Business Must be Booming in Brundall

[LondonRascal]

Honestly, it sometimes is not so much the business as a whole that is the issue but someone within it (even at an executive level) who simply don’t get this email and social media stuff.

Take our firms senior partner. For some two years he had a computer on his desk and his own email address.  Religiously he would turn it on in the morning and then in the evening turn it off and at no point would he ever look at anything that had gone on with it.  

These days after spending over £5,000 on various computer courses he can read emails and print them off – he can use the Internet for Google and the News and is beginning to reply to emails but uses the most terrible grammar and spelling – God help us.

Interestingly if we have a written enquiry be it by post, fax or telephone he will jump to it and get matters rolling – but an email?  He regards them as time wasters and will go slow.  I think the reason why, he does not email a company or contact them via their website he will still use Directory Enquires to get a number and call them – if he wants to get a letter off to them quickly, it’s a fax – hand written with fountain pen that is sent. 

But it is not just the odd few out there like he is, I don’t want to go into too much details but when one looks at some large hire boat operators, some really ‘get’ the whole social media and email newsletter thing and customer service and communication, some try to be really professional and to my mind try a bit too hard and others it’s a case of ‘let’s put a post on Facebook today’.  When you see how some people within these businesses use Facebook it tells an interesting story too.  

If you are someone who engages with those you know using social media you appreciate its power, but also accept it as a part of everyday life – therefore you expect and accept it to be part of business life.  Conversely, if you do not use it much in your personal life how will you know if your presence on social media as the business goes is the right one? How can you be a good judge at those emailed newsletters?  Marketing skills are not things people are just born with.

I suspect therefore it is a case whereby some local businesses read an email and think ‘puh not much in this for us’ and ignore it, others might well feel ‘why don’t you pick up the phone if you want to talk business’ which is of course completely wrong and to their detriment especially when you consider the multitude of review sites. Even this Forum has shown how some businesses have responded to Keith’s email so in a roundabout way is a ‘review’ of their service and we are the possible new customers who take these points on board. 

As Andy will well know, running a business these days is not just about the work done at the coal face, it is all the ‘managing your online presence’ too.  You might prefer it that someone emails you, or calls you up to complain about something but they instead decide they will post it to your Facebook that is their avenue to your business and you have to therefore manage that. Indeed can be a good way to show how you deal with such. Other businesses I have seen will say ‘Facebook is not the place for complaints’ and delete the message as if it was some kind of dirty thing tainting their page which to my mind gives the totally wrong impression to everyone else who likes the businesses Facebook page.

Finally when I was afloat over the New Year I wanted to know two things: Where if anywhere could I have a pump out and fuel. The only boatyard that I could find who provided both services and had bothered to inform people like me, through their Facebook page of their opening hours was Boutlers in Horning. Simple thing but calling around others with unanswered phones, no way to leave messages made me see despite everything these days, so many businesses do not appreciate the Web, and how small things can make customers happy even if it is just through knowing when you are open for business.

[Matt]

2 hours ago, kfurbank said:

Just to put things in context. We were out on the boat weekend before last and as some may remember it was very cold. We rang ahead to our destination to make sure they were doing food and to book a table. Being out of season we thought it wise to ring ahead. The phone was answered promptly and politely and we made our booking and explained that we would be arriving by boat and also looking for a hookup if possible. No problem was the reply and as your eating with us there will be no charge for the electric.

We arrived outside The Waters Edge Bramerton and whilst we were still mooring up, Lee the landlord came out and greeted us with a tub of salt in hand and salted a path across the decking, which was icing up, to the restaurant.

We have always received good food and good service from Lee and it is one of the reasons why we try and visit in Winter when trade can become more difficult. We were pleasantly surprised that even in January and given its location nearly all the tables were full.

 

It's fast becoming my favourite place on the Broads....

[ranworthbreeze]

6 hours ago, Matt said:

It's fast becoming my favourite place on the Broads....

Hi Matt,

I fully agree the food and service is second to none, we always have a word with Lee and have always found him very accommodating since he first opened the Waters Edge.

Regards

Alan 

[Liberty]

Agreed.  We had a surprise 18th birthday party there and they were so helpful, so keen for our event to be success, full of ideas, they went over and above on every aspect, including breakfast the next day.

[rightsaidfred]

Kurfbank

Personally I would say its not so much to do with Norfolk as being a captive audience.

