Holding Community Close

holding community Staying Connected During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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If there’s one bright spot to be taken from this pandemic, it’s the sense of global unity that’s been created in its wake. From balcony parties to memes, people everywhere are recognizing just how vital a role community plays in our lives, and they’re getting pretty creative in their ways of facilitating it.

Most of us have long since abandoned the standard “business as usual” corporate line as we accepted the gravity of the situation, but that doesn’t mean you have to let go of the community you’ve created around your brand. In fact, now, more than ever, it’s crucial to continue fostering these relationships. Maintaining contact and presence in the online world will help your employees, customers, and contractors ease back into normal rhythms once we’ve all emerged from our homes again. Here are a few tips on how to make it happen:

Be responsive With this pandemic, things are moving at a rapid rate. New legislations are being drafted every day and the CDC and World Health Organization are offering new recommendations. Because of how quickly the situation is evolving, it’s crucial that you keep your customers updated about how these changes are affecting your business. For key updates, it’s a good idea to use more than one channel (social media, email, website, signage).

Ask questions If you’re feeling uncertain about what to post on social media or how to advertise your brand during this time, you’re not alone. The best thing to do is ask your audience! Use Instagram’s “Poll” feature in stories to get some feedback about what sort of content they’d like to see during this time.

Offer Virtual Services If you do color or design consultations, talk to your clients about switching to an online platform for a video call instead of canceling. If the format works for you and your clients, get the word out there through your digital channels and let your audience know they can start planning their next reno!

Get Personal Add a personal touch to loyal customers ordering via curbside pick-up or delivery with a little personalized note thanking them for supporting small businesses. This small detail lets your customers know there is a very real (and happy) person that is benefiting from their purchase.

Focus on Content Since a lot of businesses are relying on e-commerce sales right now and people are spending unhealthy amounts of time on the internet, there’s never been a better time to develop some longerform content for a blog-type channel. Get some tips and tricks out there for your customers/clients working on at-home DIY projects, or, dish on some of your favorite projects from years past.

Create Tutorials Another uniting theme in our shared experiences lately is boredom: we’re all desperate for ways to pass the time. Help fill the void with step-by-step home crafts or DIY projects. Share favorite recipes, kids activities, or anything else you’ve found useful in turning the clock. The more personal, the more it’ll help humanize your brand.

Give Back People are banding together to help their communities through these difficult times. If there’s any way you can provide resources to frontline workers or support to families working from home (even a downloadable coloring book for kids stuck at home could mean the world to a parent in need of a break), do it! And share what you’re doing to help with your social media audience. It’s not bragging, it’s encouraging others to do the same!

Looking for tangible ways to connect with customers during COVID-19? Try these ideas, courtesy of clever ALLPRO members.

Encourage Engagement Connect with clients and keep your company top of mind by using your online platforms to post trivia about your products, store, community, and even salespeople. Some of our members are jumping on the digital bandwagon and sharing virtual in-home consultations and posting tours of their store and products on social media. Photos and videos allow customers to see available in-store products.

Spread Paws-itivity If your store is closed to the public, bring your pet to work and post the pictures! Animal lovers and customers will enjoy seeing your animal in the window or online.

Window Shopping To adhere to appropriate social distancing measures, tape color brochures, popular color chips, and sheen brochures face-out in your store windows to allow customers to make decisions at a distance. Set fan decks and other color materials outdoors for people to peruse, or leave stacks of take-home color cards, brochures, and At Home magazines outside for the public.

You’ve Got Mail Install a mailbox outside to facilitate easy pickups and protection from the weather.

MILLER PAINT COMPANY CELEBRATES 130 YEARS IN BUSINESS

iller Pain Company founder, Ernest Miller, arrived in Portland, Oregon, from Germany in 1885 and found himself unsatisfied with the quality of paints available. A muralist and artist with a side-hustle painting houses, Miller’s main concern was that the paints available couldn’t withstand the weather in the Pacific Northwest. In 1890, Miller took matters into his own hands and purchased a stone mill where he developed his own products, grinding his own pigments and eventually manufacturing his own paints. Customers at the time raved about their durability and color retention, and contractors reached out hoping to utilize his name as a selling point for their own business, marking the genesis of Miller Paint Co.

In 1905, Miller opened the doors to his first brick-and-mortar store and a horsedrawn carriage delivered paints to people around the city. Miller went on to have three sons (Ernest Jr., Herb, and Walt), who each contributed to the family business in their own right. Walt, the youngest of the three (and the one tasked with running the family business when the two eldest went to fight in World War I) served as company manager until his death at the age of 90.

Miller Paint continued to thrive throughout two plant relocations and added three stores in the 1970s. The 1980s and 90s saw the addition of seven more locations. In 2000, after Walt’s death, Steve Dearborn took over as CEO and provided the store with a strategic vision that enabled them to acquire 43 more Miller Paint Stores, bringing their total to 56 stores in 2019, with over 300 employees on the payroll.

The company credits their success to their status as independent and employeeowned. Walt lay the foundation for employee-ownership in 1980 by initiating a stock bonus plan to spread ownership across the company. They adopted a formal ESOP program in 1999, and then bought out the last large portion of individually owned stock in 2001, marking the start of a new era.

Today, CEO Steve Dearborn celebrates Miller Paints for its “collaborative spirit… built on a teamwork of trust and a culture that rewards excellence, integrity, and innovation in all aspects of business,” thanking customers for years of trust and employees for their dedication to exceptional customer service. In turn, the ALLPRO family would like to thank Miller Paints for their membership, their contributions to our community, and for making us proud! Here’s to 130 years and many more!

THE DYNAMIC DUO IS BACK. AND BETTER THAN EVER.

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THANK YOU

Thank you to all of our members for your continued support of our Distribution Centers! These facilities allow us to stock large quantities of products from our supplier partners and provide for members who don’t require full-pallet orders.

Our new app allows members to scan items & order directly through our Distribution Centers. Try it out for yourself!