Culture is Caught Not Taught
September 1, 2008 9:18 pm Business Mentoring, MarketingToday I took 10 of the WNA Members I personally mentor to ‘The BIG Small Business Solutions One Day Seminar in Brisbane. It was a great day, attended by over 400 business owners and featuring a range of expert speakers including David Koch, but it was keynote speaker Tom O’Toole who stole the show.
I had not met Tom before, he’s the man behind the Beechworth Bakery which is one of Australia’s greatest small business success stories. Tom was both hyperactive and inspiring. He spoke about how he had built his team of 200+ employees on the belief that ‘culture is caught not taught’ and the importance good customer service will always play over price.
Anyone can bake buns and sausage rolls, but not everyone can turn selling them into a total purchasing experience. With this guy attitude is everything. He told many stories but in particular his attitude towards competition was refreshing.
He reflected on what happened when a very stylish two story bakery had opened its doors close to his own shop. Instead of worrying about the competition Tom and his team continued doing what they have always done, offering great customer service, a value based work environment for employees and a shared vision for business excellence.
Well, as the story goes, the competition couldn’t make a go of it. With several years of operation and a measly turnover of only $300k to show for it they were forced to sell up. Tom, who is a very patient man, stepped in and purchased his competitor’s operation which turned over a cool $2.3m last financial year. Not bad from a shop where the average spend per customer is $6.
It reminded me of the story of the hairdressing salon charging $20 for a style cut. Competition opened up across the road offering the same service for only $7. The original salon simply put a sign in their window “We fix $7.00 haircuts”. Price is almost never the basis on which customers make their choices. In the end it is how you look after them that matters.
The pearls of wisdom Tom shared today:
“When opportunities knock get up and open the door”
“Attitude is the mind’s paint brush and it can colour any situation”
“Serve, serve, serve the customer”
“Customer complaints are the school book from which we learn”
“If you want a great future choose to be happy”
Lynette Palmen is the Founder and Director of Women’s Network Australia. Join WNA’s weekly eNoticeBoard service free.
