Invest in Service; Invest in You

I had another topic in mind for this week's Toro Talk. It was all but written. And then I went to a conference out in Huntington Beach, California and...well, there's a reason they say the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So I won't be talking about the importance of hydration, or visibility, or even rotating between shoes. Rather, this week concerns my one, big takeaway from the aforementioned conference. Sure, I talked to various vendors about various products, ranging from shoes and apparel to nutrition and injury prevention. I got lots of freebies, ate lots of good food, and even logged some fun, humidity-free miles. But my lasting impression from the conference was this: during these tough times in retail-when companies are trying to determine what is expendable to insure their profit margins remain healthy-most retailers have decided to scale back service in an effort to offset a rise in minimum wage earnings and business on the whole being down. Well, I say that's a bad idea. A horrible idea, in fact. If we, as small business owners/operators, can't see the forest for the trees-can't realize that our refusal to staff accordingly out of fear only hinders our ability to sell and make a lasting, poignant impact on our customers-well, at that point we're all doomed. I won't sugarcoat it: business here at Fleet Feet Savannah is down, just like it is at many other small businesses. Folks aren't running as much, and those who run are just trying to stay motivated. But you know what?-I'm investing in service. I'm investing in our staff. Because at the end of the day, every single thing we sell within our four walls is available online. Except our service; our knowledge. People come to Fleet Feet Savannah to buy our products from us. So you'll be happy to know that each and every time you come in-whether it's tomorrow or next month-you'll be greeted by at least two bright, smiling faces who are ready and willing to assist you for as long as it takes to get it right. Because at the end of the day, you're worth the time and effort. And so are we.