I was very excited when the opportunity came along to spearhead an employee feedback campaign.  While some may view this additional responsibility as an unneeded burden, I view it as a true value-add.  Too often, I see companies moving forward with little insight into their employee’s thoughts on the state of the company.  To have a chance to gain meaningful feedback from our employees is a true gift.

There are several things I want to make sure we gain from this feedback.  First, I really want to make sure that the questions we ask of employees are focused enough to target specific areas of improvement.  However, I also want to make sure that our employees have the freedom to report what they truly feel needs to be changed or adjusted within the company.  These may seem like opposing guidelines, but I think asking direct, yet open-ended questions will get us there.

Beyond that, I also feel there needs to be some sort of measuring process to the survey.  It is important that once we know how our company should improve, we have a process to understand whether initiatives are improving or not.  Although this may also contradict the direct questioning, I think we can combine a rating system with those questions to get a broad understanding and the direct reasoning behind that response.

With both directives, I feel it will also be absolutely imperative that employees feel that they can openly share information and communicate.  To do this, I want the survey to be anonymous, however, this presents a problem.  The easiest way for us to communicate with all employees is through email and it would be difficult to have employees email back an anonymous response.  A physical survey or one online would be the next best option but there is no way to track whether all employees provided their feedback.  There doesn’t seem to be a perfect solution, but I’ll find a way to navigate the best one available.

The final step in my plan is really the most important.  Once I have the information, what will I do with it?  How will I ensure that the responses lead to actual change?  This requires buy-in from senior leadership, but it also requires that there be criteria for what will be worked on and what won’t be.  Once we identify what needs to be worked on, we will have to set-up timelines and start moving forward with what the employees want to see happen at the company.

I truly believe that by opening up this sort of communication we will become a much stronger company.  Has your company used this sort of feedback system?  What has worked best for you on the giving or receiving end?  What has worked best to implement actual change within the company?  I would love to get your feedback and as always, please feel free to send me a private response at: cihde@ewaldauto.com

There may be nothing more exciting than getting your driver’s license for the first time when you are a teenager.  That is, unless you are the parent of that person!  For anyone that has children, it is easy to understand what a terrifying time this can be.  While nothing can completely calm the fears associated with this time, one such mom has taken it upon herself to help those in a similar situation.

As someone in the automotive industry, I am always looking for resources for our customers, some of which are parents whose children are getting their driver’s license.  When I was in high school, learning to drive was a part of the curriculum and everyone was mandated to take defensive driving courses.  Unfortunately, those days have passed us by and are now replaced with graduated licenses.  In order to help parents through this graduated phase, Anne Scallon created Before the Wheel (beforethewheel.com).

Before the Wheel is a resource for parents that are facing their young ones learning how to drive.  It provides best practices to ensure teens learn how to become safe and competent drivers.  Whether it is your first time dealing with such a situation, or you have gone through it before, Before the Wheel exists to support you and your family.

One of the best things about Before the Wheel is that it is from right here in the Milwaukee area.  When I met with Anne, to discuss the new project, she told me about her reason for starting the site.  She talked about her first time going through the experience and about how she wished for a place of support.  Instead of waiting for someone to create something for her, Anne took it upon herself to create the resource that she wished she could have had.

Ewald Automotive Group is proud to stand behind Anne and Before the Wheel.  We invite anyone that is, has or will be dealing with teen drivers to visit the website at www.beforethewheel.com .  It is a great resource to help parents ensure their teens stay as safe as possible while learning to drive.  Thanks for the great work, Anne!

Join us this Saturday, May 8th from 11am to 1pm as we grill out and race the Klements Sausage Racers!  We invite everyone to bring their children to enjoy all the fun!  The event is meant to help  Oconomowoc Youth Baseball win a baseball diamond make-over courtesy of Chevrolet.

The event will take place at Ewald Chevrolet Buick on Highway 16 in Oconomowoc.  We are proud sponsors of Oconomowoc Youth Baseball and hope you will help us support them.

