Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM DECEMBER 2020 64 T his year has been one for the record books, if you count all the bad news we continue to experience. Hurricanes, tornados, tropical storms, forest fires and of course the pandemic have impacted us all. These crises have placed a unique set of conditions and problems on our CSC Member Companies and their employees. When the disasters struck, our service and installation companies were called to help get government, businesses, and families up and operating. It's what individuals rendering essential services are asked to do, and our member companies have been helping people since the first calls went out early this year. This brings to mind an article from a few years back by former President of CSC Ralph Wolff of Jersey Coast Appliance. Ralph explained the dangerous work that his company and others had to complete following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. We can now project those descriptions to the storms, hurricanes, flooding and forest fires that have hit our country in 2020. I have to say a resounding "Thank You" to the service companies that go out and get the job done in exceedingly difficult and dangerous conditions. Now let's put the pandemic on top of the list, and we're seeing a group of service people and companies who are truly stepping up to help those who need something fixed or repaired. Long hours, dangerous working conditions and the need to complete service calls in a timely manner are the daily challenges that still exist. Only the best technicians and service companies can handle these situations efficiently. We sometimes forget the importance of the equipment we're asked to keep operating. When you face these types of disasters, you begin to realize how important a refrigerator or stove, or a piece of public safety communications equipment or medical test equipment really is for the well-being of people everywhere. Add the quarantine lockdowns for so many, and the need to have these items repaired is magnified. So your services are definitely essential. The frontline service company must figure out ways to secure parts for repairs, many of which have been in short supply this year. Shutdowns, slowdowns, high demand and serious transportation delays caused by the virus and the many natural disasters continue to impact shipping times in large areas of the country and the world. Work volume is up. Parts can be hard to find. Shipping may be slowed. The safety of your staff and your customers is a critical concern every day. Even if you have all of these bases covered, the job of prioritizing work also falls on your shoulders, and that can be a hard call that continues to end up in your lap daily. These decisions have to be made every day based on the customer's needs and the availability of parts. You also have to keep your customers posted when service must be postponed. These are normal activities that are amplified under today's difficult conditions. The bottom line: Our sincere THANKS! to all our CSC Members and Service Companies everywhere for being there to get the job done despite the difficulties. We join your current and future customers in appreciating the work you're doing for us every day. Take care and be careful out there!! YOU HAVE ESSENTIAL JOBS S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T Don Pierson, Certified Service Center (CSC) www.certifiedservicecenter.org RO

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