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I was in Jackson last night attending dinner when great news for our industry came from the capitol building.  A bill concerning the sale of liened vehicles to scrap dealers passed both sides of the legislature with overwhelming support.  How does this affect our industry?  Well, if you have ever had a customer borrow money on a vehicle and then immediately go and sell the vehicle, without title, to a scrap dealer this new law will allow for serious criminal repurcussions.

In the past, many less than legitimate scrap dealers would knowingly purchase vehicles without titles and crush them immediately leaving little paperwork on the transaction.  When confronted with what they were doing many of these illegitimate scrap dealers would just smile knowing there were very few legal options for the lienholders to pursue.  Again, this new law changes all of that.

The Mississippi Title Pledge Association took a leading role in getting this bill passed but it had support from other industries as well.  Most notably, it was supported by the recyclers association which is made up of the legitimate scrap dealers who operate in a professional and honest manner.  This law just makes it much more difficult for the “underground” scrap dealers to operate with no fear of the law. — Luke

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.”  Louis Seneca 

Going the extra mile, having a can do attitude, and being professional at all times are all desired characteristics that have been mentioned on this blog from time to time.  I would like to thank Melissa Whitehead from Simple Pawn & Jewelry for exhibiting all of these characteristics.  Melissa has stepped up during some difficult times and displayed commitment and leadership.  Thank you for the great job and we appreciate everything you do!

I do not love a man who is zealous for nothing

Oliver Goldsmith

-Louis

Although Easter is not technically the start of spring many people view it as the “unofficial” beginning of the springtime season.  I thought a few quotes on the beauty of spring would help to brighten your day.  —  Luke

ps — I have found that when reading quotes it is best to read each one twice before moving to the next one.  See what you think!

“Behold my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!”  Sitting Bull

“Spring is nature’s way of saying “Let’s Party!”  Robin Williams

“No winter last forever; no spring skips its turn.”  Hal Borland

“The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created spring.”  Bern Williams

“April has put a spirit of youth in everything.”  William Shakespeare

“If we had not winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”  Anne Bradstreet

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.”  Pablo Neruda

“Spring is when you feel like whistling. . . even with a shoe full of slush.”  Doug Larson

April Fools’ Day is celebrated in many countries on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools’ Day, April 1 is widely recognized as a day when people play practical jokes on each other.  In honor of April Fool’s Day, I thought some “fool”ish quotes would be in order:

April 1.  This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.  ~Mark Twain

He who is born a fool is never cured.  ~Proverb

Let us be thankful for the fools.  But for them the rest of us could not succeed.  ~Mark Twain

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.  ~Abraham Lincoln

The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected.  ~Will Rogers

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.  ~Douglas Adams

Isn’t it appropriate that the month of the tax begins with April Fool’s Day and ends with cries of “May Day!

Rachel

The way to be nothing is to do nothing.

-Hugo Grotius

To read without reflecting is like  eating without digesting.

-Edmund Burke

Not failure, but low aim is crime.

-James Russell Lowell

Beaten paths are for beaten men.

Eric A. Johnston

Have a great day–Louis

An old English proverb simply states “Some tasks may be accomplished more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone.”  I found this to be very true over the past couple of weeks and wanted to thank two very special people for this:  Stephanie Strable and Laken Graham.

Stephanie accompanied me on a recent audit.  Her knowledge of the daily work that is done at our Money Matters stores was a tremendous asset.  She would continue going through files while I researched an issue or vice versa.  We worked as a team and the day was very productive. I want to thank her for her hard work and dedication!

Laken and I spent an extensive amount of time working on reconciling and updating reports generated from their new software at Approved.  We printed countless numbers of reports and calculated and re-calculated during the week.  I enjoyed working with her so much as we solved each issue together.  Her knowledge of the business is vast and a great resource for me!

So, yes the old English proverb is true- two heads are better than one!!

Rachel

I spent last Friday and Saturday on set of a new commercial we are filming for US Gold and Silver Brokers.  Mabus Agency, who also filmed our Approved Auto commercials, was in charge of the filming.  The 30 second commercial will have several paid actors and actresses starring in it.  Janna Tolar was kind enough to also offer her talents for the store employee.  I look forward to being able to share the final product with you!

Have a great Tuesday….Louis

One of the first quarter goals for the management team is to improve company wide communication.  As many of you know, one avenue we have used to accomplish this goal is our monthly conference calls.  Although the calls have been an effective way to share information, they have not flowed as smoothly as I would like.

I  attended a  presentations skills class yesterday in Franklin, TN and was given several tips on ways to make conference calls more effective.  We are also setting up a “trial run” this morning to make sure we have all of the log in issues and technical glitches solved before our call next week.  I look for next week’s call to be the most successful to date.  I would welcome any suggestions or topics you would like to see covered on future conference calls.

The road to success is always under construction.

-Lily Tomlin    

Hope you have a great Wednesday….Louis

I have been in Orlando for the past couple of days and will be here for just a few more.  Last Sunday night while heading back to my hotel after dinner I ran across what I found to be an extremely customer service oriented taxi driver who I want to brag about today, Angie.

After finishing off my meal at Vito’s Chop House in Orlando Sunday evening the valet attendant hailed me a taxi that happened to be a black van built for ten.  Since I was by myself I jumped in the front seat next to the driver who appeared to be in her middle fifties.  Just when I slammed the door the driver introduced herself as Angie and asked my destination.  As I was telling Angie where I was staying I couldn’t help but notice that she had decorated her entire van in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.  She had greenery and beads along with four leaf clovers hanging in all the windows all while playing Celtic music on the radio.  I commented to Angie that I was impressed that she had gone all out for St. Patrick’s Day . . . a busy and profitable day for taxi drivers I am sure.  She smiled and said she just likes to make her taxi a little special.

As I complimented her decorations I could tell Angie appreciated the fact someone had noticed her extra effort and, as a result, she took an increased level of pride in her decorations.  I scanned the van again from front to back and did some quick math in my head.  I figured Angie was probably out around ten dollars total for her decorations. . . if that much.  To her credit she made those ten dollars go a long way and I am sure she did it on her own dime since it is doubtful her corporate owners would approve such “expenses”.

After making our way through the Orlando spring break traffic we finally pulled in to the Buena Vista Suites.  I jumped out and started going through my pockets in search of the amount that I owed Angie.  As I was paying her I gave her the standard tip and then I added ten dollars.  She thought I had made a mistake and tried to hand me back a few dollars.  Pushing the money back I told her that our company works hard at providing some of the best customer service in our business and that I appreciated her effort so much I wanted to reward her in a small way.  Judging by her reaction I think that small token of appreciation shown her made Angie’s day.  I know her attitude and personality helped to make my day better.

The lesson here is that whether you know it or not your customers are aware of both the level of service you are providing them and the effort you put into your job on a daily basis.  Oh yeah, on top of that. . . good customer service is often rewarded. . . in a variety of ways.—- Luke

“When the customer comes first, the customer will last.”  Robert Half

One of the topics at the managers meeting a few weeks ago was the importance of submitting accurate weekly reports and check ups in a timely manner.  I am pleased to report we have seen a great improvement in this area.  We appreciate each of you paying attention to this important aspect of your work.

The more obligations that we accept that are self-imposed, the freer we are.

– John C Schroeder

Every one has a fair turn to be as great as he pleases.

–Jeremy Collier

Without labor nothing prospers.

-Sophocles

I hope everyone has a great weekend….Louis