What a better way to start spring than Chevrolet, Baseball and the Sausage Racers!  In the spirit of community collaboration and teamwork taught through youth sports, Ewald Chevrolet Buick has once again partnered with Oconomowoc Area Baseball Club through the Chevy Youth Baseball program that will include equipment donations as well as fundraising opportunities during the 2010 little league baseball season.  To really kick off the event they have invited the Youth Baseball Teams and the Klements Sausage Racers to the Ewald Chevrolet Dealership May 8^th.

Now in its third year in the Milwaukee area, Chevy Youth Baseball is an initiative that establishes a positive relationship between your local Chevrolet dealers and the communities they serve.  Ewald Chevrolet Buick selected the Oconomowoc Area Baseball Club because of the league’s proximity to the dealership.  Over the course of the season, Ewald Chevrolet Buick will donate team equipment kit items, which include: equipment bags, ball buckets, coaches’ padfolios, water bottles and t-shirts.

Ewald Chevrolet and Chevrolet Motors will also donate a Chevy Equinox which will be raffled off by participating teams, including Oconomowoc Area Baseball Club.  Team and leagues that participate in the Chevy Equinox raffle keep 100 percent of the proceeds.  Over the past three years local Chevy dealers have helped raise more than 3.6 million for participating leagues.

Last year’s winner of the new 2009 Chevy Tahoe was Doug Pierce of Oconomowoc.  Doug purchased his winning raffle ticket through the Oconomowoc Area Baseball Club.

“We are looking forward to another great season with the Oconomowoc Area Baseball Club that will be filled with exciting games and an enhanced experience for the kids and the teams through the equipment donations” said Brian Ewald of Ewald Chevrolet Buick.  “Chevy Youth Baseball is just one example of how committed our dealership is to supporting the youth and families in the Oconomowoc community.

I also wish to remind everyone to visit www.chevybaseball.com and vote for Oconomowoc’s zip code so that the children and the community can win a new ball diamond courtesy of Chevrolet and Scotts Lawn Care Company.”  “It will be like hitting a double if we can win a ball diamond and have someone from the Lake Country Area win the Chevy Equinox” said Ewald.

“Chevrolet is a proud sponsor of Major League Baseball and Youth Baseball, it’s because of this relationship that we are able to host the “Kick Off Event” for the Oconomowoc Youth Baseball and have the Klements Sausage Racers at the dealership.  Bring the kids to meet the Klements Sausage Racers and have your photo taken with them.   We will gladly print or email them for you.” said Schutte.

For more information about Chevy Youth Baseball, visit www.chevyyouthbasebaseball.com.

For more information about helping Oconomowoc win a new Baseball Diamond visit www.chevybaseball.com.

For more information about purchasing raffle tickets to win the all new Chevy Equinox contact Steve Smith at snksmith@charter.net

Over the past 46 years, the Ewald Automotive Group has worked hard to serve the Metro-Milwaukee area to the best of our ability.  After this long record of service, we would like to ask you for one favor.  Now through May 2, WISN.com is holding their annual A-List competition to find the best of everything in Milwaukee.  For the first time ever, they are looking for the best new car dealership in the metro area.

All of us at Ewald Automotive Group would be humbled if you would be willing to take a few moments to vote for your favorite Ewald location.  You can do so by visiting http://wisn.cityvoter.com/contests/spring-fever/4767/auto/dealers?page=2 and selecting which location you prefer to use.  If for some reason you do not feel we are the best dealer though, we would love to know why you would not vote for us so we can continue to improve.  However, for all of our loyal customers out there, we would like to thank you for an amazing 46 years and we look forward to many more!

Thanks,

Cortney

Sometimes I’m just too nice.  I mean, normally being nice is a great quality to have, I have found it to help me out in business tremendously.  However, when it comes time to manage employees, being too nice can be detrimental.

