Some thoughts on Midnight Madness VI...
How we fared at MM VI is ultimately up to you, but here are a few thoughts that occurred to me as I was driving home around 4:30am in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
While we continue to be humbled and overwhelmed by the response to this now annual event, some changes need to be made. For example, the last customers passed through our doors after 3am. That by far, is the latest we've had customers come through the line in the history of Midnight Madness. The bottom line is that we need to improve customer service. We must figure out a way to do that... some ideas I had: adjust the time of the sale, re-configure the layout of the store.. just to name a few.
I must also keep in mind the safety and sanity of the staff. There are a good many of our employees who wrap up the Madness only to be back in the store a mere few hours later for their Sat. shift. This year, Todd got home at 5am and was due back at 11. This annual event takes months of planning and preparation, and we need to focus on that which we have learned over the years, while still maintaining the spirit and energy of the 'organized chaos' the Madness has grown into.
In closing, I personally would like to thank the staff, family and friends, the manufacturers, vendors, sales reps, and of course, last but not least, you, our loyal customers for once again having us shake our heads in disbelief - though we shouldn't be surprised, as I tell my wife all the time: "Those in the fish keeping hobby are truly unique and unexplainable beings". After all, who would stand in line for hours in the rain just to experience THE MADNESS!!!
Thank you,
Patrick
