Efficiency for a Healthy Business

Peter Gardell

14 years ago

As mentioned in a previous blog, in NYC recently, I visited B&H Photo to get some stuff for my camera.

It is amazing that in the city with the highest rent and associated expenses of operation, you can have a company that offers tremendous prices. They have assembled some individuals who know the products they sell and are great resources for information. They have done efficiency studies and have designed a new-world marvel.

They have created an environment that doesn't allow an individual to get lost. There are people to help guide you at every turn. It makes people go past other exciting items before they can get to the items they are interested in. They create demand in a person's mind, when they might have walked into the store not knowing that they "needed" something.

You are directed to particular departments for what you want. The individuals there are authorities able to answer any of the questions you may have. Standing in each of these lines you are surrounded with the latest and greatest items; you can get caught up in the feeding frenzy before you realize it.

It's when you get to the counter that the magic of this particular store happens.

You consult with a sales person, and two minutes after you tell them what you are interested in, they reach down into a bin and pull out that product. No sales person walking around a huge warehouse; the warehouse is brought to you. There are no sales people stumbling over one another. No wasting time; the customer is taken care of immediately and the sale is completed. They embrace the old saying, 'Strike while the iron is hot,' and are very successful.

There are a lot of principles that have been put in use in this particular location that make for a very efficient operation. A lot of these can "cross-over" to a dental practice. Some are easy to implement; some a bit harder, but this visit has planted a lot of seeds, and if I can get any of these seeds to grow I will share them in the future.

If you have a chance to visit B&H please do, it is an amazing place.