21years… My Oh My where has it gone?
Posted April 12th, 2010 | No Comments
1st April 1989, so full of anticipation and expectation. New van, new uniform and new customers. This was going to be easy; I was going to single handedly secure the whole of Bury and beyond.
1st April 2010, 21years later, still here (phew). Many lessons learned, not quite so ‘gung ho’ and needing to conquer the world. Some of those people from way back then, still loyal customers and many many new ones along the way. Realised early on that giving my customers the great service they deserved was the only way, forget that and your customers will let you know one way or another.
Ok, now for a giggle, do you remember when…
Mobile phones were rare in business and those that did have them needed a back pack to carry them round. I considered myself cutting edge though having a pager, available 24/7 to all who needed me. Hilarious to think that when this little gadget ‘went off’ all you got was a name, telephone number and a cryptic message, you then had to hot foot it to a working pay phone with your 2p and try and contact the person. Nothing like spontaneity and availability!
Communication…well you have heard of snail mail and it truly was! Not just a slur on Royal Mail’s performance, it was everything from typing the perfect letter (Oh and don’t forget the carbon so you can keep a copy!) with no spell or grammar check, to waiting for returned telephone calls or written orders to be received. Everything took so long! I remember my huge deliberation over whether the business actually needed a fax machine, it seemed so unnecessary.
Cash Is King… I smile when I receive letters stating that companies will no longer be accepting cheques as payment. How long will it be before we no longer accept cash in the same way? People always carried cash and a cheque book; hey you even had a lovely leather bound holder to stop your cheque book from creasing! Credit cards were for the rich and famous, you really knew you were dealing with someone of substance if they produced an American Express Card and you would run to get your manual swiper, rummage around to find the dockets and try to remember how it all worked!
In current times we have a world of instant communication. Mobile phones strapped to our ears, e-mails delivered in ways which I still don’t understand and no matter how much money is taken on credit card, if there is little cash in the till, I struggle to see it as a good day. Don’t get me wrong I am no dinosaur and at Authorized Access we have systems coming out of our ears to make business life more effective. But…..old habits DO die hard!
Were we any better off when the pace of business life was slower? I am not so sure and wouldn’t like to give up my modern goodies and go back to the old ways, even though I sometimes curse the intrusion of my mobile phone. I bet I am not alone having taken a business call on the beach.
Where will business be in another 21years!