Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/752766
SOLUTIONS 30 • November 28, 2016 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com "Every time a cus- tomer leaves with a big smile, an angel gets its wings," said Clarence. Ho, ho, ho, it's that wonder- ful time of year again, folks. Holiday shop- ping, holiday wrapping, tinsel and bows, thoughts on the year, where did it go? Mistletoe and shopping lists, our customer needs, what do you do to keep them pleased? Keeping folks pleased was very much on the mind of a dealer named George Bailey during one particular Christmas season a few years back. George was a great dealer. He started his dealership years ago with this commitment to himself: I will never be too busy to not do things properly. I will always treat my customers with the same type of respect and caring that I would want afforded to my family. Always, without fail. I will have the type of dealership that folks will never want to leave because of how well things are always done, period! This particular Christmas was difficult for George. The ho, ho, hos were becoming the oh no, oh no, oh nos. Oh no, another customer complaint. Oh no, another commitment forgotten. Oh no, another customer walking away, shaking his head wondering why what had been so good was no longer. And all of these challenges were causing George to doubt himself and wonder why he ever got into the powersports business in the first place. Now, what many of you might not know is that we've got this supreme powersports guy in the sky watching out for us powersports dealers. Now the supreme guy — chubby, rosy cheeks, "Ho, ho, hos" a lot — decided it was time to give George a little bitt of help and a shot of confidence by enlisting the help of one Clarence P. Stewart, powersports angel trainee No. 3,632. Clarence had never been able to earn his powersports service wings, and the supreme guy was finally giving him his chance. "This year's wings, 32 pounds lighter, an increased wing span of 2 feet, giving the user more useable low end gliding, and the new and improved graphics are out of this world," Clar- ence thought. And Clarence wanted a pair! "Clarence, this is a very delicate situation," the supreme guy said. "Look down there." "Is that George?" Clarence asked. "Yes. Now pay attention, Clarence," the chubby, rosy cheeked, ho-ho supreme guy said. "George's dealership is in the town of Bed- ford Falls. Growing up, he had always wanted to leave Bedford Falls to see the world, but circumstances and his own good heart kept him there. The customers that walked daily through George's dealership doors knew him, and they also knew they could count on George. He was always helpful, always courteous. George never gave his custom- ers reasons to look else- where. He would stay late to get something fixed or deliver a part to a customer personally, if that's what it took. He always did his best to make sure his custom- ers came first, and they always did. He sacrificed at times when business was slow, but kept the family-run dealership afloat. He protected the town from the avarice of the greedy Mr. Potter, who wanted to own his dealership and all the other businesses in the town of Bedford Falls. Potter was a bah-humbug type of guy who didn't care much about customer service. He'd been trying to buy George's dealership for years, and George had always said no. "George is thinking about packing it in and selling to Potter," the supreme guy continued. "If Potter gets it, no happy customers, and no wings, Clarence. Time for a little angelic inter- ceding. Time to remind George that the chal- lenges in business can be overcome, if you deal with them." George was locking up the dealership one holiday evening when he heard a voice behind him. "How was the day, George? I'm guardian powersports service angel trainee No. 3,632, but you can call me Clarence. We guard- ian powersports angel-types look after you powersports dealers, give you all a helping hand when you need it, little pick-me-ups of encouragement, reminders on what makes you all so special and important to a lot of people. Every time a powersports dealer makes a customer smile really big, one of us powersports guardian angels gets his wings. And you've been responsible for a lot of wings given out over the years, George. You and your fellow powersports dealers have brought a lot of joy and big smiles to folks. You are in an industry that sells fun. But that does not mean it's always easy, George. "Challenges come and go. But they gener- ally go away a lot faster if you deal with them. And something else about challenges, George. We all have similar challenges in business, and no matter what you believe makes your chal- lenges unique, for the most part, they're not. The biggest difference is how you deal with them; it's not the challenges themselves." What are your business challenges? Are you dealing with them, or just hoping they go away of their own volition? The powersports industry is a great one, and it's an industry that makes folks smile, big smiles that seem to go on forever. What will you do next year that will give your customers smiles that go on forever? What will you do to keep putting wings on angels this coming year? Have a great holi- day season. PSB Mark Mooney is the principal of Mark Mooney Powersports Consulting, a Santa Cruz, Calif.-based company that works with OEMs and powersports dealers to strengthen dealership performance. A former dealer principal, Mooney has 35 years of industry experience. Contact him at mooneypowersportsconsulting@gmail.com. It's a wonderful life, challenges and all THINK ABOUT THIS… MARK MOONEY Mark Mooney spoke at the Powersports DEALER Seminars @ AIMExpo in October.