A Tribute to Fred Rosen – Not the Final Tribute!

Douglas McArthur once said that “Old soldiers never die; they just
fade away.” But the general never met my dad, who this week begins
his own process of fading away after serving on the front lines of wine
and spirits retailing for three generations. Recently, my family gave up
control of the business we operated for many years. I started writing
and speaking and he stayed to help the business he built. After a while,
he and the business parted ways.

Was it the right time? We’ll probably never know; but just last
week, I spoke at a luncheon that he attended as my guest. Despite the
fact that his days with the company were numbered, he was a consummate
professional. He continued promoting the business; making sure
to tell everyone at our table about the fantastic new store the company
was planning. He had way too much passion and energy to leave so
soon, but so it goes.

Ask anybody that ever called on him. He treated people with the
utmost respect. He never belittled a salesperson, either privately or
publically. He knew that salespeople had to put children through college,
just like he did. If you needed a favor, you called my dad and considered
it done. His word was good as gold. As the business changed,
he gracefully moved over and allowed others do things he had always
done. He was charitable and generous. Over the years, he helped hundreds
of different charities with their special events. One thing was
always constant; nothing stopped him from his usual morning ritual of
getting the trucks out, not even the blizzard of 1967.

To be sure, my dad was far from perfect. He was old school. He
had a very strange sense of fashion. He sometimes crossed the line of
being the employer; instead, preferring the role of a caring “father figure”
type to all the lives he touched. Sometimes, he raised his voice.
Sometimes he complained. We sparred from time to time, like any
father and son. His crime was caring too much about the business.
He devoted his life to the business and right or wrong in his style, he
deserves so much credit for his contributions.

He passed many virtues to me. I didn’t always know it at the time,
but his lessons were helping me to be successful both in business and
in my personal life. In tribute to his 50-plus years of service, I’d like
to share some of his most successful character traits. Did he go about
everything the right way? Of course not! Does anybody? He did,
however, cross the finish line with thousands and thousands of customers
and associates over the last 50 years. He must have been doing
something right!

Here are some reasons why he ran such a successful business.

• Tenacity – he never gave up.

Author H.G. Wells once said, “Th e path of least resistance is the
path of the loser.” Fred never took the easy way. He had tenacity like
I’ve never seen before or since. Th e same nature that made him a success
on the basketball court 50 years ago (and still today on some courts!)
made him a success in business. When the phone rang, he thought
everybody should jump at it. To him, it was an honor that customers
would call us. He never relied on anybody else to do the work for him.
He didn’t feel that it was up to anyone else to make him give his best.
He just did it. No task was beneath him! His goal was simple — to run
the most successful wine and spirit business in town. He strived for
this every day of his professional life.

Crossing the finish line with customers and associates requires great
tenacity, persistence and stubbornness. Great customer service companies
are persistent. They never stop delivering great service. They never
stop talking about customers. They never stop trying to improve relationships
with their customers. They make the little things count. They
consistently reward and value their associates. They visualize reaching
the finish line and doggedly pursue the goal of repeat and referral business.

• Treating others with dignity – he made friends, not enemies.

In 25 years of working with my dad, I can’t remember one person
who left the company because of him, but I can remember many who
left because of others. Our competitors had a healthy respect for him.
He never made fun of or mocked people.

Often, a local salesperson would pay a visit with his or her National
Sales Manager in tow. To be sure, it was an extremely important day
for the local account representative. Dad was certain to make him or
her look like a hero, always sure to point out at least one great thing
the salesperson was doing to sell more products in our stores. He was a
natural at making you feel like the most important people in the world
to him at that moment. If he was helping a customer within earshot of
a salesperson, then he always recommended and tried to sell the product
represented by that salesperson. He never kept people waiting. He
did all he could to make customers look good. He yelled from time to
time, (something I am against 100% in the workplace), but he never
did it maliciously.

Treat everybody with whom you come in contact with great dignity.
Never make people feel small. Don’t gossip behind people’s backs.
Don’t keep people waiting, a tactic some use as a display of power. If
you have to give feedback, then do so in a professional manner. Have
fun with others, but not at their expense. Always remember that what
goes around, comes around.

You never know what the future holds. Today somebody may represent
the 20th biggest brand in the market and the inclination may be
to push them off because they’re not a big fi sh. Don’t do it! One day
in the future, they may represent the 4th biggest brand, and one that
is far more important to your business than you could ever imagine.
You’ll be glad you treated them with dignity.

• Follow through – he did what he said he would do!

When my dad said he was going to do something, he did it. When
he said he would buy 500 cases of Chateau so-and-so, he followed
through; sometimes, to my chagrin. I always favored a little less inventory.
He followed through with customers and hated it when our
associates failed to do the same. He always called customers back right
away. He never procrastinated. (Maybe I got that wonderful trait from
my mother!) He made customers feel important. Th e result: distributors
and suppliers awarded us plenty of business because he always kept
his word with them. He was their “go to” guy.

It’s vital to always keep our word with customers and associates. If
we say we’re going to do something, we must do it. Many businesses
fall short on this. At dinner one evening, I ordered a pasta dish that
was prepared with the wrong sauce. Th e owner of the restaurant happened
to come by. He asked me to try the dish and he would have it
re-made if I wanted. He never came back to the table. Needless to say,
his failure to follow through left a bad taste in my mouth.

Return emails and phone calls promptly. Keep your customers and
associates informed. When you encounter problems, tell them. Be
straight forward and honest. Customers aren’t as unhappy when things
go wrong as long as you’re up front with them. Communicate the bad
news, just as readily as you would convey good news. It’s simple, but
not easy. Simple to say you will call somebody back, but not easy to
fi nd the time or inclination to follow through with people consistently.
As the Nike ads say, “Just do it!”

• Be a part of the community – he had a soft heart.

I’d call it generous to a fault. He loaned money to everyone, including
members of the local community. When we cut back on employee
loans (as a company), he still helped people out of his own pocket. For
years, our main store was in an economically depressed neighborhood.
He helped everybody. He had a kind word for the people who crossed
his path. He never considered himself better than anybody. The down on
their luck members of the neighborhood called him “Freddy”, and me,
“little Freddy.” It was an honor! He may have accomplished more than
they did, but he didn’t consider himself any better than they were. As
I look back, this was his most valuable lesson to me.

Get involved in the community. Do good things for people. Never
consider yourself better than anybody else. Always have a kind word
for people. Don’t disparage others with words or actions. Let others
feel proud of their lot in life. Be generous. Take care of the less fortunate.
Have a soft heart.

Although his last days with the company were as involuntary as
McArthur’s were in the military, he spent them selflessly — taking care
of the customers who always took care of him. Fighting for a few extra
dollars on Evian water, just like the good old days. You’re not getting
a gold watch from me, Dad. Your life’s work deserves more than that
and I’m not sure I can ever repay you. I will speak for the thousands
you have touched in your lifetime, all from behind that beaten up service
counter. Thanks for helping us all cross the finish line.

Author: Darryl Rosen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty

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