Play Meter

FROM THE EDITOR
Competition keeps
keeps us
us alert
alert
Competition
"My competitors
competitors do
do more
more for
for me
me than
than my
my friends
friends do;
do; my
my friends
friends are
are too
too polite
polite to
to point
point
"My
out
my
weaknesses,
but
my
competitors
go
to
great
expense
to
advertise
them.
out my weaknesses, but my competitors go to great expense to advertise them.
"My competitors
competitors are
are efficient,
efficient, diligent
diligent and
and attentive;
attentive; they
they make
make me
me search
search for
for ways
ways to
to
"My
my
services.
improve
improve my services.
"My competitors
competitors would
would take
take my
my business
business away
away from
from me,
me, if if they
they could;
could; this
this keeps
keeps me
me alert
alert
"My
to
hold
what
I
have.
to hold what I have.
"If I I had
had no
no competitors,
competitors, I I would
would be
be incompetent,
incompetent, inattentive;
inattentive; I I need
need the
the discipline
discipline they
they
"If
enforce
upon
me.
enforce upon me.
"I salute
salute my
my competitors;
competitors; they
they have
have been
been good
good to
to me.
me. God
God bless
bless them
them all."
all."
"I
B 3
ob Harper
Harper of
of A A & & B B Vending
Vending handed
handed me
me his
his
ob
business card.
card. When
When I I turned
turned it it over,
over, the
the above
above
business
saying
was
prominently
displayed.
I
read
it
over
saying was prominently displayed. I read it over
several times,
times, realizing
realizing how
how true
true it it really
really is.
is.
several
How often
often do
do you
you think
think about
about your
your competitors?
competitors?
How
Probably
about
as
much
as
you
do
your
customers, though
though
Probably about as much as you do your customers,
naturally not
not in in the
the same
same way.
way. It's
It's not
not that
that you
you really
really
naturally
11~1111 to
to think
think about
about them
them but
but it's
it's inevitable.
inevitable. They're
They're the
the
want
ones
that
keep
you
on
your
toes
because
you
know
if
you
ones that keep you on your toes because you know if you
get
lazy,
your
customers
have
an
alternative;
they're
the
get lazy, your customers have an alternative; they're the
ones that
that make
make you
you change
change your
your business
business strategies
strategies when
when
ones
they initiate
initiate programs
programs that
that are
arc more
more feasible
feasible than
than ones
ones you
you
they
have;
they're
the
ones
that
make
you
better
since
your
have; they're the ones that make you better since your
goal is is to
to keep
keep your
your customers
customers happy
happy and
and you
you can
can only
only do
do
goal
that
by
being
better
than
the
competition;
and
they
arc
the
that by being better than the competition; and they are the
ones you
you are
are always
always compared
compared to.
to.
ones
Isn't
it
a
paradox
that
the
people
you curse
curse and
and
Isn't it a paradox that the people you
complain
about
most
often,
are
actually
the
ones
that are
are
complain about most often, are actually the ones that
pushing
you
to
new
heights.
Isn't
it
ironic
that
these
pushing you to new heights. Isn't it ironic that these
competitors you
you think
think you'd
you'd be
be better
better off
off without,
without, are
are the
the
competitors
very
ones
making
your
business
grow!
very ones making your business grow!
Dale Carnegie
Carnegie said
said "that
"that while
while the
the law
law of
of competition
competition
Dale
may
be
sometimes
hard
for
the
individual,
it
best for
for
may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is is best
the race
race because
because it it insures
insures the
the survival
survival of
of the
the fittest
fittest.and
the
.. and
we accept
accept the
the law
law of
of competition
competition as
as being
being not
not only
only
we
beneficial,
but
essential
for
future
progress."
beneficial, but essential for future progress."
Competition is is great
great for
for the
the consumer;
consumer; it it offers
offers a a wide
wide
Competition
array of
of services
services and
and products,
products, each
each one
one trying
trying to
to be
be a a
array
little better
better or
or offer
offer a a little
little more.
more. When
When a a pizza
pizza delivery
delivery
little
company
opened
in
my
neighborhood,
the
pizza
w.isn't
company opened in my neighborhood, the pizza wasn't
really that
that good,
good, but
but it it was
was a a trade-off
trade-off for
for the
the convenience
convenience
really
of
home
delivery.
Then,
wouldn't
you
know,
another
pizza
of home delivery. Then, wouldn't you know, another pizza
delivery
company
popped
up,
and
you
guessed
it,
had
very
delivery company popped up, and you guessed it, had very
good
pizza
PLUS
delivery.
It
did
cost
a
little
more,
but
good pizza PLUS delivery. It did cost a little more, but
good pizza
pizza and
and delivery,
delivery, too.
too. What
What more
more could
could you
you ask
ask for.
for.
good
found out
out a a short
short time
time later:
later: another
another company
company offered
offered
We found
We
excellent pizza,
pizza, home
home delivery,
delive1y, and
and a a lower
lower price.
price.
excellent
No,
it
didn't
end
there.
