Jim Bishop is general manager of Western Pallet, located in Portland, Oregon. The company provides recycled pallets, freight, and recycling services to customers all over Oregon and Washington.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?
Bishop: The sale starts when the customer says, “No.” I started off pretty young going around picking up pallets before school and was told many times, “We already have someone.” “Well what’s that have to do with me,” I’d wonder. So, I keep going back and eventually the customer is either irritated with the current provider or sick of telling me “no” and I end up with what I wanted. I like to think “no” means “maybe.”
Pallet Enterprise: How have your customers’ expectations changed over the years?
Bishop: Customers seem to want more than just pallets. I have been able to get into a lot of accounts because their current provider wouldn’t take this or that regarding recyclable material. Customers seem to have moved away from caring so much about price and are more concerned with pallet quality, timely deliveries and what other services you are willing to provide.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about customer service?
Bishop: Be up-front with people especially if it’s regarding an issue. It seems people like to avoid issues instead of simply resolving them. If issues are avoided long enough, they will eventually go away, along with the customer. If there is going to be an issue, let people know quickly so they don’t get caught flat-footed. People seem happy to help resolve things if you are working on it as well.
Pallet Enterprise: How do you encourage or inspire your workers?
Bishop: Good labor is hard to come by and even harder to retain. Without the workers, you don’t have a business. I like to walk through the warehouse and talk to people at their stations, a lot of times not even about pallets. You develop a relationship with them and will be told of problems going on that you’d never hear about, as they didn’t want to bring it to a more formal meeting in the office. I think employees appreciate it when a manager or higher-up person in the company is talking to them about things other than just the pallets they’ve been repairing.
Pallet Enterprise: How or why did you get involved in the pallet industry?
Bishop: When I was in high school, I’d go around before school picking up pallets. I ended up getting pallet accounts that I turned over to the pallet business where I’d sell my cores. I ended up quitting picking up pallets and now work at Western Pallet. Way back then I was told I could be retired by 35 and be living comfortably if I did pallets the right way. I wasn’t thinking retirement, but the comfortable part was appealing so I pursued it. There are great people in the pallet industry, and I enjoy being involved in it.
