Page 34 - Flathead Beacon // 6.4.14

34 | JUNE 4, 2014
BUSINESS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

BUSINESS IS PERSONAL Mark Rifey

Create A Truly

Meaningful Guarantee

D
OES YOUR GUARANTEE $400 plane ticket? Only the narcissistic I
V
A
C
T
Y
C
L
provide value and eliminate risk would have such expectations.
O

U
B
N

for the prospect, or does it simply All the airlines can really ofer is a
give their money back?
full refund in the form of a future light,
While giving their money back is of- a light with their competitor, or to ask
ten seen as an ideal guarantee, the fact is you to be patient while they work to
that while it’s the easiest efective guar- eventually get you to your intended des-
HONOR ROLL
antee you can make, it’s also the least tination.
common denominator.
Even if the airlines sold “guaranteed
travel” tickets at a much higher price,
CONGRATULATIONS
Does your business reputation de-
pend on least common denominator ser- the logistics of delivering a guaranteed
vice? I suspect it doesn’t.
service would likely make it unproitable
To the Winning Smiles for the Month of
for them.
LEAST COMMON Given the possible reasons that a
MAY 2014:
DENOMINATOR?
light can be late, it’s understandable, so
A least common denominator is like why does the lack of an opportunity cost
a best practice.
guarantee come of as weak in your busi-
Bodhi Allen Ryder Clouse Ryan Hanson Diego Langlois Michael Owens Aaliyah Smith ness?
River Allen Ryla Collier Lilyanna Harcourt Nicole Langlois Mylie Pakkala Brady Smith
The term “best practice” implies
Jason Anderson Rylee Coots Skylar Harding William Langlois Alena Palin Cas Smith
something only the best companies em-
Shae Anderson Peyton Cowden Chandan Harper- Farrah Laroque Andre Palin Colin Smith ploy, but the reality is that there’s so CREATE A TRULY MEANINGFUL
Austyn Andrachick Alexis Cox Donaldson Astrid Larson Josiph Palin Cooper Smith
much focus on best practices that they’re GUARANTEE
Braxtyn Andrachick Madison Cox Angel Harris Haylee Larson Stryker Pancoast Ella Stebbins-Han often the average.
Most of you don’t have the logistical
Stevyn Andrachick Bryce Crane Paige Hedeen DestryLehman NeilPepe JonTae Stebbins-Han “Average” because these best prac- issues that airlines have, so you can ofer
Hazel Badgette Drew Crane Amber Heidegger Brady Lewellen Blake Perry Keenan Stebbins-Han tices are what most businesses do. The a guarantee that deals with lost oppor-
Zoe Badgette
Brayden Crofutt Tiffany Heidegger Bubba Love Easton Perry Drew Steele
Tia Baker Hailey Barrett Steven Crosier Jennifer Crow Sophia Himsl Carley Hoagland Nahla Love Emily Lutgen Hunter Perry Mabel Peterson Austin Stewart truly best practices of the best compa- tunity cost without a huge expense or ef-
Kacie Barrett Aela Dalimata Shelby Hoagland Lucas Macfarlane Oren Peterson Carly Stodgehill Landon Street nies are often unseen to most others, or fort. All it takes is some thought, action
Clairessa Barrow Trevor Dass Parker Holden Aydon Markham- Sophia Piazza Merissa Sturm they’re simply not recognized as some- and follow up.
Jason Barrow Payzlie Davis Avila Hopkins Larson Kali Pierce Danika Sudan thing that provides a substantial com- That’s why not protecting a client’s
Bridger Beach Alex Davison Chazz Hopper Reuben Mast Lillian Pipkey Bridger Sunde petitive edge.
opportunity is weak.
Dacia Benkelman Jed Davison Aria Hungerford Kaleb Mathiason Mackenzie Pomerantz Raenessa Tatsey These things don’t have to be expen- If you own a local hotel, there will be
Collin Bennett Kayla Davison Christine Jackson Paul Mathiason Jesse Poor Louis Tedrick sive or mind-blowing. They simply re- times where you can’t fulill a reserva-
Archer Berg Meg Davison Colton Jackson Tehlor Mathiason Corey Potter Jasmine Todd quire seeing your business relationship tion. Plumbing leaks. Power fails. Stuf
Bryant Berland Owen Davison Cortney Jackson Hunter Mayberry Aleieha Preston Shannen Todd
Natalie Bertram William Deardorff Christopher James Rhiannon Mcguire Xander Preston David Tonjum with the customer from their perspec- happens.
Jaden Beston Jorden Decker Ezekiel James Aaliyah McNeely Kalea Quinby Brandan Trombley tive. One example is being mindful of If you have an arrangement with
Johanna Bieber Anya Denmark Isaac James Elijah McNeely Ashlyn Rangitsch Dominique Trombley opportunity cost.
nearby competitors, a bed and breakfast
Kyra Bigoness Kamron Bigoness- Juan Diaz Alcaraz Malaki James Christian Melvin Cazz Rankosky Jonathan Troyer and a few airbnb hosts, you can avoid
Hunter
Bridger Donaldson Emmet Donaldson Mallory James Mya James Isaiah Melvin Trystan Mertins Copeland Rankosky Ruby Ray
Serena Turner Kaycee Vanschoyck WHAT ABOUT OPPORTUNITY leaving a guest out in the cold. While