The
original
guy
with so-so
so-so
No, it didn't end there. The original guy with
pizza, upgraded
upgraded it it to to beyond
beyond superb,
superb, lowered
lowered the
the price,
price, but
but
pizza,
ended
the
home
delive1y.
Oh,
well,
it
is
only
a
short
drive
ended the home delivery. Oh, well, it is only a short drive
pick up
up a a really
really good
good pizza.
pizza. Competition
Competition really
really battled
battled it it
to to pick
out
there
but
each
of
them
got
better
and
found
its own
own
out there but each of them got better and found its
niche in in that
that market.
market.
niche
You may
may be
be saying
saying to to yourself
yourself that
that you
you would
would welcome
welcome
You
PLAY METER/April
METER/ April 1987
1987
8 8 PLAY
the chance
chance to to see
see your
your competitors
competitors fade
fade into
into oblivion
oblivion or
or
the
would
revel
at
the
"going
out
of
business"
sign
on
their
would revel at the "going out of business" sign on their
front doors.
doors. And,
And, though
though I I would
would agree
agree that
that it's
it's natural
natural for
for
front
you to to feel
feel that
that way,
way, look
look at at it it like
like this:
this: if if you
you had
had no
no
you
competition, you
you would
would have
have no
no reason
reason to to seek
seek better
better ways
ways
competition,
of
doing
business;
you
would
become
complacent
in
your
of doing business; you would become complacent in your
attitude; your
your service
service would
would decline
decline because
because there
there would
would be
be
attitude;
no one
one to
to offer
offer more;
more; and
and your
your customers
customers would
would eventually
eventually
no
suffer.
suffer.
Operators saw
saw quite
quite a a bit
bit of
of competition
competition descend
descend on
on
Operators
them during
during the
the video
video boom,
boom, competition
competition that
that was
was many
many
them
times rightfully
rightfully called
called unfair.
unfair. These
These people,
people, who
who knew
knew
times
nothing
about
this
industry,
who
didn't
care
to
find
out
nothing about this industry, who didn't care to find out
about
it,
were
invading
territories
making
so-called
better
about it, were invading territories making so-called better
deals and
and offering
offering locations
locations more
more than
than their
their regular
regular operator
operator
deals
was offering.
offering. But
But that
that competition
competition turned
turned out
out to to be
be nothing
nothing
was
more
than
opportunists.
I
wouldn't
doubt
that
some
of
more than opportunists. I wouldn't doubt that some of
them
made
locations
even
more
aware
of
how
really
good
them made locations even more aware of how really good
their
operator
had
been.
Often,
operators
recounted
stories
their operator had been. Often, operators recounted stories
of locations
locations calling
calling for
for games
games that
that had
had been
been kicked
kicked out.
out.
of
"What
about
that
new
guy
who
is
giving
you
70
or
80
"What about that new guy who is giving you 70 or 80
percent?"
they
asked
of
the
location.
"70
or
80
percent
of
percent?" they asked of the location. "70 or 80 percent of
games
that
don't
work
is
not
better
than
50
percent
of
games that don't work is not better than 50 percent of
well-maintained games."
games." Case
Case closed
closed on
on that
that competition.
competition.
well-maintained
But
real
competition
is
another
story.
While
one
But real competition is another story. While one
manufacturer
wants
to
be
the
first
with
new
technology,
he
manufacturer wants to be the first with new technology, he
rejoices
with
his
competitor
who
shows
it
can
work.
The
rejoices with his competitor who shows it can work. The
competition fires
fires you
you up
up to to do
do better,
better, to to work
work harder.
harder. Real
Real
competition
competition
is
like
opposing
football
teams.
Each
w.ints
to
competition is like opposing football teams. Each wants to
win, but
but players
players will
will stop
stop after
after a a play
play to to help
help opposing
opposing
win,
players
off
the
ground.
players off the ground.
Operators who
who belong
belong to to their
their state
state associations,
associations, meet
meet
Operators
with
competitors
to
discuss
mutual
problems,
for
the
benefit
with competitors to discuss mutual problems, for the benefit
of
their
industry.
At
the
recent
ACME
show,
manufacturers
of their industry. At the recent ACME show, manufacturers
could be
be found
found eating
eating lunch
lunch together,
together, or
or attending
attending each
each
could
other's
parties,
even
though
they
are
competitors.
other's parties, even though they are competitors.
One manufacturer
manufacturer summed
summed up
up his
his feelings
feelings on
on his
his
One
competition,
"I
hope
I
never
count
my
competition
among
competition, "I hope I never count my competition among
my enemi
enemies."
/ 'I
es."
my
Va ~
lerie Co d~//ud/
J gniich
'~V~lerie-
Cognevich
Valerie Cognevich
Ediror
Editor