“We can get someone out there between 9 and 3.” (insert long pause here) “I’m sorry, what?”
You make choices. We make choices. Everyone makes choices about the things we need. How we’re treated… that is what determines whether or not we come back. This week were joined by music producer Dan Young of Sonic Productions. He and his team of professional musicians make music, do voice-overs, produce podcasts and more. (They’re the ones behind the music you’re about to listen to. Awesome right?)
He joins The Gang to talk about service. Stories of great service. Nightmares of not so great service. Join us, and feel free to share your stories.
Episode Recap
FRIENDLY TAKEAWAYS:
- Take care of your customers, and they’ll stay loyal.
- Music is just as important to your brand as a logo or ad.
- By refinancing, you can get rid of debt.
- People are moving out of the city and to the ‘burbs.
Customer Service Still Matters at Friendly Auto Centers
Like our new intro music? It was created by today’s guest, Dan Young of Sonica Productions. More from him below. The NY Jets are 215:1 odds of winning the Super Bowl. Dan’s Cardinals have maybe no chance!
Steve talked about service. Being from NY, Steve and Felecia is used to things being on time. When somebody says they’ll be there at 9am, they arrive at 9. Try calling the cable company. They’ll tell you between 9am and 3pm. Really?
As an example, Steve called a mattress company. The first thing the sales woman did was give Steve the cheapest price, which he didn’t ask for. She gave him a good deal on a better bed, though, that included taking away the old bed and frame — except that they didn’t take it! Then, as Steve went to install his own frame, he discovered that it was a twin frame, not a Queen. The mattress store said it’d be a week. Steve got a frame elsewhere, and the mattress store wanted to charge him to pick up the wrong frame. Why should he have to pay for that? Bottom line is, Steve will never use them again.
Now, some people tell Steve that’s just how things are out here in Arizona. Maybe, but not at Friendly Auto Center! Steve and his crew will take care of you and your car. He once ended up paying $500 for a $20 oil change because he went out of his way to take care of a customer who had a scratch on their paint, including getting them a rental car. Businesses make mistakes. The point is to take care of the customer. It’s about personal accountability.
What really hurts about this story is that it was a referral from a friend. The mattress store knew it was a referral and still screwed up the customer service aspect. Now, they may lose two loyal customers and a ton of referrals.
Friendly has six loaner cars, and they pick up and deliver. Talk about service!
Steve walked into a car dealer, this time wearing his Friendly Auto shirt, which he normally doesn’t do. There were four salesmen standing there, doing nothing. They made eye contact and didn’t bother to talk to Steve. Steve’s looking over the car, and nobody came to help him. For fifteen minutes — nothing. He walked out. Two days later, he went back in a plain shirt, and then they talked to him. They had qualified him based on his shirt and ignored him. Bad sales. Bad service. Steve won’t go back there again.
If you don’t get the service you want, go somewhere else. You deserve good service.
Music and Songs as Part of Your Brand
Dan Young of Sonica Productions discussed how his business produces music for marketing videos. The goal is to help shape the brand. They also have a large, royalty-free music library. If you want a custom song written, they are your crew. Our music, your brand, your story — that’s their motto.
You really need an individual sound and presence. It’s all about branding. It needs to incorporate the look, the product and the music. The song helps.
They also find creative ways to create music, including podcast music and voice-overs. They have both English and Spanish speaking talent on board to help.
What about accents? British accents bring “royalty”. Southern accents…something else. So, a British (or Australian) accent can help. What about the sex of the voice? Does that matter for different products? Yes, sometimes one (male) or the other (female) can be more beneficial. It’s key to address your audience the way they want to hear from you.
This virus has created new opportunities for people to start online businesses. Those people have come to Sonica for help, so business has been good. Rappers. YouTubers. Podcasters. Churches. So many options for people working at home. The key is to find captive audiences. Getting meetings with business owners during quarantine has been easier.
Dan left corporate America to start his own business a few years ago. He wanted to get started in the arts. Arts is great, but you need revenue. So, he needed to design ways to serve all kinds of business and sell a great service. Serving others is important. Performing a task that others find valuable leads to revenue. The more they serve, the more revenue comes.
Don’t Let Insurance Companies Give You the Run-Around
PK is a hardcore negotiator. She had a flood at her place in March. Five rooms were affected. Then, it happened again in July. Her insurance was terrible. A simple call-back is just so important. Nothing for over a month. That’s unacceptable when it comes to living in your house. And the damage was due to poor workmanship from their previous contractor. They wanted her to file another claim. No way! Come fix it! So, she started working with Matt Watson State Farm, who was super responsive. Now, she’s going after her original insurance company.
They didn’t know who they were dealing with. PK, as a professional mediator, has taken this on with full energy. Her advice, when renting a home, check EVERYTHING! You’re not being nosey, you’re doing your due diligence. PK got photos of mold and water damage.
Now Is the Time to Refinance or Get Rid of Debt
Steve and Felecia just refinanced with Ryan and are paying hundreds of dollars less each month. Ryan prides himself in making calls and staying in touch with people. It’s good old fashioned relationships.
Interest rates are crazy low right now. He saved one client $2500 in total debt payments. The whole situation almost came to a divorce, so this saved their marriage.
If you can drop your mortgage by around 1%, refinancing could be a great option for you. There are always fees, including mortgage, title, and escrow. You might get a little bit of credit. Altogether, if you come in around 1% or more difference, you’ll likely be good to go. There’s a break-even point on this. Aim for 2-3 years to break even on the fees.
With low rates, it might also make sense to refinance into a 15-year loan from a 30-year and get that home paid off.
Get Out of the City and Into the Suburbs
The housing market continues to be hot here in Arizona. Due to COVID, people have moved into their 2nd or 3rd homes out of the city. Will they move back? If you can’t go to shows and restaurants, why live in the city? Moving out of an apartment and into a suburban home is more attractive these days.
Wrap Up
Until next week, Drive Friendly and Stay Healthy Arizona!
