Quantum Newsprint hosted by Bill Sjoblom

Guest Blog: Carmen Gutierrez - How to Rebuild Your Division Sales!

With the recent loss of 7-Eleven business, many of our Division Managers are faced with the need to rebuild the business in their division. I thought it would be helpful to hear from our veteran Division Manager in Riverside, Carmen Gutierrez who did just that after we lost the BP business in September of 2009. Thanks, Carmen for sharing your journey!

"Rays of sun as the storm begins to wither” Randy said on Bill’s blog referring to the optimism he’s feeling about the future of QS after the loss of 7/11 business.

September 2009 is a date that I will never forget. It’s the time that we lost the BP business. Several divisions were affected and lost so many good people as well. The Riverside division was one of the most affected ones, Riverside alone lost 180 stores.

I was confused, angry, worried, sad, and very…very… discouraged. I was thinking that there was no future for us without our #1 client, but time proved me wrong.

How do you rebuild your division? How do you bring sales to rebuild your division? How did Riverside go back to being the largest division in QS within a year after the big loss?

Thirty-five percent of Riverside’s businesses is with clients with 1 to 10 stores. These clients were added with lots of perseverance, great client relationships and positive attitude.

Here are a few steps that we took to make it happen:

• Send out thank you letters to your owners and managers for being able to work with them. Let them know that you are still available to do audits for them. Follow up with a call or email to make it clear that you are able to give them audit service and that you can work with them to see if there is other information that they might be interested in.
• Once you pick up some audits send out another letter stating that owners and managers are doing audits on their own and are pleased with the continued service that QS has always given them.
• Referrals…referrals…referrals...one sale will lead to another, make contact with BC, FBC (supervisors and market managers), I even got a couple of realtors that I met in Change Over audits, and they call me when they need an auditing service.
• Keep constant contact with future clients by attending Franchisee’s meetings.
• Be adaptable to your client’s needs even if you have to do small sacrifices, they will appreciate and will keep you in mind for future business.

I read a quote once which read, “When it’s obvious the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” I truly believe that we are all great achievers with the ability
to bounce back from situations like this.

Be positive, always keep a winning attitude and remember that when you are down the only other direction is up. Your division will grow, all you need to do is taking the first step and get
started now!

You Could Be a Guest Blogger!

Got something you want to share?  Maybe a funny story.  Or an example of how you went above and beyond for our clients.  Or just something interesting about you or someone in your division. 

I would love to hear from you.  Send me your Guest Blogs and if it is posted here you will get a $10 gift card.

Guest Blog: Rachell Bernhardt - Loco for Local!

Are you into the local food movement in your area?  It’s something that really seems to be taking off in Columbus.  One of my favorite ways to eat local is by going to the farmer’s market every week.  I get a lot of great veggies from my CSA and I often pick up fruit for making jam. 

  

Ready to head home with a flat of strawberries

Another way, I eat local is fresh eggs from my backyard.  I can’t get much more local than that.  I have four chickens in my suburban backyard.  If you are like a few of my neighbors, you may be asking why I would do that.  There’s a number of reasons – fresh eggs right out my backdoor is one of them, teaching my three year old daughter some responsibility is another, plus the girls are just fun!

  

Big B, Toffee and Huevo pecking around in the backyard

Surprisingly enough, this is not the first post on this blog to mention chickens.  You may remember the Giant Yellow Chicken that came to visit Bill on his birthday last year.

In addition to the chickens in our backyard we also have a garden.  Nothing beats a fresh, summer tomato right off the vine with a little salt and pepper or on a BLT.  It’s always fun to head out back with Stella after work to see what’s ready to harvest.      

  
Backyard bounty

It’s easier to eat local here in Ohio during the summer when fresh produce is abundant.  It’s tougher in the winter months but I still get the flavor of summer with the jams and other produce I put up during the year.

 Homemade cherry jam

What do you enjoy eating local?  Do you have a garden?  Do you can or make jam?  Send me one of your favorite recipes to rbernhardt@quantum-services.com  I love trying new things in the kitchen.  Maybe Bill can even share it here on his blog. 

Guest Blog: Randy Burke - Weathering the Storm...

