Prime Valet

I could write a book on this one - and largely have. I bought this business on September 1, 1989 when it had one store, one employee and annualized sales of about $30,000. Fifteen year later, I sold it with seven locations, an industry award-winning production facility, six delivery trucks and sixty-five employees, having enjoyed compounded growth exceeding 31% annually over those fifteen years. It was a good, if bumpy, ride (but aren't all entrepreneurial efforts like that?).

So much to tell, but the real tale was in our people and the Prime Valet Philosphy, which we lived by religiously. It was, as follows:

The Prime Valet Philosophy

Prime Valet is a customer-driven cleaner made up of friendly, helpful people working together as a team to provide a complete range of quality garment and textile care.

We have three simple goals...

• Never give a customer a reason to go anywhere else
• Every order correct, complete and on-time
• Improve in some way, large or small, everyday

...and five non-negotiable rules:

• Be honest and ethical
• Be professional in all aspects of your work
• Go out of your way to satisfy a customer
• Always use your best judgment (Make decisions!)
• Be positive and focus on solutions

Simply put, we want to be the best cleaner our customers ever use and the best place our employees ever work. The key to this is our people. You are Prime Valet. Always do your best to make a good impression, keeping in mind that our customers are why we are here. If we take care of them, they will take care of us.

A simple document that made all the difference. Enough said.