The theme of the Ohio State Fair this year is "Print is alive" and the printing industry is on site with a booth in the MarketPlace Building.Come and visit our volunteer representative! For more information, and to find out how people in the print industry can get into the fair for free, click here.
Ken Renker – Director of SalesFor most of us, taking pride in what we do is an important part of our personal makeup. Doing a good job isn’t just something we’re supposed to do; it’s what we want to do. Hopefully, it’s encouraged…and even rewarded…where we work. I’m convinced these two things are “joined at the hip”. It’s like you can’t have one without the other. Without being a part of your company’s (and your personal) DNA, it’s difficult to ever really deliver world-class customer service. For example, do you remember the last time you called a vendor and, rather than connecting with a person, you got stuck in voice mail limbo, unable to navigate through the maze? How did you feel about that experience? The odds are you didn’t like it, and they’re even better that you won’t go back. Does this say anything about the sense of pride that company instills in their people? And, by the way, why does every computer message always include the ubiquitous phrase…”please listen carefully, because our menu items have changed”? The flip side is that we all know companies that are great at customer service. You call with a question or problem, and the (live) person on the other end listens and responds to your situation. If needed, your item is returned with no hassle. My wife and I shop at a major retailer and one reason we are ‘customers for life’ is their return policy. They just know how to make it right. At Optimum we work hard to provide the same level of service. Our goal is to deliver the best customer service in our industry. We believe it’s one thing that differentiates us from everyone else. That’s why if you call us, a person (and not a computer) will answer….and listen to what you have to say. I’ve told the following story before, but I think it captures the essence of why taking pride in what you do is so important. Here goes...For the record, I have never been a big fan of mowing my lawn. I would agree (sort of) that there is a sense of accomplishment to gaze back at a neatly trimmed yard…to both see, and smell, the fruits of your labor. I guess my problem is I simply got my fill of this when I was young and made a silent vow that someday, I would be able to afford to pay someone to do this for me.Back in the late 1990’s I got my wish and took the plunge. I signed up for lawn service with one of those big, brand name companies. You know, the ones with the giant, extreme monster machines, with jet-propelled engines that sound like rush hour on the runway at O’Hare? Every week, during the mowing season, you could hear them swarm through the neighborhood, the noise growing to a din, until they landed like bees returning to the hive. Seven minutes later, with grass cut, trimmed, bagged and blown, they left as quickly as they arrived. The problem was that while they were fast, quality was lacking, they missed spots and gouged the yard with their equipment. More importantly, no one ever taught the jet engine jockeys about customer service. It simply wasn’t their job and they didn’t have the time to listen anyway. My solution was to do what I should have done in the first place. Check with the neighbors (especially the most finicky ones) and find out who they used. I found the perfect fit.Jim had a small lawn mowing service that he ran to supplement his income from his normal day job. Jim knew about customer service. He knew it would differentiate him. He knew what I considered to be a ‘good’ job….because he asked me. He knew certain yards could only handle smaller equipment (no jet engines please…). If I happened to be there, after he was done mowing the lawn, he would ask what I thought. Was his effort meeting my expectations? Early on, it was clear to me that Jim took tremendous pride in what he did. The best example occurred one Saturday, when his pick up truck pulled in my driveway and he got out and rang my doorbell. I asked what was wrong since he had just mowed my yard a few days prior. He pointed to his truck and said, “Oh nothing. I was just driving around in the neighborhood with my daughter, showing her some of the yards I cut. Would you mind if she got out and walked around with me? I’d like her to see the back and how good it looks.” He wanted to begin teaching his daughter that same sense of pride within him. After clearing the lump in my throat, I said, “Of course!”We all know you lead by example. The man I hired to cut my grass was teaching his daughter, the value in doing a good job, the importance of taking pride in what you do, and the real meaning of delivering customer service. It was a life lesson for her that was just in bred into her father’s work ethic. It was a life lesson for me too.Like I said, the perfect fit.**************************************************************************************To our current Optimum clients…thanks for your business. To everyone else; please give us a call. We will work hard to be your “perfect fit”.