 

The 7-Eleven business loss has been a challenging and difficult time for me.  What makes Quantum Services a great company to work for can also make it difficult.  The connections and relationships we build over time make work more enjoyable and rewarding but also makes this type of work more stressful and has a personal impact.  Through my numerous conversations and communications with those affected I have felt deep sadness for those who will be leaving QS and feel bad for those who will have their roles & compensation significantly reduced.  As I reflect on this process several things stand out for me:

• I’m continually impressed by the ongoing professionalism & dedication of our workforce to QS and to our clients. 
• There is tremendous loyalty to QS.  I’ve been told repeatedly how great of a company QS is to work for.  This is especially true compared to WIS/RGIS.
• I’ve been overwhelmed with offers to help with the transition, people willing to go the extra mile during the transition.  Even from people that will be leaving soon.
• Everyone has been especially patient through this process.   

I am starting to see the rays of the sun as the storm begins to wither.  I am optimistic about the future of QS for many reasons:

• Through my 26 years with QS we have experienced 2-3 similar setbacks.  We have responded and thrived after each one of them.  No reason to think we won’t do it again.
• 2011 sales & profits have been very strong to date.  If it were not for this one decision (albeit a significant one) we would have much different feelings about our results and plans. 
• If we add 50 audits per month moving forward it would only take us 2 years to recoup the loss of the 7-Eleven sales.  We continue to have sales success and this is an achievable goal.
• Our workforce has always been resilient.  We have shown the ability to adapt and change to build on our success.  I have no doubts we will do so again.

While I move into September with some sadness in my heart I will do so with the confidence and optimism I have gained from going through this difficult time.

Guest Blog - Lauren Kesselring: First Impressions

Lauren is a summer intern at QS.  She is a college student at the University of Kentucky and is helping out in the office on a variety of tasks. 

 

Impression as defined by dictionary is an immediate perception upon one’s mind.  The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about my experience at Quantum Services so far is innovation.  At school there is no innovation process, other than maybe figuring out how to sleep in the latest and still make it to class on time.  But here it is all about innovation, thinking about ways to do tasks differently and better.  Tech is always trying to improve the systems and find the next piece of equipment that can benefit the company.  Staff is always looking at new ways to serve customers and improving their personal work.  There are even innovation meetings!  The idea of spending 20% of your time away from your desk reading or working in a different environment is totally new to me too.  I always thought that at work people sit behind their desk and do their job without thinking about what they were doing.  Wrong, all wrong!  But for this circumstance, I like being wrong.  It is neat to see people come up with a new idea and make it become reality.  What is your innovative idea?

Another thing that has struck me is the atmosphere of teamwork.  People work to better the company; they do not work harder to get a better desk.  I read the book Bounce while I was on vacation, and it talks about how when people work for themselves the company on a whole does not benefit.  But, when everyone works for the company everyone benefits.  It is evident that this is how QS is run. 

Guest Blog: Pam Hoyt - Defensive Driving

Thanks to all of you who completed the National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course.  Although it is a bit time consuming it is a good reminder to practice safe driving techniques.  Did you know that Quantum employees drive over 3 million miles each year?  That means that we have cars on the road about 60,000 hours a year and over 1,100 hours each week.  With that kind of exposure things are bound to happen but we would hate for something serious to happen to you.  Please pay attention, keep a clear distance, and avoid cell phone and texting while driving.   Last year was not a good year for Quantum in regards to accidents.  We spent over $50,000 in car repairs from accidents,  many which could have been avoided.   We are thankful that no one was seriously injured.

While we’re on the subject of cars, take a look at yours.  Is it clean and in good working order or could it use a little TLC?  Wouldn’t it be nice to jump into a super clean car in the morning?   I am often amazed when we get a car that changes drivers or is returned to the office at how filthy most of them are.    While you are cleaning your car take time to check your tire pressure and make sure you have current insurance card in the glove box.

Guest Blog: Rachell Bernhardt - Tweet! Tweet!

 

You have likely heard of the micro-blogging site Twitter.  If you are like me, you’ve heard of it but still don’t really know a lot about it.  According to the site Twitter is an information network:

“Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find interesting.  Simply find the public streams you find most compelling and follow the conversations.”

One of the things people hear most about regarding Twitter are the tweets, which according to the site are:

“At the heart of Twitter are small bursts of information called Tweets.  Each Tweet is 140 characters in length, but don’t let the small size fool you—you can share a lot with a little space.” 

They say you can think of your tweet as a headline.  At QS we’ve been playing with the concept of tweets.  We used it at the latest staff meeting to recap the each part of the meeting at the end.  I used this same concept at the most recent Audit Supervisor Development Group (ASDG.)  Each group working on the 7 C’s of the audit process had to come up with a tweet to describe the C they were working on. 

