The popular saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is an absolutely false statement! After teaching in the public school classroom for nearly twenty years, this “old dog” has learned many “new tricks” after becoming the warehouse manager for Contrax Furnishings, Inc.One of the most important, educational, and inspiring lessons that this employee has learned in the three years here took place just recently. I had always heard for many years the adage “the customer is always right”; however, this was from my paradigm as the customer, not as a school furniture manager.

The lesson that a customer taught me occurred two weeks ago as I was engaged in one of the busiest days to date at Contrax Furnishings, Inc. unloading multiple semi-trailers filled with school furniture. The day began somewhere around 5:30am, the temperature in the warehouse was nearing 95 degrees, and it appeared that my lunch break was going to be non-existent on this particular day when I was notified that I had a phone call. As I hustled up to the front office to take the call, I tripped and fell over an empty box that had been left in an inconspicuous spot.

Upon arriving at my desk out of breath and attempting not to drip both sweat and blood on the very important documents laying there, I abruptly answered the phone thinking it may be a friend or family member wanting to ask me something “extremely important” as: was I planning on going to the concert that weekend or would I be willing to drive a daughter to the mall after work.

Because Contrax Furnishings, Inc. does not have nor believe in using a voice mail system, the employees speak directly to our customers. Unfortunately, the phone call was not a friend or family member; but, a dear sweet school secretary at a South Florida school asking if her single chair had arrived to my warehouse yet. After apologizing profusely for my lack of courtesy and lack of breath, I was able to inform her that indeed, her chair had just arrived earlier that morning on one of the deliveries.

The lesson that this patient and gracious customer taught me that day was that no matter how exhausted, flustered, or even impatient I am; even a single chair for a single customer is what Contrax Furnishings, Inc. is all about.

Best Regards,

Steve Holloway
Warehouse Manager

As we go thru life on a daily basis life throws us curves- some may call them “Life Experiences.” I however call them challenges, because they , “WHATEVER THEY ARE”, become a test of ones potential. When you are not living up to your potential then you are settling. How a person addresses each challenge says a lot about who you are. It also speaks volumes of what you can become. I love challenges because they keep me grounded and test my character. As a mom, I know that it is the difficult, not the easy, that shape children as they grow. Challenges allow me to continue growing as a person and as an employee.

So as Logistics Manager for Contrax, my growth as been enormous! The challenges keep coming everyday, and we get to knock them down one at a time- because my heart is all about Customer Satisfaction! I look forward to each and everyone.

Myra Logistics- Logistics Manager

“At Cornell University, they have an incredible piece of electronic equipment know as the tunneling electron microscope (TEM). Now this microscope is so powerful, that by firing a beam of electrons you can actually see images of the atom- the infinitesimally minute building block of our entire universe. If I were using that microscope- right now- I still wouldn’t be able to locate my interest in your problem.”- Dr. Frasier Crane.

OK- who hasn’t had a terrible customer service experience in the last 30 days? Just as the above statement indicates- finding people interested in our problems is difficult. In recent years- I have been taught to cringe at the very thought of a “customer service experience” with businesses I am attempting to engage in commerce. In fact, it seems that taking good care of the customer in today’s market falls somewhere near their enthusiasm toward keeping clean restroom facilities (which from my recent experiences rivals some 3rd world countries I have visited this past year). What’s more shocking than the regular apathy toward customers is when an economic “recession” hits- a primary business strategy is to cut back on all the FAT! CUTTING THE FAT often means new policies (generally affecting customers) to confuse and amaze even the employees that must enforce them.

Thus, consumers often find that instead of working harder to earn their business when times tighten up, businesses focus on cutting/freezing spending (employee wages, new services, new ideas, etc.) and on slash and burn pricing. This seems great as a consumer- a lower price- yipeee! However, as some of the “superstores” have taught us- try getting someone who has an inkling to answer questions important to you, consult with some level of competency, or actually DO what they SAY they will do & LOW PRICES do not often mix. Have you been to a home improvement center recently? How about the supercenter? Or wait- even the local department store?

My job involves the simple issue of focus. Focus on who pays the bills- our customers. Focus on what they need- competence, followthrough, accessibility, great products, and responsive customer service. At Contrax, we utilize the five star approach:

CUSTOMER, EMPLOYEE, VENDOR, QUALITY, SERVICE

Each of these areas represents a distinct focus that contribute to an overall workproduct. We will be examining these areas through the eyes of our employees, vendors, and customers. Knowing who you are doing business with in today’s climate just makes sense.

Bill Latham, President - Contrax Furnishings, Inc.