Chaz always made sure I looked good. For years I would drop by my local Men’s Warehouse to buy a couple of dress shirts, a pair of slacks, and sometimes a suit. Chaz always seemed to be there and he always seemed to remember my name. I don’t know how he did it, but he remembered me (and my sons) even if it had been 18 or 24 months since I was last in the store. I was never what you’d call a big customer, but my adult sons and I usually ended up standing in front of Chaz when it was time to buy a suit or a new dress shirt.

After several years of taking care of us, he moved on a couple of years ago—he might have even retired. I’ve been back since then, and can’t complain. They still take care of me and seem to remember who I am, but it was really Chaz that kept me coming back.

Men’s Warehouse has been in the news recently as last week they fired George Zimmer, the founder and company spokesperson. None of the press is very complimentary of Zimmer or the company. Aaron Smith, writing for CNNMoney, says, “Men’s Warehouse explained Tuesday why it fired executive chairman George Zimmer last week, depicting the founder as power-hungry in his desire to sell the company to private investors.”

Lest you think the mud slinging doesn’t go both ways, NCB News reported that Zimmer was upset with a potential increase in salaries for the top executives. “One of the issues that led to Zimmer’s ouster was his growing concern about rising compensation for the top executives, which he opposed.”.

It’s not hard to understand a founder’s desire to sell-out to an investment group. Tech CEOs do it every day. Although I’m not personally a fan of the practice, it tends to compel companies to think short term. That being said, it’s a part of doing business and I can’t blame the 61 year old Zimmer for wanting the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but depending upon which version of the story you believe, that may or may not be the case.

Men’s Warehouse is a pretty incredible success story when you consider he started the company out of the back of his car in the 70s. In fact, what he identifies as his secrets of success would help any small business owner:

• Invest in your workforce: Zimmer prided himself on his ability to keep his workforce happy. If Chaz was any indication of his success, it worked. I don’t remember when I started going to Men’s Warehouse, but I think Chaz was there for at least 10-15 years (a long time in retail). What’s more, although I didn’t know his colleagues, I recognized many of the same faces, which indicated that they were long-time employees too. When employees feel valued and like the company is willing to invest in their success, they step up and perform at a higher level.
• Develop trust with customers: Zimmer used to boast that one out of three tuxedos rented in the US were from Men’s Warehouse. I don’t know if that’s still the case, but I know Chaz went out of his way to create an atmosphere of trust. I knew he wouldn’t let me walk out of the store with anything I’d be embarrassed to wear. He knew what I liked, but would sometimes nudge me into something my wife would consider more stylish (I’m a jeans and sneakers guy if I have a choice). When our customers trust that we are about more than just taking their money, our businesses thrive.
• Find a good slogan: Zimmer suggests men are self-conscious about their appearance. I don’t know if I’m self-conscious, but it was the slogan, “You’re going to like the way you look,” that got me into the store for the first time. When my wife told me I needed a new suit I remembered the tag line. We decided to try the “new” place. Although the line was easy to remember and it got me into his store the first time, it wasn’t what made me a customer. It’s easy to spend far too much time on something like a slogan when what’s really important is what’s behind the slogan. It was a good suit at a good price and I liked the service. And, I did like the way I looked. If your product doesn’t measure up to your tag line or slogan, it doesn’t matter how good it is. Zimmer might have missed it on this one, given the current state of the company. The slogan worked because it accurately represented what he did.

I can’t help but wonder if the board has forgotten what made Men’s Warehouse successful.  As a customer, I think investing in their workforce and facilitating an environment of trust with customers is critical to the success of any organization. Unfortunately, the recent attention Men’s Warehouse is getting has me wondering if those values still mean anything to the corporation—or maybe even to Zimmer.

Author: Ty Kiisel | Google+

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