Here are the tweets for the 7 C’s of the audit process:

@ConsistentStoreLayout  Store layout is based on a consistent numbering system used by QS based on your client’s layout and departments.

@ContractingWtheMgr  OMG! Developing strong relationships with store managers builds trust and saves time in the end. 

@Crewflow  Designed to eliminate dead time, count merch as you pass it, get each crew member involved. Do you POGO?

@CountingtheStore Counting with a sense of urgency and your eyes but consistently with accuracy and integrity.

@ComparingFigures  Validate counts and ID shrink.  Do your homework.

@ClosingtheAudit  Conclude your work and leave feeling confident.

@CallingforHelp Call B4 you fall.  Use your brain and recognize problems before they get out of control.  Get the help you need. 

How do you use the 7 C’s of the audit process to be efficient and effective?

Guest Blog: Mark Fertig - QS and Apple, Two Peas in a Pad?

 
Has anyone seen the new iPad 2?  I checked it out a few weeks ago and I had to look hard to see any differences from the original iPad.  The screen is the same size and the price is the same. Same 3G service, same storage, same screen resolution, and same Bluetooth & Wifi.  There are a few nice additions but for the most part, it is very similar to the iPad. And yet the lines of people waiting to get one are as long as ever.  

So why has iPad 2 demand been so dramatically high and why does Apple have such a devoted following?  Apple Consistently delivers the highest quality product.  They are excruciating innovative.  Their products and service are highly reliable.  They have the killer app in their portfolio (iPod and iPhone) and they have a maniacal focus on perfection. 

 
I got to wondering in what ways Quantum was like Apple.  I think that many of the things we pursue as a company are similar to Apple.  While reviewing our Quarterly Reliability program I saw a strong connection.   Our workforce is highly reliable!  Every day you are out there delivering high quality service and turning our customers into devoted fans!  When you hire the best people in the industry, and they deliver every day the way that you do, you get the backbone of a very strong company.  

Many of you worked every single day during the first quarter of 2011.  Congratulations and THANK YOU!

Add to this list people that worked most days but may have missed a day or two because there were no stores on the schedule or the client cancelled stores, and you are looking at most of our workforce!  

What other ways do you think we are like Apple?  I’d be curious to know. 

Employees that worked every day in the first quarter: 

Sheik Hassan, Andy Kopczynski, Chris Schifferle, Diane Wimer, Jennifer Hicks, John Pendleton, Jorge Camargo, Jose Tovar, Joe Clark, Laura Pospichal, Nancy Allen, Patricia Fancher, Rosa Islas, and Bill Marsh

What's on Your Mind?

As I am sure you have noticed, lately I have invited other staff members to contribute to this blog.  I would like to extend that invitation to all of you.  What's on your mind?  Do you have an interesting article or experience to share?  Did your family go on an interesting vacation or trip lately?  Does your division have a quirky tradition or way of work?  Have you seen something really interesting or innovative that your clients are doing?  Do you have a funny story?

I would love to have some of you guest blog an article or two.  What do you say?  The line forms to the right, no pushing or shoving, please!

Guest Blog: Randy Burke - Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer

 

Over my 25 year career with QS I’ve always been intrigued and inspired by the many talents & interests our employees have.  While none of us really have the extra time (and sometimes energy) we would like to pursue our hobbies outside work, I feel it is absolutely necessary to find some time these days.  Having hobbies & interests outside work provides you a great outlet from the daily stresses of work, family, and life.    

For those you that don’t know, I am a musician (although most in my band just call me a drummer) in my spare time.  I have played drums since I was in 5^th grade.  My passion & abilities enabled me to pay for my college education and I still have the passion for playing.  I play in different projects in Columbus, including a cover band called "Mythical Pickle". Seeing my high school/college aged children have a similar passion for music is just awesome. 

Over the years I have connected with many other musicians in our workforce.  Years ago Ralph (Pittsburgh) sat in with my band, Joe (Albuquerque) is a “brother of the skins” (drummer buddy), Sheri (Orlando) recently shared a copy of her vocal CD.  I’m sure there are many other musicians &  performers in QS, even some closet performers.   I would love to hear from any other musicians in the company.  It is always great to share stories, music, and just talk shop.  I love being turned on to new bands & music. 

You don’t need to limit our conversation to music.  I'd like to hear about any interests or hobbies you may have.  I’ve certainly heard of some great ones over the years. 

Well, you’re never too old to rock n roll (or so they say).  Can’t wait to hear from you.