answering the phone

ANSWERING THE PHONE

Since I established Wiggy’s Inc. I have answered the phone, to the surprise of countless customers.

In the early 1960’s when I entered into the business world I have one primary product to sell, insulation for outerwear. It was at that time that the ski industry started to blossom with numerous companies making skiwear. Many of those companies were startup companies versus older outerwear companies that made general outerwear and got on the band wagon with skiwear. These older companies did not sell the small ski shops because they were more in tune with the Macy’s size stores. For a while many of these skiwear manufacturers did very well so the companies that made backpacks, tents and sleeping bags also sold these small shops and decided to get into the skiwear and backpacking jacket business and they also did well.

Most of the owners of these manufacturing businesses as it came to pass were not very good business owners. They were making good money and from what I knew of them were not from moneyed families so they had very little knowledge of how to handle the money they were making. They did know how to spend it and spend it they did. Expensive cars, condo’s in Aspen or Hawaii many trips to Europe or elsewhere and also buying airplanes; never believing the cash flow would end, and end it did. Some are still around because the new owners believe the popularity of the brand name will eventually give them a return on investment, I am not so sure of that.

Companies who closed; Class 5, Alpine Designs, Alp Sport, Gerry (by the people who bought it from Gerry Cunningham who was a good businessman) Slalom Skiwear to name just a few.

The major problem that I observed was the fact that the person or persons who started these companies chose to hire people to do what they did when they started their companies. That was the primary reason for their down fall. They increased their payroll drastically with these people but they never spent time observing what they did or why. That goes for sales directors and costing people or a CFO. I know for fact that bills that should have been paid in 30 or 60 days were stretched to 90 or 120 days, why because they were draining the company’s funds for personal use.

What does all of this have to do with me answering the phone, plenty! I do not want to see Wiggy’s go by the wayside so I continue to do what I do best, run my business. My office staff is and has always been three of us. I am always available to answer any and all questions about my products as well as offer advice if I have knowledge of the question asked. I have yet to come across any person until Marc Taylor owner of the Wiggy’s Alaska store who has had the interest in learning from me and that qualifies him to eventually take the reins at Wiggy’s.

I did give the old college try to share my knowledge with people in the outdoor industry as well as some aspects of our military all to no avail. As for the outdoor industry I can only thank them for not heeding my knowledge because today Wiggy’s is the largest quality sleeping bag manufacturer in the world.

I will continue to run Wiggy’s into the future as I have in the past and be answering the phone as often as possible or take calls from the office staff when they cannot answer a question. Also, I do enjoy speaking with new customers as well as old customers.

Since it is New Year’s Eve I do hope that with the New Year we have better prosperity in the country.

Bestest

Wiggy