Garage door industry magazine for garage door dealers, garage door manufacturers, garage door distributors, garage door installers, loading docks, garage door operators and openers, gates, and tools for the door industry.
Issue link: https://idoi.epubxp.com/i/95501
DOORDEALERDIALOG (continued from page 21) "Our company is reliable, knowledgeable of the industry, and focused on our clients' well being." warehouse is important. It took years of practice to get our organization down pat. Even when I was in a corporate job with another company, I would always unload the truck and I was always there to get them out the door. So it was easier for me if I knew where everything was and over the years, we've tweaked it. Jane: Please share a personnel tip with the readers. David: Keep your people trained. Manufacturers offer a variety of training opportunities. We also invest in safety training (Forklift, scissor lift, fi rst aid, etc.) We've already talked about our IDEA training. Jane: What one thing has had the most negative impact on your business in the past two years? David: Consumer confi dence in the economy. The sales process has grown. We have had to spend more time on each sale than ever before. Jane: How does your company contribute to the local community? David: We are very active in youth programs in our area. We sponsor youth sports, youth activities with our church, and we are a sponsor of the Carroll County Youth Service Bureau. Julie: Since we have an older popula- tion in our community, we've been work- ing on making the whole process easier for them to remember their appointments and to remember what we told them on site. They get frustrated when they can't remember, so we're trying to come up with a way to help them understand the whole process and make it one-stop shopping for them. Jane: Does your company support any specifi c humanitarian efforts? David: Our big charity event is Rebuilding Together completed on the last Saturday of April. We have been involved with this for nine years. I serve as the House Captain and work with advisors from the school. On the day of the event 50 – 70 kids work on the house – it's just a great day. This year Nick put in a 16' x 8' garage door for the fi rst time by himself. He's helped out since he was eight years old. Jane: Has anything amusing happened to you or your personnel as a door dealer/ distributor? David: I performed a service call last year and as I arrived, the homeowner walked up to me with his dog and the dog bit my hand, breaking the skin in a few places. After I completed the service and headed to the next job, the customer called the offi ce and told Julie that he didn't think his check would clear. Well, what makes it amusing is that my hand healed fi ne and the check cleared! Jane: Please describe your company's advertising program. David: Word of mouth is our best advertising, followed by our showroom and our website. We also use social media (Facebook), we sponsor local youth sports, we participate in successful home shows, and we use our trucks as rolling billboards. Jane: Rising insurance costs are being ex- perienced in all sectors of construction. How have rising insurance costs impacted you? David: Rising costs of doing business in general makes you reassess your business often. Insurance costs are among the many rising costs we need to track. We are now increasing prices several times a year versus once a year before. Jane: What do you do in your business that is unique? Julie: We give set appointment times for everyone – from homeowners to contractors and builders. Because of that, we have people tell us how much they appreciate that we respect their time. Continued on page 25 22 International Door & Operator Industry™