Loyalty Has Value
America has been moving backwards for several decades now as the leader of the industrial world. Values such as hard work, honesty, integrity, quality, and loyalty have taken a back seat to the “me” generation’s values. They want the newest gadgets that provide endless comfort and entertainment. Long term commitments mean nothing. Lasting relationships are nearly non-existent. This includes family, careers, local businesses, educational institutions, even sports teams. They want everything now with minimal effort. Many service businesses today are doing everything they can to eliminate personal contact with their customers. Let’s automate and eliminate payroll. No thanks! Call me old school, I’ll take that as a compliment. Values matter to me, and I think they should matter to you.
Loyal has been defined as faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product. Loyalty is the quality or state of being loyal. Businesses typically gain loyalty by providing quality products and or services for an extended period. I’m sure you have heard the expression “we stand behind our products”. That is typically the local vendor that will either replace or repair the products they sell in a satisfactory manner to their customers. Historically those businesses have been able to prosper, grow and remain active for long periods of time. While the test of time is not an absolute measure of standing behind their products and having loyal customers, it is certainly a solid measure. Businesses that are substandard in this measure could be operating in a void of competition, but generally over time a quality company will find a way to fill that geographic void. Capitalism works in America.
As a business, loyal customers that continue to purchase goods and services add value. I treat you fairly, you continue to buy from me, I’ll continue to treat you fairly. This can quickly become a favorable two-way relationship. Respect is a similarly valued. If you respect someone and their efforts, they will likely return respect to you. Those you do not to respect will unlikely treat you with respect. Loyal and respectful customers can generate a symbiotic relationship. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, everybody wins.
These types of favorable relationships require good communication from both parties. Keep the lines open. Don’t be afraid to share both negative and positive incidents. If you are too emotional about a negative experience, it’s often best to wait a day to share your thoughts. When you are excited and happy, feel free to share in the moment.
Loyalty should not be expected from a single transaction but earned over time. Every person, every relationship, every business will occasionally have a hiccup. If you work hard to do things the right way, things will generally work out for the best. If you continually take short cuts, your success rate is much more likely to be inconsistent. A company that always has the lowest price will very unlikely be able to withstand unforeseeable setbacks, maintain a reliable staff and keep their equipment and facilities ready for necessary tasks. Is that the business you want to rely on as a partner for your farm or business? I’m a football guy, so here’s an example. You draft a quality running back with a stellar college career and he fumbles in the first game. Do you write him off quickly and move on to the next guy? Three years later he performed very well with great stats and a very low fumble rate, almost never stopped short of a gain. Last play of a playoff game for the win, one yard line, do you give him the ball?
In any customer / vendor relationship price is a factor. If you have a vendor that has performed well, sold you quality, long lasting equipment, with knowledgeable staff to design things properly and keep you running, what is that worth? Ten, twenty, thirty percent? How much time can you afford to spend shopping around, trying out another vendor just to see what happens?
What would you think of Michigan Valley if we changed pivot brands every couple of years? For starters it would likely cost us more to operate. Learning all the new parts, figuring out company policies and stocking multiple lines of replacement parts, would add time and cost to operations. Loyalty can add value to both sides of a customer dealer relationship, and it is probably worth more than you think. Remember we are talking about two brands here. The Valley brand and the Michigan Valley Irrigation brand. Yes, they are closely linked, but not exclusive. You could buy a Valley pivot elsewhere and you could engage Michigan Valley Irrigation if you have other brands of pivots on land you farm.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pete is the marketing manager for Michigan Valley Irrigation, having joined the company in 2016. He was raised on a dairy farm in western New York and graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in agricultural economics. His entire working career of over 37 years has been involved in agriculture. A farmer helping farmers. When away from Michigan Valley he operates, Joyful Noise Farm, a small livestock and produce farm and spends time with his family.
