Rock Wall

[Steve]

Andy, You are an amazing ambassador of goodwill for your company and the industry! It is absolutely amazing how many people come up to you looking for help on their property! I think this all goes to show everyone reading, you have to be friendly and approachable to find such success.

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Originally Posted by Steve Andy, You are an amazing ambassador of goodwill for your company and the industry! It is absolutely amazing how many people come up to you looking for help on their property! I think this all goes to show everyone reading, you have to be friendly and approachable to find such success. Thanks for your kind words, the vast majority of my clients, I would consider friends, I involve them in the process as much as they want, I eat with them if offered as does my staff, a have a few clients that have gone to sports bars to have a few drinks and watch a game with staff (I don't watch sports and bars are not my thing) some clients join us on wing night etc. We HAVE to foster a relationship to win, get referrals and grow, many may not agree or be comfortable with this but it's how I have run the last for companies and it works so well I never have to be concerned a client will leave and I have never lost a client yet in any of the companies I have run. When we build relationships, even when we make a mistake, which is going to happen, it is just discussed and that is the end of it. I see nothing wrong at all having lunch with clients or allowing staff to socialize with them, on their own time, I trust my staff and it has never been an issue. Next weekend we will have our Christmas party, I would guess 70 to 80 customers will show, we rent the entire sports bar section of Boston Pizza, I give a ticket for one beer, buy the staff pizza, the rest they are on their own. A lot more clients would come, just no room for more.

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Andy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Well after a discussion with the homeowners late yesterday, I am finished for this year. The ground freezes every night, when the frost comes out it is desperate slippery and I felt I had pushed my luck enough sliding around, we agreed what is done will hold the spring run off so I will come back in May, finally I am finished for the season!

The second picture is a rock wall along their brook that was built, according to what they can find, in the early 1900's. They had images of a steam powered excavator that built this for a road, operator did an amazing job and I could tell from looking at the area he spent a lot of time finding the right rocks.

This wall is well over 100 years old and has never moved.

[Steve]

Andy,

When you look at that old rock wall, you see a lot of small rocks put in between the larger rocks. How important is that? Also there looks to be a lot of flat rocks as well. It looks to be made by hand.

When you look at such walls, can you learn techniques from them? Do they ever challenge you to experiment with your rock wall building?

Next weekend we will have our Christmas party, I would guess 70 to 80 customers will show, we rent the entire sports bar section of Boston Pizza, I give a ticket for one beer, buy the staff pizza, the rest they are on their own.

I am so glad you brought this up. We see posts all the time on how to attract customers. Here is a great bond building experience you are putting together.

Is the goal more of a company Christmas party and customers are invited or is this a company & customer party?

From a customer's stand point, what will attract them to come to the party?

Also, I bet many are wondering, how can you utilize such events to further grow your business? What kinds of things can be done at such events to attract more business in the future, or should any sales pitches be off-limits at such events?

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Originally Posted by Steve

Andy,

When you look at that old rock wall, you see a lot of small rocks put in between the larger rocks. How important is that? Also there looks to be a lot of flat rocks as well. It looks to be made by hand.

When you look at such walls, can you learn techniques from them? Do they ever challenge you to experiment with your rock wall building?



I am so glad you brought this up. We see posts all the time on how to attract customers. Here is a great bond building experience you are putting together.

Is the goal more of a company Christmas party and customers are invited or is this a company & customer party?

From a customer's stand point, what will attract them to come to the party?

Also, I bet many are wondering, how can you utilize such events to further grow your business? What kinds of things can be done at such events to attract more business in the future, or should any sales pitches be off-limits at such events?

Although the excavator I am using would make a wall like this, look at the rock, on the majority of the pieces there are four square sides. I suspect what the operator had was two or three guys finding the rock, taking measurements, they would tell him exactly where to put it. You might be able to lift a few of the pieces by hand but I really doubt it.

The goal of the party is just hand and have fun and eat. The vast majority form a relationship with customers, clients love what I do, I only hire University students or students that have graduated and have not found work, by hiring us they see it as helping the kids out, I know this because of feedback.

You use events like this to grow as you are building that relationship, how many suppliers do you know, ask their clients to attend a party event? I got the idea from shareholder meetings of large blue chip publically traded companies, they really put a party on and shareholders love it.

[Steve]

I think it is a great idea. Do you buy the customers a round of beers or is that only for the staff?

I bet a lot of others are thinking about this and trying to figure out how to put it together to get the most bang for their buck.

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Originally Posted by Steve

I think it is a great idea. Do you buy the customers a round of beers or is that only for the staff?

I bet a lot of others are thinking about this and trying to figure out how to put it together to get the most bang for their buck.

There are legal issues with respect to buying clients alcohol here so I will spring for pizza.

Our region is somewhat unique in that we are known to very very, very sociable, friendly etc. I know when friends I have met on the Internet visit and spend a few days here they are shocked.

What we do may not work in many areas, it's kind of the culture here.