I’ve always been aware of our service as auctioneers to our customers.  However, I have not always had the understanding of our true service to our customers.  Sure, we turn our customer’s assets into cash on auction day.  We advertise, we clean, we setup, we organize, we sell and we do a host of other things.  In the end, one of the main goals of our customers is to solve a problem for them.  However, the customer increasingly has less of their own time to commit to solving the problem.

Maybe it’s just a phenomenon we’re experiencing.  However, increasingly our clients ask us to provide their definition of “full service”.  In fact, in the course of the last year we have more customers come to us and say, “we want you to do it all: clean the house; sort and box the merchandise; dispose of the trash; setup the auction; conduct the auction; and clean the property after the auction” than in all the years previous.

Through this, I’ve realized the world is changing.  The question is, “are we ready to adapt to the change?”  We have added a group of individuals that are solely responsible for the cleaning, sorting, setup and post-auction cleaning of a property.  This is in direct response to the client’s definition of full service.

The way I see it and many of you see it (based on my varied conversations), this expectation of full service, turn-key auction service will continue to grow.  In fact, it makes sense.  As the baby boomer generation moves through their lives, there will be more and more auctions for customers that have little to no time to handle any aspect of the auction.  Are you positioned for the revolution?  It’s coming whether we’re ready or not.

Now, when you find yourself in the full service, turn-key business as we increasingly find ourselves, don’t be afraid to be compensated adequately for your services.  The turn-key solution is a clear, definitive added service.  The clients know it and expect to compensate you accordingly.

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