Now, as a manager, I have it pretty easy, I have little to complain about.  I have been lucky enough to manage a great group of people.  The main issue I run into is getting people to find stuff to do with their time.  It is great when I give a task to an employee and they complete it just as I asked.  However, if this leaves them extra time in their day and they decide to text or play on Facebook instead of working, this does not help me out.  I want to be able to motivate my employees to find the next thing that needs to be accomplished and to start working on it.

Of course, this is a pretty good problem to have.  In the past I have had employees that didn’t even get their assigned tasks completed.  When an employee fails to follow simple instructions, I am left with little choice but to micro-manage and I HATE to micro-manage.  I guess I do not understand what is so difficult about listening and completing the assignment as instructed.

However, these days are hopefully behind me now.  What I really want to figure out is how to get employees to reach their potential.  As I said before, it is great that you do your tasks just as you’re supposed to, but I am often left knowing that the employee can do so much more.  The real trick I want to find though is how to get them to that next level themselves, instead of pushing them to go there.

So, my fellow managers, what has worked best for you?  If there is possible training for my employees, or myself I would be open to that.  Even if you can recommend a good book, that would be great.  Or, if you have faced a similar issue with your employees, how did you handle it?  I would love to learn from those that have faced this issue!

As always, feel free to respond privately: cihde@ewaldauto.com

Having had the opportunity to talk with a lot of companies, I have seen just about every perks and discount program around.  I have seen everything from companies bending over backwards to get their employees the best possible perks and benefits and constantly reminding them of what is available to all-out refusal to offer any perks or discounts no matter how much they can benefit their associates.  Having seen this array of offerings, I always wonder how a company decides what to offer their employees.

I have heard from companies that offer just about everything that it is important for them to make their employees feel like the company is going to bat for them.  They want to find the best possible programs for their employees to show their appreciation for all the hard work.  I have also heard from companies that offer nothing that if they offered one sort of program they would have to offer them all and that they do not want to make it look like they are endorsing one company over another.  I guess there is a fear that if an employee has a bad experience it is because the company sent them there.

What does your company offer its employees?  Is it on one side of the spectrum or somewhere in between?  Also, for your human resource individuals and executives, how did you arrive at that decision?  Was there an issue that needed to be changed or was it a strategic move?  I am especially interested to learn how companies arrived at their decision!

Finally, for the employees out there, what perks and discounts would you like to see your company offer?  Does your company ever ask you that question?

I look forward to everyone’s responses!  Please feel free to respond privately at: cihde@ewaldauto.com

Thanks!

After being out sick last week Monday I arrived to my office Tuesday elated to have a voicemail from a customer that took advantage (pun intended!) of the Automotive Advantage program.  The customer explained how elated he was with the entire shopping process and how he would be sure to recommend the program to his colleagues.  Although I am used to positive feedback, it is not too often that people go out of their way to tell us they enjoyed their shopping experience.

This positive reinforcement made me think about how we get our customer feedback.  Currently we are following up a purchase through the Automotive Advantage program with a survey of what the customer did or did not like.  We generally receive decent feedback but a lot of people are too busy or simply forget to return the survey.  I wonder if there is possibly a better way to get post-purchase feedback from our customers.

I have considered phone calls but most people know the chances of actually reaching someone are rare, especially during the work day.  If we do something like a call after the customer purchase, I would want it to be personal and not simply some call center person that has no real interest in the customer, or our program, leaving a message on voicemail.  I want to ensure we receive actual customer feedback, not someone simply filling out a form.

So, I once again turn to my social network for advice.  I would love to hear about your best customer feedback practices.  Of course, if something positively did not work, that would be great to know as well.  Either way, your feedback will allow me to not only measure my own performance with our program, but also allow my company as a whole to better service our customers every time.  Please feel free to send me your responses privately to: cihde@ewaldauto.com

The green topic has been in the mainstream media for sometime now and it continues to get attention.  As a corporation, Ewald Automotive Group has made the decision to become more environmentally conscious.  Since this is our first attempt to move the needle, I would like your feedback on the subject.

