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I've been in the business for about twelve years, most of that time self-employed.
This is Andy's Meats. I'm known for my aged Alberta beef.
However, I do sell chicken ***, pork—all cuts of pork—lamb, a little bit of veal and a lot of sausages and deli.
I offer the highest—in my mind—highest quality product I can at a reasonable price. I don't offer any loss leaders to get you in.
I have to make money on every product I do sell, and I just work on a certain margin. And determine that way on my pricing.
I do very little advertising, if any. It's ninety-nine percent repeat customers.
It's all word of mouth. People have a great steak—hopefully a great steak—over at a friend's place and that's my best advertising.
Why does it work? I like to offer something that you can't just go into your normal chain store and get.
I like to provide a superior cut.
I don't hide things on people… what you see is what you get. I only buy the best quality available.
And good service. People like to have their name remembered, what they purchased last time they were in.
Always enjoyed doing meat cutting, and I tried to think of something that's going to be around many years from now.
People are still going to always eat and it's not really a job you can computerize or go real technical with.
I have no formal training—business training. It's ninety-nine percent common sense, as long as there's more coming in than going out.
And knowing your inventory is a very important thing.
This business is both product driven and service driven. I can't have one without the other.
You have to have a really good product, but if you don't have the service to back that product it's no good, and vice versa.
So I'd say it's equal and they both go hand in hand.
I’m nothing without my staff. I'm only as good as my staff.
I can't be and I'm not always here, and when I'm gone I want to know that things are being taken care of.
How many goes on the time of year and how busy I am.
If you want to keep good staff, you keep them employed all year round and treat them very well. Treat them fairly.
Treat them how you would want to be treated.
Cleanliness in this business is a key, key thing... how they look, perception to the customer.
Reliability is the biggest headache with staffing. At the present moment, I am extremely happy. I'll bend over backwards for my staff.
I do poll my customers as to—you know—when I'm not here and I know they've been in, on how the service was, the quality etc.
I have very few customer complaints, thank goodness. When I do, I will either offer to replace the cut of meat or what will keep the customer happy,
even if I do lose a few dollars at the time. Usually if it’s a second, though…
you can tell a customer complaint from a customer that’s whining. I get very few of them. If you get two from the same customer, you know they're whining.
What has surprised me over the years and still surprises me—and I've been in the business a long time—is how seriously people take a good-quality cut of meat.
People feel that meat is meat is meat. However, once they've tasted a really good steak, they're turned over.
Quality, customer service and cleanliness—the three of those go all hand in hand in this business. You can't leave one out. They're the three keys.
Customer service—remembering the person's name when they walk through the door, remembering what they bought,
carrying their bags out to the car—you know—even offering to do that.
One of the most common mistakes entrepreneurs can make is taking their customers for granted.
No matter how busy I am, I always acknowledge the customer’s presence.
You got to service your clientele. No matter what business you're in, you have to service them. Make sure they're happy.
And offer the best possible product, no matter what that'd be, even if it's widgets.
It does have its bonuses being the owner of your own business.
When someone walks in the morning and they're cheery and they're telling me how good the roast was they had before, that makes for a good day.
I have a good job satisfaction hearing that.
That is probably one of the most important parts of this—and one of the things I enjoy most—is the feedback from the customer.
Always try adding new things.
They don't always work, but you never know unless you try it. You can't be afraid to try new and different things.
I've thought about expansion and possibly franchising, but I've already got enough headaches right now, and I make a good comfortable living at what I do.
And I know I can comfortably handle this store.
And let's face it: it's not Peter's or whatever they want… they come in and they want to see Andy once in a while.
I'm kind of stubborn and pigheaded and like doing it my way. And in this business, the only one I have to answer to is the customer.