What do you tell your customers?

[grandpa]

I have found myself in a unique situation, as the new management for an established and successful site. The business, our customers, have been loyal to the previous owner, many for years.

I'm on the verge of drafting a single page document, brief and to the point statement that the company is under new management. It's bound to raise questions. I don't believe that's it prudent at this point to reveal the horrid details, or even allude to them, as I just did.

I would like to take the opportunity to explain our situation with regards to manufacturing and inventory. In a word its in the toilet, but salvagable. In other words, there are right and wrong ways to do things, and I want to give the right way a chance now that I can.

I thought about using this..
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, and as soon as we sort out this mess we will contact you.

..doesn't sound right.. too 70's.

Any thoughts about how I might proceed?

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

I hope your final single page document is less cryptic than this post? ;)

[grandpa]

Well, I guess it will have to be :)

[grandpa]

I didn't think it was that cryptic.

The point I'm trying to convey is that mgmt has changed, and that we are going to try to mend our ways where we can. I'm just looking for the right words without running people away.

Soon after I posted the original message I saw a news item about a couple of top execs leaving a major corporation. Reading that a few times gave me some good insight.

[jatar_k]

customers appreciate truth

you should be able to find a way to tell them enough to satisfy them with out making them feel insecure about your ability to continue doing business

[rocknbil]

grandpa - this is going to sound terribly obvious but when I recently quit my job, I was completely at a loss for words. I Googled for resignation letter and found enough ideas to get me going, as well as some things I didn't think of (don't explain why you're leaving, and why NOT to explain why, etc. . . . ) so it's a good idea to browse around for examples, they will help.

[chasing something]

how about instead of mentioning past mistakes, say something like:
with our new management, we are now poised for continueing growth and improved customer service.

make everything positive.

[jessejump]

We appreciate your loyalty to Johnson's Gadgets over the years. We hope you continue to business with us. We plan on improving ......
Please let us know if there are any ways we can serve you better........
...........

[jatar_k]

We appreciate your loyalty to Johnson's Gadgets over the years and know that with our new management we will continue to reward that loyalty by focusing on continued growth and serving you better.

If there are ways you feel we have lacked in the past please contact us and we will address them.

-------------

never hope for anything, always be affirmative and positive

we are
we will

never leave any doubt

who knows, the above is just my own foolishness ;)

[grandpa]

Instead of "We plan on improving.." I went with "Our promise to you is.."

As a sign of confidence building I went with something similar to.. "New ownership and management have come together and we are working diligently..."

The biggest problem was how to make it clear that the previous owner is no longer around. That's a problem in that his name and the company name are synonomous in the minds of many of the customers. In the end I simply stated it as fact.

"<insert name> no longer represents <insert company> in any capacity."

I totally agree with not trying to sound hopeful or wishful. In my mind, either you do, or you don't, and that has little to do with wishing or hoping.

I guess I'm still being vague, at least here in the open forum. rocknbil, it is not I that's leaving, but rather I'm taking charge after someone else left rather... unexpectedly. But I still take your approach to heart. As mentioned earlier, I read a press release last night about two execs leaving a major corporation, and from that press release I was able to start drafting my own document.

Maybe I need a press agent.

[rocknbil]

Yes, I know it was a different "change," but you got my point, positive examples will bring the ideas. Who needs a press agent when you have Google? :D

[imstillatwork]

Give them assurance that all the good things that they have come to your site for will only get better.

Give them hope without sounding desperate.