FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT: RICHARD LICATA – Page 2
I can’t believe we are already in our 3rd month of the New Year. Where has the time gone? As I write this article, we closed the books on January and we are right on course; perhaps just a little above plan. So far, our biggest product leader is the O&I Department which is already 120% above last year. Additionally, our Local business was strong in January with a 73% increase. These two areas are crucial in us maintaining our crew size so that we have more capacity to do more business in the busy summer months. Unfortunately, our interstate bookings and hauling didn’t fare as well and that brought our numbers down. We dropped 15% and 21% respectfully in those two areas.
Just as important, our Quality remains stronger than ever. We just got off a couple of weeks of perfect quality scores; 5.0 in every category, Booking, Origin, Hauling, Packing, Customer Service, and Sales. This brought our overall quality score to a record high for Reebie of a 4.65. Additionally, our ranking in the Allied System is #5 in overall quality for the whole system. This is fantastic! This is also critical for the future of Reebie as more and more people are going to the internet to do research on prospective movers before they ever bother to call. So, without good quality scores, we lose the move before we even had a chance to bid. Additionally, we are doing a great job in having our drivers ask for a review after the move is finished which is creating considerably more positive reviews.
The overall economy is good; however, home sales in Chicago remains soft. The sale of homes $1 million and above are not selling as the property taxes are too high and the millennials don’t want those big mega homes. The owners of these larger homes are our customer base and so it is having a negative affect on our moving business. But we are all doing the right things here at REEBIE, keeping our cost in check and staying financially strong.
Congratulations to Josh Youngman winning the 5th season of the Reebie Fantasy Football League!
Special thanks to the internal marketing committee and everyone who made a contribution to a delicious Carnitas Thursday!