As of right now we are considering several different options to make Ewald more “green.”   The first of these is to put a major effort behind recycling 100% of the items that can be recycled.  While this sounds fairly simple, implementation could be difficult.  Our main question with this option is enforcement.  Besides educating our employees and reminding them from time to time, how do we ensure everyone is recycling?

We are also looking at replacing our standard light bulbs with energy efficient models.   As of right now it appears to be a substantial initial investment but one that will save us money by reduced energy and increasing bulb life.  Does anyone have any solid numbers on what the ROI timeframe is or what the best bulbs are?  A difficulty we face with bulbs is that we need a wide range of them.  Our facilities have everything from standard office lighting to industrial units for our shops.

We also want to look into other energy saving possibilities within our dealerships but we have yet to find anything that would warrant the investment.  If anyone has any ideas on how we could improve our energy consumption in a cost effective manner, I would love to hear about it.

Besides these things we are open to any other suggestions that you have.  We consider this an important step to take in 2010 so we welcome your feedback.  Please feel free to send me your suggestions: cihde@ewaldauto.com

When I made the decision to go “all in” with social media four months ago I had two goals in mind: education and discussion.  Along the way, it has been brought to my attention that my goals may not be coming across in my posts.  I would like to take a step back and discuss this for a moment.

Each week, when I decide what to write about, I look at issues that have come up in our dealerships.  My thought process is that if one person is facing this issue, there must be more out there.  I attempt to write blog posts that will let people know why that issue arises and how to address it.  I also attempt to ask questions relevant to that issue in order to find out other people’s opinions.  I feel that feedback allows me to be better at my job and serve my customers better.

While following this plan, several people have expressed that my posts and questions come off as being “salesy.”  To me, this is a big problem because that is the last thing that I want to portray.  However, as I review my posts, I have trouble seeing where those people are coming from.  I have also reviewed other postings in forums and they appear to come across as much more sales focused than mine.  I wonder if the negative response is due to my actual posts, or some people’s negative connotation of the auto industry.

I do want to say, though, that not all responses have been negative.  As a matter of fact, the majority of the social media world has been very open and embraced my initiative.  I brought this topic to the surface in order to make my position clear, and encourage dialogue as to how to constantly improve how I help my social media connections.  I want to ensure my posts are educational and create discussion but I do not feel that I should have to avoid talking about my place of work, as it is key to my insight.

And so with one caveat, I will open up the discussion.  I request that all responses do not attempt to personally attach me or air grievances about the auto industry that I cannot control.  I honestly look forward to everyone’s constructive feedback!

When your employees have questions about their benefits or perks where do they turn to?  Do they have a person that they can ask about what is available to them?  Unfortunately, I have seen a trend lately to shrink HR departments and move benefit and perk information to an outsourced website.  Not all companies have chosen to make this move; however, the ones that have are missing the boat on the true intent of having voluntary benefits – added value to the employee.  I am a strong believer that this resolution is the wrong move.

Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand the desire to move benefit information to one place.  Companies are looking at expenses and becoming leaner as far as employee count. There is a strong desire to outsource benefit information to a website.  I also understand that it is far easier to update a website with new information and the mentality that employees will have a central location to find out about their perks and benefits.

All that said, I still believe that relying on a website is the wrong move.  It’s impersonal. It doesn’t reach out to your employees and say “Here is what we are offering you, in addition to everything else!”  Although they could go to a website to find out, a website will not stay in front of them and remind them of everything that you are doing for them.

I have noticed that very few employees actually check websites and rarely know when their benefits or perks change.  So, if a perk or benefit is no longer available, has been altered or added, they will likely not know about it, unless your company, or the one you hired to manage this website, does a stellar job of communicating.  Although this may not seem like a huge problem, it can be if an employee was planning to use a benefit that is no longer available.  Also, why would you add a new benefit if you don’t want your employees to know about it and use it?

