The
Phone Systems of Wine Country
When the “great recession” began many of the big wineries
shed staff, and as it went on more people were whittled away. Companies often
use downturns as a way to reduce excess staff that has accumulated without
obvious benefits, but now you have coffee with them every day and it’s hard to
let them go. This is why company profits often rise during high unemployment.
Fewer people providing the same services.
The problem is that phone systems were put in place when the
staff was bigger, and there were lots of people to answer phones. Meanwhile the
call traffic has changed as people call on the fly, not just when they are tied
to a land line. The result is that it is increasingly hard to contact people at
the wineries, both for the customer and the salesman, of which I am both.
When planning itineraries I need to schedule tastings and
tours for my clients. As an author and publisher I need to schedule time to
show my books and other products to retail buyers. In both channels we’re
finding it harder to contact people at the wineries. Because their systems and
policies were put in place when there was more staff, we’re often finding our
calls dropping into overloaded mail boxes, or having to travel through
unnecessarily convoluted paths to get anything done.
For our tours the only solution is to either plan way ahead,
expecting to make multiple phone calls for every appointment, or call them on
the fly and hope for the best. For book sales I just drop by and hope for the
best. Getting retail buyers to call me back is almost hopeless. This isn’t
because our products aren’t any good. Quite the opposite, our tour books sell
well, and this year we’re able to customize the covers for each winery that
sells them. That’s retail sales and marketing in one package that more than
pays for itself. The buyers are just swamped with work and calls.
There are two things that prevent me from pulling my hair
out in frustration. First, there are so many good wineries between Napa and
Sonoma that don’t require appointments, or who’s cell phone numbers I have,
that making appointments is not necessary for a great tour. Second, our iPhone
Apps are popular and effective as a tour guide, and they are sold directly to
the customer through the App store. Knowing that our information is getting out
there to the public has made me a lot less manic about the books.
Book publishing is a patient business, but Apps run at the
speed of light. It certainly appeals to me.
Ralph &
Lahni de Amicis are authors of the Amicis Winery Guides, and owners of Amicis
Tours. They are authors of over twenty books on health, design, business and
travel. Their iPhone Apps, The Napa Valley Wine Tour, and The Sonoma Winery
Tour are a tour guides approach to these beautiful area, complete with 1000’s
of photos and insights. Their articles and products can be found on the sites http://www.amicistours.com and http://www.spaceandtime.com
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