Yes, I know that profitability is the basis for starting a business; of course one of the major objectives of starting a business is to make money. However I believe that expertise, complemented by a great deal of passion a positive attitude towards “serving” should back that basis up if one wants to be successful in the commercial world!
Why do I say this?
I walked into a hair salon on a Sunday morning; and here is an account of my experience:
It is open, the music is playing, the one lady is mopping the floor another is attending to an elderly woman who is having her hair shampooed, a third woman is standing in the middle of the room literally staring into space (honestly) and a man is aimlessly walking up and down (as if his main intention is to distract) moving a towel from one chair to another. Anyway as I walk in, I smile happily and greet cheerfully as I take off my woollen hat to expose the bad state that my short hair is in “what can you do for me?” I ask eagerly, looking forward to a pleasant and business-like response even though patronizing such as “I have the style in mind JUST for you”. Really, I do not mind such flattering comments – as long as they come from a “profitable” space. Ouch, little did I know. Instead, the sloppy response I get is: “we are about to go to church, can you come back in the afternoon around 2 o’clock”.
I almost protested by saying “but you are here and your doors are open and you are working” however I quickly realized that I would be stating the obvious. So, I smiled – not with my usual happy face, but a disappointed, let-down one. Slowly, I quickly throw my hat back over my hair; concealing the already exposed bad state of hair and I walk out towards the door heading to my car thinking “you know what; actually I have just saved money”!
Now, that is Bronkhorstspruit! Don’t get me wrong, I love Bronkhorstspruit to bits – it offers the peace and tranquility of rural living yet it is a short drive away to the hustle and bustle but when it comes to customer -service…let’s just say Egoli will remain the place of gold where I intent to spend my money in exchange of great customer-service.
I walked into a hair salon on a Sunday morning; and here is an account of my experience:
It is open, the music is playing, the one lady is mopping the floor another is attending to an elderly woman who is having her hair shampooed, a third woman is standing in the middle of the room literally staring into space (honestly) and a man is aimlessly walking up and down (as if his main intention is to distract) moving a towel from one chair to another. Anyway as I walk in, I smile happily and greet cheerfully as I take off my woollen hat to expose the bad state that my short hair is in “what can you do for me?” I ask eagerly, looking forward to a pleasant and business-like response even though patronizing such as “I have the style in mind JUST for you”. Really, I do not mind such flattering comments – as long as they come from a “profitable” space. Ouch, little did I know. Instead, the sloppy response I get is: “we are about to go to church, can you come back in the afternoon around 2 o’clock”.
I almost protested by saying “but you are here and your doors are open and you are working” however I quickly realized that I would be stating the obvious. So, I smiled – not with my usual happy face, but a disappointed, let-down one. Slowly, I quickly throw my hat back over my hair; concealing the already exposed bad state of hair and I walk out towards the door heading to my car thinking “you know what; actually I have just saved money”!
Now, that is Bronkhorstspruit! Don’t get me wrong, I love Bronkhorstspruit to bits – it offers the peace and tranquility of rural living yet it is a short drive away to the hustle and bustle but when it comes to customer -service…let’s just say Egoli will remain the place of gold where I intent to spend my money in exchange of great customer-service.
Now that is the main problem with opening up a small business if one cannot self-manage the shop: getting someone else who does not have a sense of what the phrase customer-service is. That is a business risk. In most cases, the person one finds “to mind the shop” neither possesses a general idea of what it is to serve nor do they enjoy serving. This person’s intention is not to make profit, it is not to grow the business, it is not to enhance the image of the business. This person often lacks passion, they have a zero positive-attitude and they wipe-off a smile from a customer on a beautiful Sunday morning – all they want is to be on the payroll.
So, as I drive into Protea Drive approaching my house I smile and repeat. “Yes, I have actually saved money”. I continue to reassure myself as I park my car in the drive way, glancing at my wrist watch as I realise that I actually have more than enough time to get to O.R Tambo to catch my 2 o’clock plane to London where I wanted to show off an African hair do….
So, as I drive into Protea Drive approaching my house I smile and repeat. “Yes, I have actually saved money”. I continue to reassure myself as I park my car in the drive way, glancing at my wrist watch as I realise that I actually have more than enough time to get to O.R Tambo to catch my 2 o’clock plane to London where I wanted to show off an African hair do….
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