The Punter’s Ton
EXCITING NEWS FLASH!
A version of this post has just been published in Seth Godin’s Purple Cow New Edition (hardback). Check it out here.
I drove up in my hatchback and ordered 100 kg of wood. Tim* asked if I wanted a pre-weighed stack or… the Punter’s Ton. Of course I inquired what the Punter’s Ton was. Leaning towards me, eyes darting to the office, Tim told me in a lowered voice.
The yard tractor had a front bucket. After years of dealing firewood, Tim knew exactly what volume comprised 100 kg. While management insisted that he stack blocks on a set of scales then re-stack them for sale, Tim knew he could thrust the bucket into the main pile, tip out a few blocks, drive to a customer’s vehicle and transfer the wood directly.
In so doing, he saved time and effort, gave the customer a strong sense of his expertise, and had fun (while thumbing his nose at authority, in the great Australian tradition). And by adding that his margin of error could (or could not) mean a few free blocks, he sealed the deal.
Entranced, I asked for a Punter’s Ton. Tim displayed his enthusiasm and mastery while relating the tale of how he briefly startled one young lady by feigning intent to dump a Punter’s Ton on the back seat of her new BMW convertible.
In five minutes flat, he made me feel like a colleague, a connoisseur, a co-conspirator and a risk taker – all at the same time. And all for $32.95.
This enchanting episode reminded me of FISH! – a phenomenally popular book about a workplace management system with four concepts:
1. Play.
2. Make their (the customer’s) day.
3. Be present.
4. Choose your attitude.
I don’t know if Tim had read FISH! or was consciously applying its concepts. Clearly his masters were not fans. I do know, however, that Tim combined these elements for a memorable experience that had me coming back until the day he left and all I could buy thereafter were sterile, statistically sound, stacks.
If Tim owned that yard, I’d never stop telling people to go there.
And if Tim could achieve that effect with mere red gum, imagine the magic you could add to your business!
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, www.thefeistyempire.com
* When I asked permission to write about him, ‘Tim’ requested anonymity, as management did not like his methods. At all.
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That is a great story Paul! The amazing thing is that Tim delivered world class customer service, was passioante about his job, had fun and made the experience enjoyable for you and management dislike his methods so much that you couldn’t even use his real name!
That is just madness. On the other side of the coin I’m totally sick of the mediocre, poor and uniformed service levels that I recieve from businesses today. Times are tough, we know that, but rather than standing around complaining about it business owners need to set standards, engage the customer and make the experience worthwhile and guess what? Suprise, suprise customers come back and (are you sitting down here..) recommend their friends to do the same!
If I walk into your store with my wife and I hear ‘Youse right?’ I actually dont take that as a buying signal. If I’m looking around like a meerkat on speed that usually means that I would like some assistance and it’s time to move away from the desk and the enthrawling conversation about how many goals Ablett kicked on the weekend and offer me some advice so I can spend money in your store!
Business owners train your staff. You must tell them what is expected. Buy then a copy of the E-Myth. If they dont change then change them. Poor service costs you far more than you will ever know and great service can make you a success. By the way, great service is actually free. As Paul says, it’s an attitude.
Top comment, Malcolm; pithy and funny and true. Thank you! Can I possibly entice you to put a link behind your name to that fabbo 100 Tips marketing book you launched this week?
This is a tremendous anecdote Paul. Highly entertaining and apposite. Your blog delivers tremendous value itself. Thanks.
Thank you, Adam. I love it when you send me to the dictionary. Apposite. You’ve done it again!
I love this story! I teach workshops on finding your strengths and using them in your career – looks like Tim’s found his, no worries…
Great post!
What a great yarn Paul! Some months ago I found a great little clothing store where the owner was really helpful. I was wrapt because clothes shopping is my absolute pet hate. I spent quite a lot of money in her store over several months. On arriving home after the most recent visit I discovered that one garment was a complete mismatch for the rest of my wardrobe so I gave her a call to ask if I could possibly exchange the piece. We were on first name basis by then and had a friendly relationship so her response took me by surprise. Her demeanour completely transformed as she said (in a very tight lipped way) something along the lines ‘no, once you buy the garment that’s it’.
As much as I loved the store I don’t feel as inclined to go back. My own policy in business is that the customer is always right and whilst I think it’s absolutely reasonable to have a ‘no refund’ policy or to set boundaries about exchanging goods within a set time frame, some flexibility for a great customer has got to be a better option.
I love the FISH philosophy too!
Gee, Kate; to look at your website pic, one would think you’re a shopping diva! I thought I was the only one who hated it. Thank you for your comment. People sure can turn on you when the chips are down!
Great to hear, Joanna. Each time I visit your site, I get a better sense of what you do. And it looks rather beaut! Thanks for your Twitter retweet too.
Hi Paul et al…
Wow! Actual practical substance! So rare in the todays world of ‘web-marketing wizardry’, repleat with it’s increasingly ‘pseudo-breif’ psycho-hype and misused metaphor driven emptimess.
Oh! look at me, gearing up for a full-scale ‘wanka-rant’… :- P
Suffice it to say that your articles and the quality of comments are excellent.
Actually, I just dropped in to say I couldn’t get to your website. Hope it’s not a problem.
Cheers
Hi…I’m still here :- P
Your story reminded my of the ‘olden days’, when a ‘computer’ was an accountant with a really big Lego Set.
Back then, I remember being sacked on the spot because I told a potential customer (who had driven 80 miles to buy Tyres from our store), that she didn’t need tyres for another 12 months.