Kayla Bigoness-Hunter Payton Douglas Silas James Viktoria Miller Elsa Reddig Trent Vanschoyck COST?
it might not seem like a big deal to you,
Daniel Botes Raegan Douglas Caitlynn Jenkins Kathryn Minnich Lance Reddig
Slayde Vanzant While a money-back guarantee does these things have a way of happening
Brair Boyce Millie Doyle Trevin Jensen Jaxon Moore Eli Richmond Julian Velasquez eliminate the client’s obvious loss-of- when the prospective guest is an inlu-
Paxton Boyce Ziggy Dratz Alexandra Jepson Thalia Moore Bode Rieger Tianna Victor
Payton Boyce Kaylee Dunsmore Arya Jepson Gracianna Mordja Brett Ritter Tyler Vollhart
investment risk, it doesn’t take into ac- encer on Trip Advisor, or worse, a travel
Payzlee Boyce Sophia Eckstrom Jacob Jepson Joselyn Mordja Emma Ritter Eva Wagar count their opportunity cost - the cost to writer with 2 million Facebook likes and
Emmalynn Braaten Alexander Flores Jeremiah Jepson Vanessa Mordja Isaac Ritter Andrew Wallen them of your inability to deliver.
a cable TV show.
Madeline Braaten Alex Foley
Cyrus Johnson Christopher Morris Cheyann Roberts Izabella Walter Protecting the client from lost op- The same thought can go into guar-
Teigen Braaten Aidan Forrest Jordan Keeney Draimond Nagel Cooper Rodoni Hayden Ward portunity isn’t part of most guarantees, anteeing carpet cleaning, car rentals or
Dillen Brisbo-Kvamme Fletcher Forrest John Keeton Braden Nelson Diego Rojas Kutter Ward but it should be part of yours.
whatever you do. Take away the invest-
Finnegan Brooks Caden Foster Aiden Keller Tayvia Nelson Aubriella Schermer- Aaron Warren Let’s look at airline light guarantees ment risk like everyone else, then wrap
Joshua Brooks Jacob Brown Camren Foster Gabriel Foster Mariah Keller Cayden Keltner Tyla Nelson Hunter Newbury horn
Cooper Schermerhorn Savannah Warren
Joshua Brown Isabelle Foster Codi Kenney Lily Newbury Kobe Schlegel Harper Wells Jayde Wells
to understand why.
the opportunity loss in bubble wrap.
Olive Browning Caleb Fredenberg Ellie Kenney Krista Newman Daytona Schuman Ella Wetzel If you book a seat on a plane for trav-
Thomas Bruno Anthony Gairrett Jonathan King Meeka Newman Ashtyn Schwegel Aiden Williams el to a critical face-to-face meeting and GO TO THE BULLPEN
Jonas Campbell Kylor Gietzen Xavior King Val Newman Austyn Schwegel Cash Williams the plane is late for reasons other than When a pitcher throws so many
Macie Campbell Drew Gillette Anna Kirby Bradly Nieves Jackson Sealy Devon Williams severe weather, the airline may reroute pitches that they “lose their stuf”, man-
Nolan Campbell Jenny Gillette Elsa Kirby Ellie Norton Corey Shelton Hailee Williams you, book you on a competitor’s light or agers call the bullpen for a pitcher with a
Thomas Carabin Dustin Gladeau Antonio Kirkpatrick Liam Notch Dakota Shepard Joel Williams worst case, book you a hotel room for the fresh arm.
Christopher Carlin Ryeleigh Glidden Spencer Knapton Luka Notch Miranda Shrefler Myah Williams night so they can try to get you to your That’s what customers want. They
Jay Carlin Olivia Gonzales Landon Koehler Bella Rose O’Brien Beau Shulenburger Annalisia Wood
Nevaeh Carlin Tucker Gonzales Jade Kuntz Alexandria Oberholtzer Emanuel Shvets Dayne Wood destination the next day.
don’t want excuses. They just want
Madden Carrier Emma Haller Myles Kuntz William Oberholtzer Jonathan Shvets Drake Wood What they won’t do is compensate whatever you promised. Your job is to
Madison Childers- McCormick William Haller Kiera Lackey Kade Olson Vanessa Shvets Addison Woody you for missing the meeting, even if your igure out how to deliver that even on
Chloe Christianson Abby Hamblin Jayden Hamilton Mason Lackey Selah Lackey Riley Orsborn Elijah Oswald Selena Simms Kavish Singh Makenna Woody Alynncia Workman late or non-arrival is entirely their fault. your worst day, or when your pitcher has
Jack Christianson Bella Handford Ian Laley Jonah Oswald Cameron Sistok Kasey Zirker How would they calculate what to pay lost their stuf - whatever that means in
McKenzie Clark
Havyn Hansen
Aurora Langlois
Mikah Oswald
Zephyr Sliter
Travis Zirker
you, assuming they could aford it?
your business.
If you miss a meeting due to air trav- To a client, an appointment or a res-

el issues and this ultimately costs you ervation is a promise - and often that cli-
$20 million, do you expect the airline ent has made promises based on the one
to cough that up because you bought a
you made them.
406.756.1142

Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or
60 Four Mile Dr., Ste 10 • Kalispell, MT marketing problem? See Mark’s site, rescuemarketing.com, or contact him via email
at [email protected].
Visit us online at www.kalispellkiddsteeth.com