You may communicate with Earl & JoAnn Mets at emets2@yahoo.com It would indeed be a pleasure to here from you. In addition, we need your Email to send updates and inform you concerning changes or additions on the WEB SITE. Thank you for your interest and prayers. We need them every step of every day.
How do we handle the crowd? After every meeting, from 300 to 600 participants will begin to stream into the bookstore. What does one do? How can we give proper customer care to so many?
A tremendous amount of time is spent in preparation for the various ministries of the each Fiel Brazilian Conference. JoAnn & I coordinate a different phase of the Bookstore Project with a special set up at Coffee Breaks. The big rush when meetings let out is always a big challenge but new procedures are working almost as well as Wal Mart.
In a nutshell, this is how we do it. We use the largest Conference Center in the city of Aguas de Lindoia. It has three huge Conference rooms. One is used for the speakers sessions. One is used for coffee breaks. We use the third for the Bookstore. It measures 65 feet by 141 feet. In that space we mount an operation center in the middle, using 93 large tables. Of these, 80 are used to mount 840 pre-numbered boxes, size 1 foot square. We set up 4 tables for computers with super market scanners. We use 8 tables to set up a counter space 65 feet long. Eighteen efficient hand picked helpers care for customers as they come in to select desired books.
Fifty (50) large tables are used to display over 1,000 different titles from 22 different publishers. Starting 3 months ahead of time, we put bar codes on thousands of books we prepare for scanning. In that same period, we feed all these titles into our computer database. We also make individual labels for each of the titles on each table to show the normal price and discounted price.
Four computers with Supermarket Scanners total the orders while the masses are in the meetings.
During the meetings, our four computer operators with supermarket type scanners calculate and print out the orders, ready to deliver and receive payment when the customer returns at the next bookstore opening.
As the customers bring the books to the counter, a clerk puts them in a plastic bag, marks the badge number on the bag, and hurriedly puts it in the box with the corresponding number.
JoAnn and other clerks await customers at the counter First they browse, then bring chosen books to the counter.
The new system works very well. Each year, the 1,200 participants purchase nearly 13,000 Christ- centered books during the 5 day Conference.
The combination of plastic bags and pre-numbered boxes serve very well.
This is how we do it
Three efficient collegians who have helped us for several years - Mauricio, Daniela and Lillian.
JoAnn
During the calm after the huge influx, a friend took this picture of JoAnn and I in the BOOK STORE. We still help at a pretty good pace as the crowd comes in after the meetings. We like working along with the young staff and see a lot of grateful friends from years past.
Earl & JoAnn still actively helping.
The box arrangement seen in the background is necessary in order to care for customers rapidly. Currently, they are hidden by curtains.
