Owning a business is not for the meek. The successful entrepreneur is one who is persistent, determined and willing to take risks. These risk-takers know there is a chance for failure, but go for it anyway, hoping the odds are in their favor. So, what makes a business succeed or fail?The reasons are far too long for this column. However, there is one common component I want to focus on that successful southwest Florida businesses share that not only separate the strong from the weak, but also play a key role in customer service. This successful component is also extremely important at this time of the year. I’m referring to the idea of “seasonal consistency”.

Seasonal consistency means offering the same high level customer service you would from the first day you opened your doors to the public, no matter if it is high or low season. Furthermore, this consistency should be witnessed at all times of the day and all days of the week. My friend told me of her experience a few weeks back that made my jaw drop in shock by the rude demeanor she had encountered by an employee. She was with her realtor looking for a condo to purchase and had arrived at a residential development office to speak with their salesperson for more information. Immediately upon entering the door, her realtor said “hello, how are you?” to the saleswoman who replied by showing them her watch and stating in a loud tone, “Well, it’s 8 minutes to closing, just so you know.” Hearing this makes me shudder, especially when we are in a tight market. Not that price should matter when it comes to quality service, but the condo my friend was interested in was well over the million dollar mark, proving that having money to spend does not guarantee quality service.

I’ve witnessed this type of behavior myself, albeit not as rude as my friend’s experience. I had become a regular customer at a local establishment since the day they had opened because of their personalized service. However, my opinion changed as soon as the seasons turned. They hit low season and their service level dropped dramatically. The music literally stopped playing in the place because they forgot to turn it on. Their generous offer of free beverages had gone away because it was no longer a priority, and the pleasantries that were communicated to customers no longer were apparent. They didn’t even open when they were scheduled to be open, as I waited unsuccessfully one morning for 15 minutes for someone to show up. It’s as if they have hit a “depression” in their desire to deliver customer service.

Businesses get used to this slow-down and become lazy in their effort to please and service the clients. It’s almost as if they are thinking, “Why bother?” They assume no one will arrive at opening time or they assume customers don’t notice. Believe me, they do. It’s during low season that you have your yearround customers that your business depends on.

One local restaurant that knows how to successfully run a business is The Painted Table, located at 3405 Pelican Landing Parkway in Bonita Springs. Sure the restaurant wasn’t filled to capacity during my visit, but you wouldn’t sense a low season depression out of these guys. The music was playing, the tables were set, and the food and service were exceptional. The level of service was over the top by the way the attentive was consistently aware of our every need. Near empty sodas were immediately replaced with fresh ones, without even asking. It felt like it was their grand opening by the extra attention to detail they offered to their guests. The manager, Mr. Dino Mauro, believes that offering exceptional service brings the customers back. I’d definitely agree to that statement as I look forward tomy next visit at The Painted Table.

Don’t fall victim to the low season depression. Treat each day as a new one, without making assumptions about the slow pace of business. If you act as if it is your grand opening day every day, your customers will be impressed and you will reap the reward of a repeat satisfied client.