Come Out Of Viscious Circle

In the last few years, there were many down cycles / recession periods than before it. In fact, there was a period in 2012-13, where experienced Plant managers said that there is no fun in working. Everything is so slow that you don't feel like work. Mind you, the momentum is very important thing. When market is good, orders are full, the speed of people churning out goods is also higher. There is momentum in production units, everything is moving, efficiency is up. But when the same orders reduce by about 50 % or so, everything is slow moving. There does not seem to be any interest in working and taking out production. 

There is one story I had heard about. An old man was having his shop of Hot dogs / Vada Pavs and it was running nicely. It was a hit among its customers. He used to run different schemes like 1 free on 5 & there was a sweet salty sauce / chutney which was the attraction point for many a customers. Customers came from far corners of city to eat that Vada Pav. One day, his son came from a college after studying for 3-4 years in a Metro city. Immediately after coming, he told this old man that the market is down. It is very slow market outside. How can you afford to give free Vada Pav? The old man thinks that his son has studied in big college, big city. He must definitely know more than me. I have never gone out of my shop. He must be trusted. He cancels the scheme of 1 free on 5. The closing of the scheme deters some college students who used to come with their friends or ate two vada pavs instead of one only because it was coming free. The sale reduced. The old man thought, my child was right. The market is slowing down. Next, his child tells him why should you give that chutney free when none of the other shops are giving. They first dilute the chutney and then stop giving it. The chutney was the major attraction and once it was gone, sales came down. Again, the old man's trust in his child increases. Then the child tells to reduce the size of the patty / vada. The sales come down again. 

All in all, it was not that the actual market was slow. It was a viscious circle that the old man falled into. Market was slow, but quality serving people are always in demand. You should not disturb your quality because if it goes out, then your sales will collapse. You need to take care of it.