A lesson from 1953 for your unhappy hobby store owner

Some things never go out of style, do they?  Thanks for that voice from the past.

I should save this and print out a bunch of these flyers. Like Murphy's law, I always seem to run into those shops that have never had this explained to them.

This should be posted in every LHS.  Worked in a western Auto in Decatur Al 1961-1964. The owner expressed the same message in different words.

Brent

Brent, I think it should at least be included when you sign up and renew as a dealer. Many wise words in these few paragraphs.

Frank53:

I wish it were possible to "Like" a post more than once. What you wrote is great. Your comment about the bathroom and a rotting animal carcass is classic. I guess that what happens when they eat all that scrapple at York.

Based upon the constant complaining on here, I was beginning to think I'm the only OGR Forum poster who doesn't think his local train store s$cks.

Bob

As one who has worked on the sales side for many years, there are some good pointers in this memo. While the market has changed from one focused mainly on children to older adults; the basic rules of product knowledge, enthusiasm, optimism and courtesy still apply but seem to be seldom used these days. One company that still uses this technique is Scenic Express. When I purchase off Jim at the shows he shows interest in your needs, understands his product, makes recommendations and is always helpful. There are other vendors that also do these things like OGR, but unfortunately there are also the other kinds in this hobby. Just goes to show you how important a smile and a handshake are to making a sale.

You can be 100% certain that you are not the only one who feels that way.  I have lived in five different states in the time I have been back in the O gauge segment of the hobby, and in each of them I was able to find at least one truly wonderful train store where my high regard for, and friendship with, the dealer has endured over many years.

That must have been quite a book.

They really are a handy little book. Lionel produced these answer books for a number of years in the 1950's. They knew the people selling their products were not always familiar with the product at the beginning of the Christmas season. Each book is about 35 pages and tabbed into sections. I'd call it selling trains 101. The books today command a decent price. Some are worth about $100 or more per book. If you like Lionel paper though they are very neat. I believe Bob Osterhoff has also included a few digitized copies of these on some of his products as well.

i guess i am one of the lucky few i have a few shops near me.  they are all great.  

We didn't make 68 years without always treating the customer as king. We love having customers visit us and their jids. Nothing brings us great joy as watching them as we run the trains!

Common sense. Imagine that.

I'm in CA and my LHS is Mario's Trains in Mario's Trains in VA. I browse eBay to find what I want and then ask him to get it for me. My experience with him has been that he actively practices all of the tenets in the OP. Early on I would send him a product question email at 10 pm pacific and would get a thorough response about 15 minutes later. I respect that a great deal. So when he quotes me a price, I pay it no questions asked. I would think any LHS could thrive with the right business model but these days it has to include on-line shopping and purchases and the willingness to court customers over long distances. Your LHS doesn't necessarily have to be "Local" to get your business and keep it.

That is an excellent poster and very true if you are in the retail business.  However all those characteristics do not necessarily come by default to everyone.  Most people need training to respond properly; it is not automatic or even easy to do.  A great philosopher once said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".  

I fully understand why Lionel felt the need to publish the poster.  It is a constant reminder to be courteous and think of the other guy.  

I just made my first purchase from them a week or so ago and they were quite pleasant and helpful.  

This is good advice for any sales organization. I especially like the part about being enthusiastic about your product. I have done a significant amount of sales training in my professional career, and one of my most important teaching points is if you don't believe in the product you are selling and are not enthusiastic about it, find another product to sell or get out of sales.

In my shop serving the customer was priority and if executed properly, profit would follow. My staff knew their stuff and we treated everyone with respect. Model railroaders as a rule are a great bunch of people, and we would bend over backwards to please a customer. Many of my former customers have become good friends. Occasionally we had to deal with a numbskull, and even then we went out of our way to accommodate them. But a line was crossed if a customer became unreasonable and belligerent toward an employee or myself At that point I would deal with them harshly. Fortunately that was extremely rare.

If I walk into a train shop, I'll be no burden to the proprietor or staff if items I look at have a visible and readable price tag. Don't follow me with suspicious eyes as if - worse than a shop lifter - you think I'm a competitor spying on you. If you are selling something on your shelf cheaper on your own web site or on eBay, but want to charge me more for it while I'm in your store with cash in hand - don't complain if I ask you for your own internet price. If you sell current production trains and don't have replacement bulbs or traction tires or no track pins, no transformers, no lamp posts - you are not supporting the product in the least nor providing valuable service to me as a customer. 

In case any LHS is looking to relocate......I'd like to have a LHS that sucks.....cuz that would still be better than none.

Lionel has a great legacy providing selling tips to dealers.  The actual selling guides referenced in this posting goes back to the first one published by Lionel in 1930. 

Bob Osterhoff

www.trainpaper.com

Thanks for the info Bob! I did not realize that it went back as for as the 1930's. Were they as detailed as the ones from the 1950's or did they mature as the company did?

Thanks,

Derek

Derek,  these booklets became progressively more detailed and illustrated over the years, until the last edition was issued in 1965.  Certain years were rewritten for that year only with specific new products and later in the 1950s these booklets became more generic.

Bob Osterhoff

www.trainpaper.com

Frank53.........I couldn't help but recognize all that you had said.  Seen the whole "she-bang" at two  LHS's where it was almost difficult to ask about this or that because the "regulars" kept butting in to cross-talk at the owner who was glad to give service, yet had "buttinski's (yeah I'm Polish) interfering.

      And the "drop off baby sitting service".....at one LHS where I helped do minor repairing, the drivers ed school next door should have had us get some $$ for watching the kids.  The parents practically EXPECTED us to watch the spawns. Apparently sitting in the car and waiting WITH THE SPAWNS was too good for the parents. Imagine that......spending time with the kids!

PCRR/David,

As much as you appreciated Bill and Walt's Hobby Shop, Frank Hare's Iron Horse Hobby Store and our store I can assure you Pine Creek Railroad, Mr. Frank Hare, Dave from Bill Walt's and Peggy and I appreciated having you as not only as customer but as a friend. You are a wonderful person.

P.S. This is for everyone on this forum. Yes, Peggy and I are retired. However, we still have the same phone number and the same e-mail address, as we did when we were selling trains. Granted, we no longer have any trains, but anytime any of you have a question that you think I can help you with please feel free to call or e-mail me.