August is ending and I just received a phone call from a
seasonal service provider asking if I received the seasonal contact mailing
sent about three weeks ago and confirming that I will be using the service this
year. The service they provide starts near the end of October each year and
runs through the winter season. They
have thousands of customers and I normally execute and pay for the contract
service in mid September, so why the call?
I asked and was told they were just checking with the
“regulars”. They do have to allocate resources for each customer, so perhaps
they are thinking about making a resource change like reducing inventory. Or
perhaps there is some new competition, after all I did receive an email last week
offering a lower price on some services. Maybe they are looking at the cash
flow, as their customers pay when the contract is executed at the start of the
season, so there is a large inflow of cash in September. There could be a loan
involved here as well. I am aware of expansion wishes they have had for a
number of years, maybe now is the time. Perhaps there is an ownership change in
the wind. Or maybe they just want to “keep in touch” to retain existing
customers.
What value can you place on a few emails, or phone calls?
Steve Koenig, SCORE Counselor
Visit us at: www.scoresouthflorida.net
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