Page 4 - May-June 2021 REPORTER

Message from the CHAIR

keep smiling

RON SCHELL e’re still in lockdown...boy! At least we seem • I say things like, “I treat my employees like family”
Schell Home Hardware Wto be getting the vaccine now and, hopefully, but then follow up with “I hate my family.”
Building Centre, that will be the light at the end of the tunnel. • Customers also come in and say “Can I ask you
Here a few things that I do to get smiles on our
Stouffville, ON
customers’ faces: a question?” I respond with, “You already have.”
Again, I see the dumbfounded look on their faces.
• With lumber and plywood prices so high, a Or when a customer says to me “I need some
customer will say to me when I’m working the advice.” Before they can tell me what advice they
cash, “Is that what they want for this and that, want, I respond with “Stick with her as long as you
that and this”; and without telling them the prices, can.”
I print out their invoices. Then, the customer will
look at the invoice and usually yell out, “WHOA”. To tell you a funny story, a very nice lady wanted
Immediately I respond with, “Yeah, I can’t believe some pine flooring for an addition on her 100 year
it’s that low.” Before they can flinch, I look to one old farmhouse. She wanted wide planks to go along
of my fellow employees and say, “How with the rest of her house so she asked what size
"I say things can we do it for so low?” The employee I had. I answered with 1x4 and 1x6 white pine
yells back, “Volume Ron, strictly flooring and 1x6 and 1x8 red pine flooring. There
like, 'I treat my volume”. Meanwhile, the customer is were a few other contractors and customers present
employees like standing there dumbfounded over this for this conversation when the nice lady said to
act that we performed. me, “Ron, all you got is 8 inches.” I said back to the
family' but then customer, with fake tears in my eyes, “Jennifer I
follow up with 'I • Another thing I like to do when a wish I had more.” Realizing what she had said, she
customer comes in the store and turned redder than a Home Hardware jacket. We all
hate my family'." asks me, “Where are your hammers?” laughed afterwards.
I answer, “They are in my garage on
the back wall hanging on some pegboard.” The We all have our ways of keeping things loose.
customer will then say, “Your store hammers.” Keep it up, stay safe and have fun!
Then I reply, “Why didn’t you say so? Aisle 2, left
hand side, three quarters of the way down, four
feet from the floor.” Of course, right now they
can’t come into the store, but remember this for
later.

• When there are a lot of customers around and
one of my employees does something really
good for a customer, I always say “There will be
a little something extra in your pay check this
week.” There never is anything extra; however it
makes the customer think I’m a nice guy.

4 LBMAO Reporter - May-June 2021 www.lbmao.on.ca