Symphony By The Lake at Chetola is July 26 - Blowing Rock ...

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Blowing Rock Farmer’s Market Park Avenue Thursdays thru October 10, 4:00-6:00pm Blowing Rock 4th of July Festival Downtown Parade July 6, 2:00pm Art in the Park American Legion Grounds July 13, 10:00am-5:00pm Homes In The Village American Legion Grounds July 13, 12:00-5:00pm (Houses available to preview) Concert In The Park Pop Ferguson (Blues) Memorial Park (American Legion if it rains) July 14, 4:00pm Help Us Help You - Realtors Chamber Board Room July 18, Noon Symphony By The Lake at Chetola Chetola Lake July 26, Gates open at 5:30pm Business Meetings Resource Development Chamber Board Room July 8, 4:00pm Membership Committee Chamber Board Room July 17, 3:00pm Executive Committee Chamber Board Room Tuesday, July 23, 3:00pm Business Support Chamber Board Room Thursday, July 25, 9:00am Board Meeting Chamber Board Room Wednesday, August 7, 8:00am For more info and calendar: www.blowingrock.com Customer Service There, I said it out loud. Make no mistake about it. We all need some reminding from time to time about the essentials of customer service. The Chamber’s Business Support Committee presented in partnership with Caldwell Community College’s Small Business Center, a wonderful interactive customer service seminar last Thursday. In looking around the room, I noticed that most of the businesses represented were the ones that already understand the value of customer service and are always seeking better performance for their operations. Unfortunately, many who did not attend are businesses that need it the most. The Chamber will continue to provide opportunities for its members to attend seminars as well as incentives for its members’ employees to be recognized for outstanding service to the visiting public. If you don’t already know about it, we also offer a Customer Service Superstar award monthly. If you see someone delivering totally outrageous customer service, please click here to download and print a nomination form to send to us to consider. Now for those who did not attend, I have some interesting thoughts. Did you know that you get about 1/3 of your customers as repeats, 1/3 from referrals, and 1/3 from advertising efforts. Furthermore, you lose about 20% of your customers annually: 1% die, 3% move away, 5% are influenced by a friend to go somewhere else, and 9% are lured away by your competitors. The others just don’t come back due to indifference of the owner or an employee. So how do you deal with these realities • First, the only way to make your customers repeat customers is through outstanding customer service. This means that you deliver a quality product in a clean, attractive environment with eager enthusiastic employees delivering the essentials of customer service. (This is what the seminar was about). Member and Other News Blowing Rock Fourth of July Festival Saturday, July 6th Adult Horseshoe Tournament - 9:00am Park Games - 9:30-11:00am Climbing Tower - 11:00am-4:30pm Bounce & Obstacle Course - 11:00am-4:30pm Country Magic Cloggers - 10:00-11:00am The Vagabonds, Patriotic Sing Along - 11:00am-12:00pm Buckhaggard Band - 12:00-1:30pm Independence Day Parade - 2:00pm Cockman Family (Bluegrass Gospel) - 3:00-4:30pm Fireworks at Blowing Rock Country Club - 9:30pm Sunday, July 7th Diana & Sarvis Ridge (Bluegrass) - July 7, 1:00-3:00pm Sweet T - Park Dance - July 7, 3:00-7:00pm Village Cafe Will Be Open on Monday Monday, July 1, 8:00am-2:30pm • Secondly, the referrals come from the repeat customers. It stands to reason that you will not get any referrals if you don’t create repeat customers. (See above). This portion of your customer base is growing exponentially with the popularity of social media. The old paradigm was: when a customer had a good experience, they would tell 2-3 of their friends (referrals) and when they had a bad experience, they would tell about 10. Now, when someone has a bad experience they tell the whole world with a few strokes on their smart phone often in in real time. If you don’t believe me, ask your restaurant friends about Yelp or your hotel friends about Trip Advisor or service businesses about Angie’s List. One irate customer with access to and interest in social media can ruin all your advertising and much of the relationship building that you have worked so hard to develop. This is even more reason to focus on the essentials of outstanding customer service. •Lastly, the advertising and marketing of your business is essential. There are so many opportunities to spend money on this as you know. The question here is how much can you afford to spend to constantly replace customers that you once had but lost due to poor customer service or indifference of an employee There will always be plenty of marketing opportunities, but great customer service is much less expensive and yields far greater returns! The Chamber’s Business Support Committee will be offering another workshop in September on advanced website marketing and social media. Details will be forthcoming, but if you don’t make continuing education a priority for your business, you are really missing the boat. Blowing Rock Ale House is Now Open Blowing Rock’s first micro-brewery is now open! The restaurant is open everyday except Wednesday. All day dining and fifteen tap beers are sure to delight. Bolick & Traditions Pottery 22nd Annual Heritage Day and Wood Kiln Opening this Saturday, June 29th, 10am-4pm. Doodlebug Club Blowing Rock Art & History Museum June 29, 10:30-11:30 am Art class for your preschool-aged “doodlebug!” $5/child. 828-295-9099 ext. 3004 Saturday Art Club Blowing Rock Art & History Museum June 29, 1:00-2:00pm Art projects for children in K-3rd grades. $5/child, all supplies included. 828-295-9099 ext. 3004
