December 15, 2012
► Customer Feedback: Customers Duane & Cindy M from W. Stafford, CT stated that their general shopping experience with us was Excellent. “We were immediately greeted and sent to the right department for service.” Did any of our team members do an unusually good job? “Trina was fabulous!” Sales help and operations, and products were all rated Excellent. “Trina was very informative and knowledgeable.” What do we do really well? “Customer service – not rushing us through – answered all questions, ensured we understood.”
► A word to the wise: This would be a bad day to throw away your pay envelope without opening it. Actually, the next three weeks would be bad weeks for that, as we will pay commissions more than once, to try to give you more money before Christmas.
► Advertising changes Sunday 12/16: “Family Gifts”. Everything else remains the same.
► Happy Birthday to Joe on 12/19, and to Jeanne on 12/21.
► Remember to check inventories when you sell a Christmas present that is not taken on the spot. Almost everything is on clearance sale; because we may not get more, and certainly not before Christmas.
► The website now has links at the bottom of every page, to our Twitter and Pinterest accounts. Thank you to Seth for setting up the accounts.
► How Green are you? Continuing a test on your environmental habits.
4. It’s lunchtime and you’re craving a fast-food burger. Do you:
a. Order at the drive-through. b. Park and head inside to place your order.
5. Grilling season is almost here! This summer, you’ll be throwing your burgers and hot dogs onto:
a. An electric grill. b. A charcoal grill. c. A gas grill.
6. You’re hosting a cookout and need to stock up on beer. At the store, you fill your cart with:
a. Cans b. Bottles c. A keg.
► We have given all of you a poll, to suggest work to keep us busy during the winter. Remember, the more work we do, the faster your day goes by. Every improvement that we make during the winter, if it is an improvement, will make your job easier, or improve sales, in the summer. For instance, we will paint the store this winter, using our own people. That will be a big project, and we will need to do it carefully. And you are going to have to keep selling clothes and painting clothes here. But it beats taking $6,000 out of payroll and giving it to a contractor.
► From Anne-Marie: 1) The deadline for passing in your RSVP for the Wrap Party was Friday, December 14th, so if you have not responded, kindly drop a note in my mailbox. Thank you. 2) We have just replaced three of the computers in the store with new ones: the parts computer and both of the design center computers. If you notice anything wrong or “hinky” with these computers, please let me know. I had to redesign the display of Receipts and Sales Orders on the Design Center RetailPro computer. You couldn’t even read what was in the columns. Also, Victor’s computer has been replaced with Rose’s old one. It should be considerably faster than his old one.
► From Victor: Tuesday, December 11th made one full year that we have not had a lost-time accident. Congratulations! Keep up the good work.
► We have added another incentive to Olhausen pool tables. New 9’ Olhausen tables can receive a FREE upgrade to Italian slate – a $300 value, while supplies last. The models available are on the sign, and it even includes models that we do not stock in 9 foot. For them, we will order it standard and switch the slate when the table gets here!
► Remember, when people call, that we close at 3PM Monday, Christmas Eve. It is seriously bad if you tell someone we are open until six on Monday and they show up at 3:30 to pick up an air hockey they bought as a Christmas present.
► Warn everyone with a Christmas present on lay away to not wait until the last minute to pick it up. What about snow storms? Or something breaks while they assemble? Or we need to stay open an hour late because they are running late.
► We just started a new promotion; ending Christmas Eve – 20% off a cue case when purchased with a two piece cue. The computer doesn’t know which is which, so the cashier has to remember. I assume you already give a personal chalk and cue maintenance directions with every two piece cue purchase.
► More court testimony:
– Attorney: “Can you describe the individual?” Witness: “He was about medium height and had a beard.” Attorney: “Was this a male or a female?” Witness: “Unless the Circus was in town I’m going with male.”
– Attorney: “Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?’
Witness: “No, this is how I dress when I go to work.”
– Attorney: “Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?” Witness: “All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.”
► Answers:
4. a. 0; b. 1. Idling for 10 seconds or longer burns more gas than restarting the engine, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.
5. a. 0; b. 1; c. 2. According to a study from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, when in use for one hour, a gas grill emits 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide, and charcoal 11 pounds; an electric grill doesn’t emit CO2 directly but accounts for a whopping 15 pounds owing to the production and transmission of electricity.
6. a. 1; b. 0; c. 2. For big bashes, buying a keg and serving beer in reusable cups creates the least waste, says Terri Bennett, author of Do Your Part. Aluminum is the next best choice – it’s lightweight and easily recycled, landing back on shelves in 60 days or less. Glass, while also recyclable, is heavier, which means more fuel is needed to transport it.