Time
While we all try to do things right the first time, the truth is that things won't always go right the first time. In fact, about one third of all problems service providers have to deal with are caused by their customers.
Service involves human beings, and human beings are never perfect. That's true for both you and your customers. Mistakes happen. Even when you do your job correctly and satisfy the customers' needs, a problem could occur if expectations are not met.
No matter what or why something happens, it's better to handle the occasional mishaps directly and effectively than to ignore them and hope they will go away.
Try to do things right the first time. Fix it if it fails and always remember, there are no third chances.
We sincerely hope that you enjoy our newsletters.
November
What Rules?
Ever heard anyone say, “Rules were meant to be broken?” While rules exist to serve, not to enslave, they seem to be everywhere. Every day we encounter formal rules in the form of laws and policies; “No turn on red, Always say please and thank you, Returns must be accompanied by a receipt.”
Rules like Building Codes share a single purpose: to make life run smoothly, efficiently, and in an organized and orderly fashion. This is sometimes called the spirit of the law. But codes don't always fulfill their spirit. In fact, sometimes they work against what we are trying to accomplish. That's why as a true service professional you need to understand the codes that direct your efforts.
We are so used to rules in our lives that sometimes, when we don't know the answer or are not comfortable making a decision, we are tempted to make up our own rule to fill the gap. Or in the “heat of the moment” at a big job, we might borrow a rule from another code and make it fit that situation.
Codes are important when they protect the public safety and reflect experience that says, "dire consequences will occur if the wrong things happen". Know your own limits. If you believe an exception should be made, but are not sure, review the rules and codes.
Without rules or codes, service would become chaotic, the customer would never know what to expect.
Just because you think that breaking or bending a rule won't cause a catastrophe, does not mean you should take it lightly.
Know the reason for the code in question, the reason for the rule and the consequences of not following it. Education is the key in making the right decision.
If you tell your customer, “this is the only way I can do it, if you want it done disregarding the codes you will have to find someone else.” You will lose a few jobs but in the long run you will get it back in spades. It would not be all that bad for your company to get a reputation as, “the one that would not compromise the codes.” You will reap what you sew.
Thank you for reading our newsletter; we know how valuable your time is!
December
Max Out!
It's that time of year when it's easy to think about quitting. Pulling up short. Throwing in the towel. Walking away. Whether or not we admit it, all of us have wanted to do these things.
Instead, it's time to “hang in there” and just stay focused and finish the year strong. A good example of how to reach your goals is by following Jon Gruden, the coach of the Super Bowl XXXVII champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One of Gruden's favorite terms is "Max Out". He asked his players to "Max Out" for him, and he's not afraid to do the same for them. He is very disciplined, so much so, that he is up and in his office by four o'clock every morning. The results speak for themselves. He is the youngest coach in the NFL and has enjoyed great success, both as the coach of the Buccaneers and as coach of the Oakland Raiders. Gruden believes in making the most of every day he has on earth: “At the end of the day, I just want to feel I have done everything I can to get the most out of the day.” Most successful people we know work with a “max out” attitude.
Don't Be A Martyr!
How do we max out? Tough question. Needless to say we all make sacrifices and trade-offs in our relationships and family lives. Most of these sacrifices are well worth it. But, as with most things, (including good things), too much is too much!
Obviously, the tolerance levels to stress, responsibility, lack of sleep, sacrifices, hardship and everything else are going to vary from person to person. In other words, something that is super easy for you might be quite difficult for someone else - and vice versa. However, if we can pay attention to, and be honest about our feelings, each of us knows when the level of stress has risen too high. When it does, we usually feel incredibly frustrated. We may feel a little self-righteous and convince ourselves that we are working harder than other people and that we have it tougher than everyone else.
Many of us have fallen prey to the seduction of becoming a martyr. It's easy to have this happen because there is often a fine line between working hard out of actual necessity and overdoing it out of perceived necessity.
The sad truth is however, that no one actually benefits from or appreciates a martyr. To himself, a martyr is his own worst enemy - constantly filling his head with lists of things to do and always reminding himself how difficult his life is. This mental ambush saps the joy from his life. And to the people around him, a martyr is an overly serious complainer who is too self-absorbed to see the beauty of life. Rather than feeling sorry for him as a victim, as the martyr would love to see happen, outsiders usually see the martyr's problems as being completely self-created. If you think you have martyr tendencies, we urge you to give them up! Rather than spending 100 percent of your energy working, or doing things for other people, spend a few minutes every day doing something just for yourself. You will be amazed how much you will start enjoying life, experience more energy and have a lot less stress.
Appreciation!
All of us here at Lindemann Chimney Supply, try to "max out" for each other and every one of our customers. At the end of every day we want to feel like we have provided the best and most personal service possible. Helping you become successful is the only way that we can be successful. We appreciate your business, and you have our promise that we will never take it for granted.
From all of our family to yours, we wish you a very peaceful and happy holiday season, followed by a healthy and prosperous new year. Happy Holidays!
“Successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people are not.”