When Ben Kay, manager of my newsagency, sold “Zelda” a syndicate entry in the $33 million superdraw they got to talking about what they would buy if either won a major prize. Ben’s dream purchase is a fast boat. “Zelda” promised to buy it for him if she won. Similar conversations are shared across newsagency counters every day. It’s a level of personal and friendly contact which is rare in retail. It’s non existent at mass merchants.
“Zelda” didn’t anything in the superdraw but she wanted to encourage Ben to keep dreaming. She brought in this envelope to the shop with a couple of photos of boats and the message KEEP ON DREAMING “MAN”.
I’m glad we have people like “Zelda” as a customer. We enjoy her company.
I hope the Victorian State Government considers the personal service newsagents offer when they contemplate changes to lottery licencees this year. I can’t imagine “Zelda” being happy about having to buy her lottery and scratch tickets from the supermarket.
Its this type of customer relationship that sets small business apart. Its a very big chunk of many small business’s point of difference.
Its amazing how many customers (usually ones that are contented loyals) offer to share their winnings with staff. We had a customer the other day win somewhere between 1 & 2 thousand (memory lapse as to the exact amount). But she kindly suprised us the next day with two bottles of wine (some quite expensive wine). Its nice just to get the confirmation that a customer enjoys the time they spend in the store and talking to staff. Its the intrinsic feeling of knowing that your doing something right.
On a less happy note. The NSW Lotteries management contract runs out this year. I hope, as i do with VIC lotteries liscences, that all end up well. The industry needs to look to the future and each newsagent needs to look at where they are and where they need to be, the last thing we need to distract from this is a shambles with lotteries.