WHERE HAS ALL THE SERVICE GONE?

Neal A. Deutsch, CFP^®

Published in Rivertown Journal, February 2009

With the holidays safely behind us and tax season looming, we tend to be more focused on our financial planning and well-being as we scurry to and fro gathering up our tax statements, wage information and, unfortunately, our realized gains and loss information to get ready to do our taxes. We speak to people that we communicate with once a year: our tax accountant, the mutual funds, brokerage houses and our brokers and planners for statements, spreadsheets, and the like…and we wait. Why do we wait? Because all around us, personal service in all industries, in my opinion, has become a lost art. When was the last time you can say you were party to a really fine personal experience in the world of retail, sales and service? Go ahead…think!

For the holiday season, Elizabeth and I spent time in Tennessee in our home enjoying the holidays with our Southern friends. For lunch one day, we took a ride to Johnson City to a small but well know eatery there called The Red Pig. As you know by now, I am a lover of Bar-B-Q, and our luncheon sojourn did not disappoint- the Red Pig’s BBQ is simply the best. But why, you ask, am I telling you this in an article about service? The motto of this eatery is simple: “Where you get a Hello-Handshake and Bar-B-Q.” The proprietor, Tom Carr, is a 7th generation resident of Johnson City, and knows, well, just about everybody- except Elizabeth and I…until we walked in. Not 30 seconds in the front door and there was Tom- snow white hair and a smile to make any woman melt- holding out his hand, greeting us and welcoming us to his establishment. Since 1992, Tom has been greeting his patrons with a handshake everyday, making even the fist-timer feel welcome and like you’ve been living in Johnson City for decades.

Here at Chestnut, we are known for our extraordinary service. Nothing is troublesome, and we encourage our clients to call us for anything and everything. It’s not because it is our job- it’s because we love what we do, and really care about our clients and families. So why is it that the Chestnut philosophy and Tom’s openly friendly manner of running his restaurant seems to be so different from the everyday experience we have in today’s world?

It’s a tough world out there for all of as at this time. Patience has given way to lack of tolerance, timeliness to haste, and individuality to mass production. It seems that quality has been replaced by quantity, live telephone operators by voicemail, and, heaven forbid you object to the doneness of your food- well, just eat it. My goodness…where has all the service gone? And more importantly- how do we find it again?

Other than you family, your four most trust advisors are your Certified Financial Planner™, your accountant, your attorney and your doctor. Service is only one of the traits you must relate to with your advisors, along with trust, patience and confidence. Some of your advisors may require a communication yearly, some monthly. Communication is a two way street, and it is your obligation as well as your professionals to keep the lines of communication open, and to set your expectations in accordance with results that are reasonable and in line with your task. You are always responsible for yourself- your trusted advisors will walk along with you, but it is you who must lead. Along this journey, wherever it leads, if you feel that trust, patience and confidence are lacking, you may evaluate the relationship to see if it is a service issue. If you expect to hear from your advisor quarterly and have not heard from him or her in a year, maybe it’s time to find another? Together you and your advisors make a team- make it the strongest you can and the likelihood of a positive outcome will grow exponentially. Whether you are on the sending or receiving end of the service need, give it your best shot. Perhaps together, we can make this once again a world of gentler and kinder service.

Neal A. Deutsch is a Certified Financial Planner^™  & Registered Securities Principal, offering securities through First Allied Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.  Neal is President of Chestnut Investment Group in Suffern, NY, helping people with financial planning since 1984. Please feel free to call Neal at 845.369.0016 or email him with your questions at neald@chestnutinvestment.com. Visit his website at www.chestnutinvestment.com