J&J’s Offers Customer Relief with Timely Discounts During Pandemic
J&J’s Creative Colors, an affiliate of Creative Colors International Inc., was able to use the loan it secured from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help get their employees off of unemployment, thus helping loyal customers regain their footing.
The outbreak of COVID-19 temporarily slowed down business for J&J’s Creative Colors. The mobile and vinyl leather repair company was forced to comply with stay-at-home orders and unusual business operations this spring. The company had to furlough most of its commission-based employees while they worked to secure funding to get them back on the payroll. The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. As part of the program, the SBA will forgive loans if companies meet employee retention criteria.
Many of J&J’s Creative Colors technicians provide services at car dealerships in the Chicago, Illinois, area. The auto industry was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Many auto dealerships reported drastic sales declines following the outbreak of COVID-19, and some even had to move car sales online. The seasonally adjusted annual rate for vehicles sold in the United States was 9 million in April 2020, compared with 17 million in April 2019, according to a report from the University of Pennsylvania. As businesses slowly reopen, the auto industry is gaining ground. But rising COVID-19 cases and overall economic uncertainty are hampering the industry’s sales to reach pre-pandemic levels. The annual vehicle sales pace in July forecast to be 13.3 million, down from 16.9 million in 2019, according to Cox Automotive.
Once J&J’s Creative Colors obtained PPP funding, they were able to give their loyal customers a 25 percent discount on their services. They also treated all the vehicles at the auto dealerships they service with sanitizer, free of charge.
“During COVID, the market was shocked on the retail side of the business. It was very important for us to manage every expense to keep the cost of repairs as low as possible,” said Anthony Manteca, general manager of Zeigler Infiniti in Orland Park, Illinois. “In some cases, we even parted ways with vendors because the cost of their services left no profit margin when the repairs were charged. J&J’s Creative Colors stepped in as a partner and allowed us to continue to provide exceptional quality to our customers.”
The discount was a win-win for J&J’s Creative Colors because it enabled their furloughed technicians to get back to work and also provided discounts to help customers keep their business operating as normally as possible.
“J&J’s knew their valuable customers were struggling and wanted to help them. Our service technicians have had relationships with some of their customers for 40 years,” said Kelli Bollman, President of J&J’s Creative Colors. “We decided that if we received PPP funds, we would pay it forward and pass a discount on to all of our existing customers to help keep the economy flowing.”
J&J’s Creative Colors added a new layer of security to the auto dealerships it services by treating every car with its new Sanitizer & Disinfectant. CCI added the new cleaner to allow its technicians to disinfect against COVID-19. The hospital-grade sanitizer kills viruses, bacteria, mold, and mildew. It can safely disinfect without drying or fading any of your surfaces, including your leather and vinyl seats. CCI offers on-site repair and restoration of leather, vinyl, and fabric for your furniture. We can repair or restore tears, burns, cuts, scratches, stains, color fading, seam slippage, and replacement parts. The company provides its services on cars, boats, and furniture, including restaurant booths and dentist chairs.
If you are interested in supporting a family-focused company that puts its employees and customers first, get a quote today.
