Remember - You're the boss!

I've mentioned in a previous post that in a previous life, I was a publican.

One thing I remember from those glass polishing amateur psychology days was how we treated customers differently. The classic cliché of "the customer is always right" was obeyed as part of good service but never at the expense of the business. So my question is.....

"When was the last time you told a customer to get out?"

Back in the day, my pub was MY PUB. In my eyes the customers were extremely lucky to be patrons of such a fine establishment. If you didn't like that, as my regulars would have told you, please don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out. As publicans we did things slightly differently, yes you were a valued customer, but we were the boss, not you.

We had a pride and belief in our product and venue, if you stepped out of line we'd simply refuse to serve you. This transferred itself onto other customers, allowing them to take pride in the success of the pub too.

Ok, I know, I'm waxing lyrical. (Queue the hovis music.) But we seem to spend longer arguing and dealing with difficult customers than we do helping the good ones. Pride and belief has turned into fear of loss and the customer has all the power.

You are the provider, they are the customer. If you don't want to do something, say no. If they don't want to pay for your high quality product it's there loss, not yours. They'll probably throw the toys out and threaten to never darken your door again, but they will, and they'll be much better customers second time round.

Treat your business like a publican treats his pub. Its the best service and value in the world and the customers need look no further! I bet that's what your website says about you already so it's time to put that into practice. And if they give you any trouble......

Get out, you're barred.

What would you do to reach your goal?

Back in my publican days I would have an ongoing argument with my regulars about what they would do for a million pounds. My favourite one being

"would you let someone cut off your little finger for a million pounds"

Would you? I would! £1'000'000 for a little finger sounds a total bargain. Think about those poor people who lose fingers by accident, they'd give their right arm for it (der dum tish)

If you think about it (taking crime and family pain aside) is there anything anyone of us wouldn't do for a million quid?

Really think about it before you climb onto your moral high ground horse. No mortgage, no stress and no fear of the financial future. Deep down, in your heart of hearts, you know you'd hand over the cigar cutter yourself uttering the words "make it quick"

OK, so now we know what you'd do it for £1'000'000. Would you do it for half that? I would! Still a bargain in my book. What about yours.......

What I love most about being a human (and I know those of you who know me may question that) is just by reading this you've already thought of one thing you'd do for a million quid, it's disturbed you, but you've already justified it with the images of a nice house and car. Once you have a goal in mind its just a matter of what you're willing to do to achieve it.

What would duncan bannatyne, lewis hamilton or richard branson do to achieve a goal? Would andy murray give you his little finger for the wimbledon title?Are certain people able to switch off the "buts" and "ifs" running through their minds when their striving for a result.

Is the only person in the way.......you.

When was the last time you said - "now that's Genius!"

Yesterday I went to the kitchen cupboard for some vinegar and the bottle had a spray atomiser on the top instead of the traditional lid. I thought to myself "now that's Genius!"

I've been putting vinegar on chips for about 25 years (yes, probably more times than I have should during those years) and at no stage did I think about adding a spray top.

25 years of cursing at an over vinegary chip, 25 years of drowning all the chips in a sea of vinegar and yet it never crossed my mind.

What sort of mind does it cross? do you think you're that sort of mind? I did, but I can't remember the last time I had a truly brilliant idea. Can you?

This week my goal is to find something that will make my MD go "now that's Genius!" ("have a pay rise!" ok, maybe pushing it now)

I hope the vinegar spray top inventor is sat on a beach somewhere right now thinking about the next thing that will make me say "now that's Genius!" But in the meantime, lets all stop living with vinegary chips and think of a better way to do the job in hand

the newzapp guy