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UP FRONT
SERVICE CAN MAKE OR BREAK A BUSINESS
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If you were to ask an operator if he is satisfied with
his business and he answered "yes," you would prob-
ably assume he has a viable operation that will survive
the sands of time.
Maybe he does. But one operator contends that if
you are satisfied , then you may be on the road to self-
destruction .
Once you are satisfied and feel comfortable and
secure, you lose motivation to strive to do better. You
need that motivation to improve and to achieve your
goals, including your service goals.
Operators willing to compromise themselves by
offering higher commission splits to locations have to
cut back somewhere. And sadly, that somewhere is too
many times the service.
This industry is service oriented . Service, defined
by Webster, is "a facility providing maintenance and
repair," and "work performed by one who serves. "
Serve, according to Webster, is "to stand by; to be a
servant; and to comply with the demands of."
It sounds serious to profess being service oriented.
It should. Service, or lack of it, can make or break a
business . Compare our industry to the automobile
industry. Many dealerships sell the same models, yet
some are very successful and some are not. No matter
how competent and honest your salesmen are, they
will only sell that first game to a customer; the service
sells the rest. The equipment is the same-the service is
unique. You wouldn't buy a car from a dealer that lied
to you or had you fight to get what you were promised.
Haven't you wondered why one operator seems to
have a thriving business with locations actually calling
on him, when you are out hustling to solicit locations?
That operator may even be on a 60/ 40 split instead of
the 50150 you may be on . He may be offering some-
thing better than what you offer or something you
don ' t offer at all-service.
Service is that edge you can have over your
competitors . If your customers know that you are
dependable, they are your best advertisement . Sure,
it' s extra work maintaining equipment, cleaning it
periodically, and making sure it is in the best condition
possible. But that extra work is your reputation .
A location once called an operator who had a
good reputation and asked him to place some equip-
ment in his location . When the operator met with the
owner, he noticed the location had some very good
machines. As the operator questioned the location
owner, he found that the location was on a 50150 split
with the other operator.
" I want you to understand that I work only on a
60/ 40 split with a guaranteed minimum ," the operator
pointed out.
" Look, I don ' t care if it is 70/ 30," the location
owner said . " I am not making anything because these
games are out of order more than they are operable .
And I heard that you service your equipment prompt-
ly."
That operator went on to obtain a very lucrative
location . He did not undercut the previous operator
though he could grumble that the competition stole
his location . Actually, he gave the location away.
So, by now you have gotten the moral of the story .
The equipment is the same. The service is special. It
may cost you more to be on 24-hour service call and
send a repairman out at 2 a.m . But it may cost you
much, much more if you don' t offer your customers
more than just machines.
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t/~tJr,udJ
Valerie Cognevich
Executive Editor
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PLAY METER. August 1, 1983