From: Dr. Margolies

Marketing is the art of customer service. First and foremost is to determine who your 
market is and then be sure to sustain their interest with proper service. As a student of the 
stock market, I am impressed with the highs and lows of individual companies and their 
stock price. Coca-Cola which is one of my favorites prides itself in customer service. They 
study their market and have determined to service both their suppliers, vendors and 
customers. They also do surveys (interest group sessions and test marketing new products) 
prior to getting in out to the mass public. They are fierce in competition overwhelm their 
opponents .. whether it is off brand products or their major rival Pepsi. Their most recent 
coup was in South America. The high brass .. from the CEO and President on down .. 
took the time and spent the time in the area to express what service their vendors and 
bottlers can expect from Coca Cola which Pepsi could not deliver. Now let me set the 
record straight .. I own considerably more Pepsi stock than Coke, but that was a business 
decision that half paid off .. one half when it was purchased at the high and another when 
purchased at it¼s recent low .. I hope to salvage and go ahead in the near future .. but 
getting back to Coca-Cola .. it made it clear that the future of the bottler and their 
consumers will be greatly enhanced and be profitable with the service of Coca-Cola  .. it 
was a shock to the stock market .. as Coca-Cola took over a country and a portion of a 
continent in one day .. they did the same in Europe. 

Home Depot, another retail giant in it¼s retail field, has also stayed the course based on one 
major factor called customer service. They too took over a country by buying the largest 
type retailer in Canada. They pride themselves on customer service and their CEO and 
President, as well as every board member must take time each year to visit stores 
unannounced and see for themselves the service and the work of each individual 
representative of their product. The president and CEO also visit many stores per year and 
provide hands on training .. as I recommend in Chapter 4 of the Smart Start book with CA 
training .. they emphasize service. At a recent shareholder meeting some shareholders were 
disappointed that the stock has been hovering rather than moving up. Quarterly sales 
continue to grow, store by store sales have been growing steadily and their, as well as Wall 
Street, projections are always optimistic. A number of these shareholders were 
disappointed with the service in their individual stores and when they confronted the 
president with these negative reports ..it was recorded he took it very personal and 
retraining was implemented immediately. So, why doesn¼t Home Depot stock move in 
relation to their growth and their success quarter by quarter? Well, from my point of view 
and those I read, Home Depot is dragged down with the other retail store that it is grouped 
with .. such as the WalMarts, Sears, etc. 

Are you .. are we .. being dragged down by collective mismanagement and poor service of 
other health care providers .. not to mention other chiropractors? Are we in a position to 
influence others and capture the wave of wellness both within corporate America and the 
general public at large? Is your office, or your student clinic practice, reflective of the 
service and large scopeness of a Coca-Cola and Home Depot CEO or President, or do you 
sit around and complain that managed care has sucked the life out of your practice and wow 
is you?  


This is what was written in the January 22, 1997 Atlanta Constitution about Home Depot 
after their 500th store was opened. The President Arthur Blank, stated: „As long as we 
respond to the customers, we will continue to improve the stores ... a retailer gets in 
trouble when they believe they know what the customer wants. We have always felt that if 
we listen, they¼ll give us the answer that we need.¾ The answer lies in what the report 
concluded with ... „ Through dozens of training sessions and store visits, Blank and 
Marcus (the CEO), drill home the importance of customer service.¾ Doctor, or student, 
have you really paid your dues and spent the energy and time to drill or practice with your 
staff. .. or educated your patient or community to our product? Have your staff meetings 
become a social event or bitch session, or have they evolved into practice sessions and the 
reason for the season .. patient education and service? This is your decision and in making 
it your financial and emotional future is set ... so don¼t complain .. it¼s better to train!

I advise you to print these and the following e-mails and keep a reference file. As they 
come in, determine which category they apply to and when needed .. maybe a year from 
now .. you can refer back to it, or e-mail a question or two to me. I hope you¼ll benefit 
from these, and all comments and ideas are always welcomed. Remember, there is a 
Windows and Macintosh version of many of the forms within the Smart Start Book. These 
disks are $15 and can be purchased from me or from various vendors, DE or Parker at a 
fee of $25. Also, a companion book entitled the Chiropractic Assistant¼s Marketing and 
Public Relations Book is also available and is a great booster for yourself as well as your 
staff. This handy guide is $35 and can be purchased from me these various vendors. If 
interested send a request via e-mail or a check for the amounts to Dr. Joel E. Margolies, 
4910 LaVista Road, Tucker, Georgia 30084. You can also call me at 770-491-3639. 


Dr. M