I work for a small/mid-sized company that sells masonry/building supplies to the trade. Our 3 yards do approximately $22M/annually. We’re doing very well, with a growth rate of 30% each year for the last 3 years.
The problem: Growth leads to Fat. Fat leads to Frivolity.
This year we upgraded or business system, communications system, put up a new buildings, took on new lines and bilt 3 new showrooms. All fine (and necessary) in my book.
But THIS is the icing on the cake:
$499 + $12 Shipping for a Custom, on hold CD!
(The manager who purchased it asked me to write the message because he’s not much of a wordsmith)
I just listened to it, and it sucks.
A 3:56 track of some God-awful muzak playing in the background while with some announcer reads (and mis-pronounces) a list of the the products and services we provide, Followed by 12 generic tracks that includes stuff like, “Valentines day, a day to celebrate the people important in your life. We’d like to tell you how important you are to our business.” Or, worse yet, “Celebrate Halloween with all treats and no tricks. We treat or customers with respect and professionalism. One of our ghouls or representitves will be back to assist to in just a moment.”
I think we’ve gotten a little to big for our own good. We would have been better off taking the $500 and flushing it down the toilet…or adding it to my Xmas bonus