So, do I understand why companies are moving to web based perks and benefits websites?  Absolutely.  Do I believe that it is the correct way to assist your employees?  No way.  If you have no intent on communicating perks and benefits, why have them?  Just something to think about when considering a benefits website.

Don’t worry, I don’t intend to talk about my new weight loss plan or how this year will be the year I finally quit smoking (mainly because I don’t smoke and don’t need to loose weight!).  Although personal resolutions are great, this year I decided to focus on what I want to change professionally. Perhaps, some of my resolutions will resonate with you and aid you to approach the people around you in the new year with a new vigor.

Realize other people’s strengths: So often it is easy to assume that because we are good at something, everyone should be good at it.  To us, the job is simple, so it is hard for us to understand why anyone else doesn’t find it to be the same as we do.  However, this year I want to focus on the fact that we all have our own unique strengths. Some people are better at conflict resolution than others. Some people are IT savvy, whereas I know there are many of us that are not.  When you enable and encourage people to use their strengths, you are inevitably strengthening the company as a whole and allowing the individual to grow professionally.

Ask for help: This one is going to be hard!  Even when I find myself buried in work and completely fed-up, I still find it difficult to ask for the help I need.  I fully understand that I need assistance, and I should probably delegate the task, but the asking for it doesn’t seem worth the relief that it will bring.  This year I resolve to make a habit out of asking for the assistance I need, before I become overwhelmed.

Communicate more: Obviously, I use social media and technology to communicate but at the same time I need to make a conscious effort to increase my human-to-human communication.  The very act of picking up the phone or stopping by an office can make such a difference in today’s world.  Whether it is my colleagues or my clients, the time it takes to talk face-to-face can mean a lot to people.  It is my goal to not rely on technology as much this year and force myself to make the effort to talk face-to-face whenever possible.

Collaborate: This one is mainly focused on my clients.  I often try to work with my clients to best serve and inform their employees but I often feel like I am asking something of them instead of providing something to them.  This year I want to find out what my clients want and then collaborate with them to make that happen.  I am positive that by working hand in hand I will reduce their burden and better serve their company and employees.

Follow-up: On busy days, simply checking your voicemail can seem like a herculean chore.  The time it takes to return a phone call or reply to an email may be minimal but when there are hundreds of emails and phone calls to respond to, it adds up.  This year I want to set aside time to make sure that I can timely follow-up with every correspondence.  I know this will allow my brain to process information, requests and conversation more effectively, which helps me the best I can be in my role.

What do you want to accomplish in 2010? Personally, what is hindering you that only you can fix? What goals and resolutions can you set for yourself? Think about it and then let us know. You never know, maybe I can help you or you can help me…

Until next time, have a Safe and Happy New Year. I wish you much success in achieving what you desire!

Discounts come in all shapes and sizes, from the annoying coupon books we are quick to through away to an inside tip on an exclusive deal we just can’t pass up.  Whether in our houses or our businesses, we are always looking for just the right discount.  But what is it that separates a good discount from those that end up in the garbage?

The first thing to realize with any discount program is that companies give you discounts because they want a chance to earn your business.  The question is:  what will make you keep coming back as a customer?  Will it be the high quality of the product, the great customer service or the fact that you keep getting a discount?  Understanding what you want from a company is important.  Nine times out of ten we say we want the best price, but I will gladly pay for a great shopping experience.

With that in mind, consider what level of purchase decision  you are making.  If the discount is for a deal on lunch then there is most likely not too much thought given to the purchase process.  However, in my line of work, I am helping people find a vehicle they will likely spend the next four or five years driving on a daily basis.  This is a major decision in which the purchase process can be very lengthy and educational.  For these major decisions, make sure you work with a company that will walk you through the process so that you are comfortable with your decision.

