What it means to be a Main Street merchant
By Rich Lindblom, AVB Marketing
When I got into this business back at the ripe old age of 15 (for real), selling, delivering and installing appliances at my father’s store, I felt I was entering what I would call a noble profession. I think a lot of people who got into the business at a young age felt similarly.
Sadly, somewhere along the way that seemed to change.
As I talked to dealer friends over the years, it seemed like the luster had faded from our profession. That we had gone from being the knight in shining armor riding to our customers’ rescue to the smarmy used car salesman trying to pawn off a clunker.
Is it true? I honestly don’t think so. Take a minute to reflect upon what you and your company actually do every day. People, often your neighbors and friends, come to you with a need or a desire. Sometimes it might be urgent: maybe their refrigerator pooped out unexpectedly or their washer is leaking all over their new hardwood floor. Other times it might be helping them realize their dream of an updated kitchen, family room or home theater.
People visit doctors, dentists and attorneys when they have a problem, and those professions are considered noble because they help solve them. But isn’t that what you do too?
Let’s take it a step further. I know for a fact that many of you go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to helping local charities, churches and people in need. Maybe it’s donating goods or services, volunteering your time or giving a struggling customer as much leeway as needed to pay their bill (or waiving it altogether), without making them feel like a lesser person for accepting a helping hand. You don’t do it for recognition, you do it because it’s the right thing to do.
The bottom line is that ours not only remains a noble profession, but every one of you is a knight in shining armor, for coming to the rescue of your customers,’ friends and neighbors every day. So hold your head up high and be proud of what you do, because you are making a difference. Sometimes in small ways and sometimes in a much bigger way than you will ever know.
Rich Lindblom is a past principal of Advanced Maytag Home Appliance Center, a family business founded 64-years ago in Schaumburg, Il. He now shares his 40-plus years of hard-won retail experience with fellow BrandSource members as a YSN columnist and product manager of AVB’s SYNC point-of-sale system. You can reach Rich at rich.lindblom@avb.net.
