New Years Resolutions

For many years, this magazine regularly published a "New Year's Resolutions" editorial in the December issue. That was the work of the late Art Yohalem, our longtime editor, who had covered the modern vending industry since it began to take shape in the immediate postwar years. That list of resolutions was a distillation of the principles he had gleaned from the observations, interviews and experiences of four decades. It remained the same from year to year; as Samuel Johnson observed two and a half centuries ago, "Men more frequently require to be reminded than informed."

There is much to be said for traditions, but we live in a different time, and we cannot revive this one. However, we do agree that the arrival of a new year, and the departure of the old one, is a suitable occasion for reviewing the things we've done and those we haven't, with a view toward doing more of the ones that worked, and avoiding recurrent mistakes. With that in mind, we suggest the following.

(1) I will do my best to see my equipment, products and services as they appear to my customers. I will encourage the people working with me to do the same thing. I will recognize that this is easier to do when visiting locations, so I will make a particular effort to convey its importance to the people who don't get out into the field.

(2) I will remember that the great majority of my customers are not nearly as familiar with my business, and my industry, as I am. I will try to look at both through the eyes of an unenlightened outsider, especially when responding to complaints and suggestions. By the same token, I will look for opportunities to explain my business, and my industry, clearly to prospective customers, prospective suppliers, elected officials and government regulators.

(3) I will keep always in mind that people buy things that they like, which may not always be the things I want to sell. I will think seriously about this principle especially when evaluating new products, and when responding to the question "Do you sell...?" or "Why don't you sell...?"

(4) I will keep an open mind when I encounter a new method for addressing the needs and desires of my customers. I will only say "That's not the business we're in" after I have asked myself, "Why am I not in that business?" and received a plausible, objective answer.

(5) I also will keep an open mind when I am approached with the Next Big Thing in technology, processes or products. I will satisfy myself that it really is an improvement over the Last Big Thing. Once satisfied, though, I will commit the time, resources and attention that its implementation will require, if it is to yield the best results and fully justify my investment.

(6) I will listen to suggestions and weigh them carefully. If my reflexive response is "We tried that 10 years ago and it didn't work," I will not make that response until I've recalled why it didn't work, and reviewed developments in the marketplace that might enable it to work now.

(7) And I will not forget the service methods and systems of the past that worked well in markets that have diminished as the world economy has shifted. I will remember that full-line vending has been counted out before, only to revive when the economy shifted again. What goes around tends to come around, and I will be ready for it.

(8) I will be mindful of the fundamental truth that I cannot succeed if the industry to which I belong does not remain strong and vital. Therefore, I will not jeer at industry segments in which I am not presently engaged (but which I might enter next week); I will not trash my competitors, but will extend to them the courtesy that I wish to receive from them; and I will stand ready to work cooperatively for the common good.

(9) I will join the trade associations that are working to level the playing field for my industry, attend their conventions and trade shows and participate in their government and public affairs programs to the extent that I'm able. I never will forget Benjamin Franklin's warning that "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."

(10) I will honor the memory of the pioneers in this industry, especially their boundless enthusiasm and imagination. I will acknowledge that we are, in large part, living their dream; and insofar as the results may not be all we would like, the fault may in some part be ours.

We may conclude this list by recalling a recurrent lament of VT cofounder Morris (Tiny) Weintraub: "The operator is his own worst enemy." Over the years, we have come to the conclusion that this is more or less true of every business: the software developer, the aircraft manufacturer, the local hardware store ... These shortcomings almost always result from limited vision, a narrow focus on the immediate future and a shift in emphasis from the customer to some other group. This industry has overcome a remarkable amount of adversity, and its latest recovery seems to be well underway.

And so we wish you a happy, prosperous and successful new year!