Symphony (cont from p.1) Tickets are $30.00 for adults and $12 for children under the age of twelve. Tickets are now available at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at 132 Park Avenue in Downtown Blowing Rock, by calling the Blowing Rock Chamber office at 828-295-7851 or online at www.symphonybythelake.com. Parking is also available at Tanger Shoppes on the Parkway. The gates open at 5:30pm. Symphony by the Lake sponsors are: The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, Wells Fargo, Paramount Porsche, The Blowing Rocket and Chetola Resort. Schedule of Events: Gates Open ..................................................................................................................... 5:30pm Concert Begins ................................................................................................................ 7:30pm Picnic on the Lawn .................................................................................................5:00pm-dusk. Pre-Symphony Buffet .............................................................................................5:00-6:30pm. Dinner on the Patio .........................................................................................seating at 5:30pm. Fireworks Display ............................................................................ Approximately 9:15/9:30pm Tickets ..................................................................$30.00 Adults, $12.00 for Children under 12 Ticket Locations ........................................................ The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce ................................................................................www.symphonybythelake.com or at Chetola Shuttle...................................................................... Runs between Food Lion Shopping Center, Wallingford Parking Deck, American Legion Hall and Chetola Resort. Handicapped Accessible. No Charge. Parking .......................................................................................Tanger Shoppes on the Parkway ........................................................................................................ Food Lion Shopping Center ............................................................................................................Wallingford Parking Deck .................................................................................................................. American Legion Hall Concerts in the Park Are you aware that on most of the Sundays following Art in the Park there is a FREE Concert in the Park Because of the generous sponsorship of Paul and Brenda Fairbetter in honor of Paul’s parents, Paul and Jane Fairbetter, a wonderful concert is presented each Sunday May through September at Memorial Park. The concerts are held rain or shine with the rain location in the American Legion Hall just behind the park. The concerts vary in music genre in an effort to offer something for everyone. July 14th Pop Ferguson – a renown Blues musician recognized by the Smithsonian for his contributions to Blues Heritage. He is from Lenoir and loves to come up the mountain! August 11th Grandfather Mountain Highland Pipe Band – always a Blowing Rock favorite, these bagpipers have won many national and international awards. I would like to welcome all our new members! Individual Membership: Virginia Powell, Blowing Rock, NC Tom & Susan Farah, Blowing Rock, NC Business Memberships: Azalea Carriage Transportation (Erin O’Hara & Billy Elder), 835 Dobbins Road, Banner Elk, NC, (828) 260-7667, www.azaleacarriage.com September 8th ASU’s Gospel Choir – one of the most sought after ensembles within the Hayes School of Music at ASU and boosting up to 100 members. This is a must see event! Remember, in case of rain, come to the American Legion Hall. The show must go on! Beyond Category Cycling Studio (Ben Hale), 8100 Valley Blvd., Blowing Rock, NC, (828) 295-8600, www.beyondcategorycyclingstudio.com Carolina Cabin Rentals (John White), 197 Old US 321, Blowing Rock, NC, (828) 295-6000, www.CarolinaCabinRentals.com Cheeseburgers Grille (Steve Williamson), 310 Tanger Shoppes on the Parkway, Suite 32, Blowing Rock, NC, (828) 295-0211
Page 1: June 27, 2013 Volume 8, Number 5 Sy

Symphony By The Lake at Chetola is July 26 - Blowing Rock ...

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