When it comes to our companies, considering the same thing can be major assistance to our employees.  What can you do to assist your employees with major purchase decisions?  HR Managers that I work with often comment that knowing they had someone to call was a great relief.  All of their employees were going to have to buy a car at some point anyways so at least they knew they could pick up the phone and I would take care of any problems that would arise.  Even though we offered discounts to their employees, this was the greatest benefit to them.  Considering how you can similarly assist your employees can go a long way.

In our homes and in our businesses we will constantly be solicited to join discount programs.  Sifting through the deals to find programs that provide real value is the key.  Doing so allows us to not only save money, but also breath a sigh of relief!

It is that time of year again!  Can you believe the holidays are upon us? Time to get together with the family, give to your favorite charity and share your holiday spirit!  That being said, it is also the time to start planning for 2010 to make sure that your company has goals to achieve and plan in place to have a profitable and successful year ahead.

For business owners and human resources managers, a large consideration when planning for 2010 should be your employee benefits.  Many companies have gone through open enrollment periods in the past few months making sure that their core benefits are in place for another year. Now that the majority of those projects are completed, it is a great time to review what you are offering your employees on the voluntary options.  If your company had less than a stellar year in 2009, maybe adding a few employee “perks” wouldn’t hurt as you go into next year.  The holiday season is a great time to find additional benefits or perks that thank your employees for their dedicated service to your company.

In addition, this time of year is also a great time to remind employees of all the benefits you offer them currently.  Undoubtedly, you have worked hard to offer the best benefits and perks possible, so make sure you remind them to take advantage of these programs.  Consider allowing benefit or perk providers the opportunity to talk to your employees about what they can do to assist them. Invite them to your offices for a lunch ‘n learn or an employee meeting for a face-to-face interaction.  I do this often and employees always enjoy finding out about ways to save that they did not know were available to them.

Celebrate your employees and what your company has accomplished in 2009 by offering your associates the best benefits and perks possible. Be sure to remind them how they can take advantage of those programs.

Merry Christmas and may you and your company have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

Just about every sector and industry has been hit by this great recession that we are facing.  Although we are seeing positive signs that we are moving out of the recession, the toll the recession will take on your company may not be over.  Even if you are in the clear, the toll the economy did take on your company is likely in the forefront of your employees’ thinking.

The old saying goes that you are not measured by how many times you get knocked down but how many times you get up.  So the question your company faces is how will you ensure your employees that you WILL get up?  What is it that you can do today, tomorrow or the next day to remind them you are doing everything in your power to keep them gainfully employed and happy?

Just as in all relationships, communication is key.  If your company has had to lay off employees, you know how fast rumors spread.  A wildfire would be lucky to keep up with the possibilities and conjecture that are spun into fact.  The only surefire way to stop the stampede of gossip is to be as upfront and honest as possible and meet questions head on.  Although communication will not ease all of the doubt and fear, it will go a long way.

It is equally as important to remember that communication is a two-way street.  Just because you have sent your employees a message does not mean that you are communicating with them.  What are you doing to ensure that your employees are engaged with what you are saying?  It is important to garner real feedback to ensure they understand and care about what you are telling them.  Without such a dialogue there is no communication.

Today your employees are probably working twice as hard for half the pay and benefits.  Do everything in your power to remind them that they are a part of a team that values their dedication and that you are doing everything you can to reward such devotion.  Your employees were knocked down right alongside your company; remind them today that together, you will get back up.

Last weekend, I asked a question on my social networks about how employers show their employees they care about them as people, not just workers.  I was surprised when someone asked whether employers should even care about their employees personally at all, which prompted me to continue the conversation here in my blog…. I guess I am a little spoiled because Ewald Automotive Group is a work environment with a mission to treat every employee as if they are a part of the family.

Personally, I would find it very difficult to perform my job if I thought my company cared only about my work and nothing about me.  Although my job is very important to me, there is a lot more to me than my daily 8 to 5.  Having an employer that understands this, allows me to work in a fashion that will maximize the usage of both of our times.