Over the next 3 weeks, 22 more vehicles came to our little tyre shop from 80 miles away….go figure?…and these were the first of many more. I was re-instated when the first of these distant customers turned-up asking for me a few days after ‘the dismissal’. I returned to work, but only with a pay rise… :- P
Cheers
Great to meet you, Stephen. Your website and service offering look like nothing I’ve ever seen. Best of luck with them! Thanks for your ace tyre story; it adds real depth to this discussion. BTW, is it the Empire site you’re having trouble with?
Thanks Paul,
Always happy to provide a link to my book.It provides over 100 ways to quickly and easily grow your business without spending a fortune. It provides you with all the ideas you’ll ever need to transform your business from the ordinary to the extraordinary in a very short time. Easy to read and implement this book is the product of over 20 years experience and all for $14.95. I’m now charging over $6,500 to provide clients with a marketing plan based on this information so the book is great value. Available at:
http://www.thesuccesssurfer.com/book.html
Thank you, Malcolm. I hate good content sitting idle. Folks, I’ve been using Malcolm’s 100 Tips book for years. They’re quick, they’re easy and they jolly well WORK. Tracey (one of the commenters on this blog) has just bought a copy. I’ve invited her frank (nay, brutal!) feedback to keep it real in the house.
Hi Paul,
Good to meet you, and thanks for your comments, too…I like the bit about “like nothing I’ve ever seen”…very diplomatic :- )
Yep! It was the Empire site.
Cheers
It takes a brave soul to do reverse type, Stephen; you’ve done reverse EVERYTHING! Yet you pulled it off: very impressive!
THE ONLY THING I’D CHANGE IS YOUR USE OF ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. THEY LOOK LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING AND THEY’RE HARDER TO READ THAN NORMAL TYPE. DO YOU AGREE?
My clever IT boffins are furiously founding the new Empire site. That may have caused the outage. It’s back up now, and the art mock-up I got today looks fabulous!
Hi Stephen,
I was checking out your website as a result of your comment – I agree that reverse type is a very bold move as is green text, but somehow it works and I’m wondering if it’s because it’s to do with food? Woolworths has the green/black thing too, come to think of it.
Anyway I noticed that you’re just starting out and thought you might be interested in myBRC’s other blog, Training Wheels - it’s all about new businesses getting off the ground, a place where people can trade experiences and ideas. It’s completely different to Paul’s blog, as a heads up – not quite the same depth
but who knows, it may be of interest. Just a thought 
Hi Paul,
Yeh! The reverse type is just another symptom of being me :- )Inkeeping with the theme of the business, I’ve tried to keep it true to same…indeed a risk…but then it’s just a brochure site for a very small, local business with a very local focus (if there was a ‘bioregion-wide-web’ I’d be on it), so folks that find it will likely be introduced to it.
And Yeh! I agree about the ‘YELLING’… I just haven’t gotten around to editing those parts of the CSS yet. The site is a ‘newborn’…about 3 weeks old :- P.
Cool! Glad the sites up…I’m off to have a look.
And thanks for your comments and feedback…it’s much appreciated and unexpected.
Cheers
You’re most welcome, Stephen. Please just note that only I and my Inner Circle have seen the rushes of the epic, new Empire site. The one online now is the old version that my mate created, by himself, from a book, at his first attempt. It served me well for five years, so I reckon that’s pretty damned good!
Hi Megan from myBRC :- )
And thank you for your comments and feedback as well…very much appreciated.
I’m not usually one for being loud…especially with websites. But through the design process (term used a loosely as humanly possible), it started out being white. The black was born of a bit of ‘environmental’ trivia (about which I remain unconvinced), regarding black websites using less power…it just kind of grew from that. I also kept telling myself that some of the most successful websites are ugly but useful…ha! Talk about ’symptoms of being me’ :- P
And thank you, I have seen Training Wheels blog…it too is excellent. I’ll likely chime in from time to time…
Come to think of it, it has crossed my mind since being here on myBRC that it might be interesting if registered members could just start their own blogs…I reckon that would be very interesting.
Anyway, thanks again and I look forward to more.
Cheers
Sorry, should have said great post! Waiting for your next one!
Hi Paul. Thanks for tweeting this tonight as I enjoyed the story.
And that is what all those businesses strugling to deliver great customer service should be focusing upon – rather than panicing that they can’t find good staff, or that they don’t know how to train them, or they haven’t got time, or not sure what the latest training program says to do…..Just give the customer an experience that is worthy of a story. Experience creates stories. Stories create word of mouth. Word of mouth creates customers. Customers have experiences.
For Malcolm who so enjoys hearing: Youse Right when he enters a store, check out this article from @debratemplar: http://www.thetemplargroup.com.au/_webapp_257482/Ten_things_retailers_should_never_say
Sorry that my comments are so many months after you originally posted, but had a giggle to see @NoSh-It’s first time weighing in for a bit of a rant & rave (Quote: “So rare in the todays world of ‘web-marketing wizardry’, repleat with it’s increasingly ‘pseudo-breif’ psycho-hype and misused metaphor driven emptimess”. No wonder he rolls his eyes at me on Twitter whenever I start going on about being true to the brand position that will connect with his primary target market….
).
Thank for your visit, Bambi. Your comments are as releavant today as when this post was written.
That article you linked to is beaut. I particularly liked how it offered alternatives to the no-nos of retail.
Stephen has been an incredible asset to this blog. It’s hard to imagine it without him. I hope you come back soon too. Best regards, Paul.
EXCITING NEWS FLASH!
A version of this post has just been published in Seth Godin’s Purple Cow New Edition (hardback). Check it out here.