                             Fred

 

[CaptinDread]

Peachments have been fine with me when I called them, allthough I would've had to wait two weeks for a simple job so did it myself.

they do know my boat aswell as they have worked on it in the past.

 

why send an email, give them a bloody call.

[Hockham Admiral]

On 25/01/2016 at 10:05 PM, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Hi Keith, why not try Maffetts?. They do engine services, and full re-builds, so i`m sure they would be able to do your Nanni. I think if they do a full sevice, plus the extra checks you mention, they may also garuntee your engine for 12 months. I think John (Hockham Admiral) might be able to give more info, as he`s had Friday Girls engine serviced there. And i think their charges are very reasonable too?.

Their number is   01508 520344.

 

Graham is a Nanni-trained engineer and is more thorough than any other who has serviced our Nanni.

[JawsOrca]

2 hours ago, Hockham Admiral said:

Graham is a Nanni-trained engineer and is more thorough than any other who has serviced our Nanni.

here here.. Graham is a legend..

[MauriceMynah]

Graham is an asset to the Nanni state.

[johnb]

To return to a good moan, Estate agents are doing us a favour because we need to buy a house. No promised return calls, yesterday reluctantly met us at an empty house. Couldn't meet us at a time to allow us to travel, couldn't we leave work early, as their office closes at 5.30? We arrived early having re-arranged our lives to suit them, their rep. arrived, late, talking on his phone and remained so as we looked around the house on our own. When we walked out he chased after us asking for our decision. I am glad the house wasn't suitable as I would not have wanted to deal with him or his company.

[Dan]

I think it is all about service now, and will continue to go ever more this way.

From being the other side of the fence, operational scenarios such as staff holidays, people leaving, actually being able to find good people who care, few people actually being superstars at their jobs, people learning & growing within their role, the financial & feasibility of being able to have the staff level you'd like against whether the business is viable on this ratio, peak or unusual spike periods to name just a few, mean that to deliver a perfect, consistent service is much easier said than done, though will always be what is needed and what people should be trying to deliver, and it doesn't seem the case in some of the examples here.

What would interest me is the real reasons why you didn't get a reply.  You will probably never know them, but it is unlikely to be as black and white as they were just rubbish and dont know how to run a business

Dan

[ExUserGone]

Going back to the thing about Peachments in brundall, I have just recieved a very helpful email from Steve Aldridge of Peachments in reply to one I sent yesterday afternoon, so I shall be popping in friday afternoon to part with some cash.

[Poppy]

If it's any consolation, it's not just a 'Boat' thing. Four weeks ago, I was careless enough to put a minor scrape on her ladyships side of the motor carriage. 

I promptly got on to the 'net' and found three local 'mobile guys who fix minor scratches and dents, took the requisite photos and emailed for a quote to each. I'm still waiting for replies - from every one of them !

Meanwhile , going on a friend's recommendation the job's being done at a local body shop at a very acceptable price.

 

[Dan]

Good service is always good business

Most people are too busy thinking & prioritising around themselves to really get it though, but a lot of money gets left on the table as a result

Dan

[BroadScot]

One of the biggest drawbacks to working alone is cash flow. Getting the work is one thing, being paid promptly is another!

Any self employed tradesman, will know exactly what I mean. My biggest problem was working for big companies, they are the worst at paying bills promptly IMHO.

Iain

[ranworthbreeze]

3 hours ago, BroadScot said:

One of the biggest drawbacks to working alone is cash flow. Getting the work is one thing, being paid promptly is another!

Any self employed tradesman, will know exactly what I mean. My biggest problem was working for big companies, they are the worst at paying bills promptly IMHO.

Iain

Too right Iain, 60 days minimum or in some cases 90 days, usually the money is safe, but it does not put a Sunday roast on the table

Regards

Alan

[TheQ]

4 hours ago, BroadScot said:

One of the biggest drawbacks to working alone is cash flow. Getting the work is one thing, being paid promptly is another!

Any self employed tradesman, will know exactly what I mean. My biggest problem was working for big companies, they are the worst at paying bills promptly IMHO.

Iain

Sadly this is not new, someone I worked with in 1975-6 his business had  never made a loss, but was bankrupt due to big companies taking six months or longer to pay back then.

 

[ExUserGone]

We had a local guy do a repair on our roof, he had payment problems too, took ages to get him to tell us what we owed him despite trying, I think the problem is drinking in the same pub.....

It's always a good thing to drink in the pub all the good local tradesmen drink in.

[Matt]

I emailed Brian Wards last night and got a response at 8am this morning