All that said, the question of how an employer should show their employees they care about them was never really answered.  What Ewald does to show they care is to adapt to employees needs by eliciting constant feedback and then responding.  If we don’t give employees an opportunity to speak and be heard, how do we expect to grow, learn, change and adapt to become more successful?

In this one instance of how we show we care, the door is open to a more communicative and respectful work environment.  HR managers have asked me how Automotive Advantage will help them accomplish their goal of showing their employees that they care about them.  I point out that by going the extra mile to ensure employees get the best of work-life balance “perks” makes a difference in how the employee feels about the employer.  It may not be the first thing on someone’s mind everyday but when they need something and their employer has found the best service for them, it makes a powerful statement, one that the employee will remember.

You can’t judge a book by its cover.  If you are anything like me, you heard this cliché repeatedly from your parents.  Heck, I heard it so many times that I would just let the words pass through my ears without ever giving them a second thought.  Now, as I raise children of my own, I wonder how I will impart the phrase’s meaning onto them.

The phrase that so often floated into and out of my head without a second thought suddenly seemed so complex.  I began to contemplate how to instill in my children that they should look for a person’s inner beauty, they should never judge someone based on how they look and that they must always strive to move beyond initial impressions and find the true essence of what they are judging.

It was as I looked at how to convey this significance to my children that I began to see how few took stake in the meaning.  Undoubtedly, many will object that they are never quick to judge but everyday I see the opposite of this.  Everyday I meet people that brush aside my attempts to help their company with not so much as a second look.

In the business world it is not too hard to understand why we have become so quick to side step concepts based on first impressions.  Everyday we are bombarded with messages that want us to spend our money with their product or service.  Each intrusion promises that their offer is to the benefit of the buyer.  Eventually this constant stream of impositions forces us to tune out almost all messaging.

But I wonder what would happen if we stopped judging based on first impressions.  What if we took half a minute to step back, listen to the information and then judge?  Though none of us have time to spare, those few extra moments could allow us to discover great opportunities all around us.  Will there still be spam and useless offers?  Of course!  But maybe, just maybe, will find something of real value.

My father used to tell me there was no such thing as a free lunch.  It was his way of imparting on me the importance of earning customers and ensuring the customer finds value in the time I spend with them.  Growing up in a family imbedded in the auto industry teaches you to be doubtful of anything that is labeled as free. 

I’m sure many in the business world are equally as cynical about anything labeled free.  Really, it makes sense to be skeptical of anything labeled free.  By definition, free means there is a lack of value.  So, to give something away of value, without asking for something of value in return, simply doesn’t make sense. 

Perhaps though we need to redefine what value is.  Typically, in the business world, value is one of two things: time or money.  If I give you my time, I want your money.  If I give you my money, I want your time or something of equal value to the money I gave you.  However, value comes in many forms but some forms are very difficult to measure and quantify.   That is not to say that these forms of value are not important, simply difficult to grasp on a spreadsheet.

Think about trust.  What is trust worth to your company?  Undoubtedly, many people will quickly point out that it is invaluable to their success.  If this is true, than how much would you pay for it?  What would you give away to gain trust from others?  Obviously there is nothing you could pay or give away to earn trust but we start to see how the immeasurable items are often the most important in business.

And so, on a daily basis I go into businesses and offer them something of value.  I offer them an employee benefit program that will support their employee retention and recruitment and boost their employee moral.  I give them this value and I tell them I want nothing in return: it is free.  As soon as that word is used though, the guard goes up.  There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Maybe nothing is free; maybe we are all looking for something in return.  But what I want in return is not to hound your employees or force them into using our services.  All I want is a chance to earn your employees as customers: only a chance. 

I call myself a customer enthusiast, but to me it is so much more than a title. To me it means that I want your employees to enjoy buying a vehicle.  It means that your employees should receive the very best pricing for any automotive needs they have.  It means that I am not satisfied until your employees walk away happy. 

And it is because of this definition, this personal goal, that I can say my program is free.  I have provided something of value to you simply for the opportunity to provide value to your employees.  I guess lunch is free today.