Brian Lichtenstein, Founder/CEO, Lichtenstein Financial LLC
Q. How have you navigated your business through these weeks of social isolation?
A. We are considered an essential business so our staff has been onsite working everyday without face-to-face client contact. We've maintained high morale and I’m thankful for having such a great team. We've continued to perform our jobs since our clients need our direction and guidance in this crisis and our clients have been appreciative.
Q. How have you kept customers engaged?
A. Our practice is focused on behavioral coaching, meaning each client is unique, and each interaction needs to be tailored to the needs of that particular client. We help them avoid making reactionary decisions that could have negative long-term impacts. This approach has helped outcomes tremendously and our clients have appreciated the difference we've made in their lives. We have vigorously stepped up communication with clients. This has presented the opportunity to have thoughtful, meaningful conversations with them.
Q. What's been your most popular product or service during this time?
A. Our advice. We're well informed and experienced in both disciplines of taxation and investment management. We've been able to help people understand what's happening in this crisis and how best to manage and act upon it. For example, our tax and business management advice has been in high demand as we assist clients with interpreting and applying the government stimulus programs. Our immediate focus is getting our clients, families, and friends on solid footing during this unprecedented time.
Q. What have you missed most during the lockdown?
A. Tax season is a gem because we meet with most of our clients; individual, business, investment and planning. Unfortunately, the lockdown has forced us to work distantly. I miss the energy, the rush, the hugs and kisses, and especially the stories bringing me up to date on clients’ families and lives. We look forward to a normal reconnect. Finally, I miss teaching and training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with my teammates.
Dr. Robert P. Cotthaus, Owner, Glastonbury Animal Hospital
Q. How have you navigated your business through the pandemic?
A. We have especially been focusing on balancing safeguards to the health of our employees while trying to best serve our clients and their pets.
Q. How have you kept customers engaged?
A. We have reached our clients through email correspondence, social media postings as well as our Pet Healthcare APP and good old fashioned voicemail messages as well.
Q. What has been your most popular product or service during this time?
A. During this time we have been giving priority to sick animal appointments. We are also integrating routine wellness appointments as our social distancing procedures and schedule has allowed.
Q. What are you focusing on for the future?
A. We are focusing on keeping our staff healthy while continuing to serve our clients and animal patients. We will be here as long as we are able!
Dana Flanagan, Flanagan Realty Group
Q. How have you changed your business strategies during this time?
A. We’ve shifted into a personal virtual approach. Finding ways to shift your business in a pandemic is important. This isn’t like in 2008 when the market crashed. This is a worldwide problem and you have to be able to shift your business quickly and it takes a lot of creativity. We’re conducting listing appointments virtually and I think people are getting much more used to video conferencing and those types of virtual opportunities. We’ve seen rule changes for home showings, like no unnecessary people coming in with buyers, no children, no parents, no friends. We have appraisers who don’t want the listing agents coming with them into the house. Most sellers right now are okay with people coming in to their house. But there’s instructions with each listing, bring wipes with you, don’t touch anything in the house. Some people choose to wear gloves or masks when they come to a showing.
Q. How have you kept customers engaged?
A. We’re doing consultations via Facetime and Skype. So I’m in the house, walking the client through the property in a video. I’m also putting together virtual tours for people who either have compromised immune systems or are working from home. I’m doing a live update every week on what's going on in the real estate market.
Q. What are you focusing on for the future?
A. This is still a good time to sell a house because there’s not much inventory out there and a lot of people still have stable incomes and now they have time on their hands to go out and look at houses. I have a list of sellers that are ready to come to market as soon as this is over. By staying on the cutting edge of technology some of us are creating huge opportunities to do business differently when we come out of this.
Tim Devanney, Vice President, Highland Park Market
Q. How have you navigated your business through the pandemic?
A. Safety of both customers and employees has been first. This was unchartered waters for us, so it has been a daily adjustment as far as what we do for social distancing and sourcing personal protective equipment.
Q. How have you kept customers engaged?
A. Customers started off scared and not sure what to do. There was a large amount of panic purchasing when the pandemic first hit Connecticut. Working with suppliers to restock the shelves with items that may not have been part of our mix before. Talking to the customer to explain what we have been able to do and find out what they are looking for has been the focus on engaging them.
Q. What's been your most popular product or service?
A. Our pick up service has seen our largest rise during this time It has become its own department. We started with a rise in volume in pickup without being properly staffed. Luckily our staff is fantastic. We have members from different departments helping each other out with a great team mentality.
Q. What are you focusing on for the future?
A. I think the pandemic is going to have a lasting effect on how customers shop. I believe the curbside pick up will remain higher than previous times. I also believe people are going to be looking for more prepackaged items going forward. This will be an area we are going to have to expand our offerings.
Shannon Krieger, co-owner, Katz Ace Hardware
Q. How has your company navigated the pandemic?
A. We’ve been doing mostly curbside pickup and delivery because most people don’t come into the store. We still have some people who come in and they have to wear masks and they have to keep six feet apart. We have shields at each of our registers and we’re constantly cleaning.
Q. How have you kept customers engaged?
A. We’ve really shifted into selling everyday products to fulfill our customers needs, for instance we’ve always sold toilet paper and masks but now we’re selling a lot of those products. We are so grateful for our community, everyone for the most part has been so patient and so supportive and we want to thank our community and our customers.
Q. What’s been your highest-demand product?
A. We’ve been selling a lot of toilet paper and masks. We’ve always sold toilet paper but we usually only had a few packages in the store. We’re also selling individual toilet paper rolls. We just sold over 8,000 masks since Friday and we’ve reached out to another vendor whom we’ve never dealt with before to get more. We’re also selling a lot of hand sanitizers and we’ve brought in puzzles and we’ve sold tons of puzzles.
Q. What are you focusing on for the future?
I think we’re always going to have this type of social distancing, and needing masks and hand sanitizer. As the economy reopens we'll be selling masks, hand sanitizers and gloves. The store will change in that respect.