Letters

Readers react to articles from the April and May 2001 issues of Inc., including Edward O. Welles' "The Billionaire Next Door," John Grossmann's "The Idea Guru," and George Gendron's April FYI column.

The warm, humid weather hasn't dampened the wits of Inc. readers, many of whom were quick to solve a logic puzzle that we published in the May issue. Others remained hot under the collar about an April feature that addressed the ongoing challenges of hiring workers.

Kids today
Senior feature writer Edward O. Welles captured the attention of many readers with his May profile of David Koretz, an ambitious 21-year-old entrepreneur, in " The Billionaire Next Door." This reader raised questions about Koretz's brand of success.

As another businessman who enjoys the business atmosphere to the extent that there's no need to leave it for vacation or to unwind after a hard day's work, I can respect David Koretz's drive and enthusiasm. However, his lack of respect for people -- as shown by his behavior at the mall (i.e., cutting off elderly ladies at a crosswalk and ignoring the 10-minute-parking sign) -- and his "winning is everything" attitude indicate to me that we'll be shortchanged by his contribution to society, just as we've been shortchanged by that other billionaire -- the one who created Microsoft. Koretz says, "I'd do anything to make sure [my business is] successful." Does that mean that if one man had the knowledge to disrupt his winning, he'd kill that man?

I solved Koretz's brainteaser. It took me an hour and a half, though, which would probably disqualify me from being offered a job. I'd probably turn down such an offer anyway, as I'm having too much fun playing the business game ever since I realized that if making money is your only goal, you'll never get enough of it.

David Addin
Carpenter
Hollywood, Fla.

Service economy
In his April FYI column, " Standout Service," editor-in-chief George Gendron commented on Inc. 's April cover story (" Fanatics!" by senior writer Susan Greco) about customer-service trends. This reader warned that business owners should think about whether customers will truly value investments to improve service.

George Gendron points out that despite the buzz among academics and consultants about customer service, the quality of customer service overall seems to be deteriorating.

Based on our experience in focus groups, that apparent contradiction stems from the differing behavior of various segments of the consumer universe. Some consumers are willing to pay for good customer service. Many others, however, complain about bad customer service but continue to give their business to the lowest-priced vendor, regardless of the service level. While all businesses need to provide acceptable customer service, companies must decide whom they're targeting. Once they get to know their target market, they can determine whether an investment in superior service will pay off.

Automatically striving to "delight the customer" or provide "100% customer satisfaction" may not be the appropriate strategy for all companies. In their book Counterintuitive Marketing (which I learned about in the December 2000 issue of Inc.), coauthors Kevin J. Clancy and Peter C. Krieg give an example of what happens when you take customer satisfaction to the extreme: just give all your customers a free car, and you'll have 100% satisfaction!

Jay Zaltzman
President
Bureau West Research Group
Reseda, Calif.

Fair trade
In her April feature, " Help (Still) Wanted," senior writer Rifka Rosenwein described the challenge of recruiting blue-collar workers. According to this reader, the shortage of such workers is due in part to the fact that many young people overlook the trades as a viable career choice.

Having spent my entire working life in the marine trades (working on boats and yachts) and having been a boatyard owner for the past 20 years, I've consistently found myself in a boat like the one your article's CEOs are in. (Excuse the pun.) For many years, our trade has been wide open for new people to enter and earn a family wage. Here in the Pacific Northwest, a skilled person can make $22 an hour or more, plus benefits. Entry-level jobs typically pay $9 to $12 an hour.

There's such a push for young people to go to college that they often overlook many well-paid trades. I never did a day of college, and I'm doing very well. And I'm not unique. There are many like me in the marine trades. In your article you talked to Bruce Benoit, president of North East Precision, in St. Johnsbury, Vt., who has the same problem as I do in recruiting people interested in learning a trade. I blame our society for not seeing the trades as a viable and proud profession. All the college grads in the world can sell and "dot-com" all the products they want, but if there are no skilled tradesmen to make the products, they'll have no products to sell.

Mike Galmukoff
President
Galmukoff Marine
Port Townsend, Wash.

In an idea world
In May's " The Idea Guru," freelancer John Grossmann profiled Doug Hall, a highly successful entrepreneur who's built a business around helping companies develop hot new products. This reader was inspired by the story of Hall's reinvention of himself and his business.

Thank you for a great article on Doug Hall. I've followed Doug's career (whenever I have seen him featured in print) with excitement because he proved there is a business and a great living to be made by inspiring others. I used to think that if I figured out the magic of what I did, the magic would disappear. Your article has confirmed for me that figuring out the magic of yourself allows you to repeat it and truly give it to others time and time again.

David Marshall
Director
Connect
Portsmouth, N.H.

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