The name Ballantynes has become synonymous in Canterbury and throughout New
Zealand for high quality New Zealand and imported merchandise, first class
service, staff courtesy Christmas features, and special attention to
customer needs such as a tailoring service for men and women, specialising
in made to measure garments and academic gowns.
Ballantynes - trading in Canterbury for 125 years
Few New Zealand businesses can equal Ballantynes record
in trading since
1872, when John Ballantyne bought Dunstable House, a millinery business,
from Mrs Clarkson. Its record of prosperous survival must cause us to
ask why, when other businesses have come and gone, Ballantynes has
survived.
Advertising has helped make Ballantynes a household name.
Even in the early 1900s Ballantynes was advertising on the top of the trams.
The recipe for survival
From my own experience as a customer I would give the answer in one word
- "quality". Quality of merchandise, quality of management, quality of
staff and staff training, quality of their business standards and
quality of customer service and care.
Merchandise
Goods of New Zealand manufacture are proudly presented alongside those
imported from around the world. The only fixed criterion for the
purchase of stock is quality. Over the years I have found nothing
shoddy among my purchases.
Management
From the time when John Ballantyne purchased the business until today,
the management has been in the hands of the Ballantyne family. These
have not been pampered managers who stepped into their fathers' places
by right of birth. They have been expected to start at the lowest rank
and have been trained in all facets of the business. The principles of
honesty and service have been inculcated in all generations of the
management and from their leadership have been passed down to staff.
Staff Training
Over the years this has emphasised the Ballantynes code of courtesy,
service, reliability and attention to detail. Many of the staff have
been proud to be involved in such a business and have given long
service.
Views of the Training Manager
Elizabeth Mills, a fifth generation member of the Ballantyne family, is
the
Training Manager. She described the changes that have taken place in
training over the years.
Years and years ago, new staff spent a week or two in the Training Room
before setting foot on the shop floor. Over the years this has changed
and
until recently all new staff were taught how to use our "Point of Sale"
(tills) by the Personnel Manager, were given a run through of the rules
and
regulations and then any further training was done on the shop floor.
These days we like to get new staff onto the floor on their first day
for a
couple of hours. Their first week is likely to be made up of induction
training in the mornings and gaining product knowledge on the shop floor
in
the afternoons.
A thorough induction for new staff is most important. Right from the
start
we can set the standards and instill in them the Vision and Mission of
the
Company. Done well, the induction process goes a long way towards
making
the new staff member feel part of the team.
The level of customer service we offer is also critical to the success
of
the business. Good service is no longer good enough. Service has to be
awesome, passionate and better than any other retailer can offer. This
involves encouraging staff to make decisions and deal with customers'
problems and allowing their personalities to shine through. Management
skills for those in charge of staff are also critical.
Business Standards
Standards are particularly high and a lot of work goes in to setting
them and maintaining them.
Customer service and care
The prime aim of Ballantynes has been to show their customers that they
matter. They have aimed to offer a range of goods that made them
suppliers to people of all ages, and in particular a one-stop shop for
country people coming to the city.
Christmas a special time
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Kindly contributed by the
Ballantynes photographer.
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This year's Christmas display will delight shoppers.
Ballantynes' customers not only buy Christmas presents. They also donate
presents to be given to less fortunate children in Christchurch.
Suppliers of goods for all phases in family life
I look back on my years as a customer and Ballantynes has been there at
the most important times of my life. It was at Ballantynes that my
mother bought my school uniforms including navy serge gym frocks, felt
and panama hats, monogrammed hat bands and blazers, and of course,
summer and winter gloves!
For university graduation it was Ballantynes
who made to measure the academic gown and supplied the mortarboard and
hood. Wedding gifts, baby gear, and school uniforms for my children
again came from Ballantynes.
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Kindly contributed by the
Ballantynes photographer.
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When our daughter went overseas to study
it was at Ballantynes that we found souvenir gifts for her to take on
her travels. When my mother was too frail to go shopping, it was
Ballantynes who sent out clothes on approval for her to try on in her
own home.
Response Tailoring
Response on made-to-measure work is still an important part of
Ballantynes business. The firm will just about make anything that can
be made from fabric for the purpose of wearing. It still hand-makes
clothes, shirts, ties, academic and ecclesiastic wear.
Timaru House
Victoria House was opened in 1883. John Ballantyne believed that Timaru
would go ahead as quickly as Christchurch and had great hopes for the
business. The firm still trades in Timaru successfully in new premises
built in 1986.
Courtesy
Over the many years that I have shopped at Ballantynes I cannot recall
an instance of discourteous treatment by a staff member. From the time
when your docket and cash or the record of your account entry rattled
along the Lamson tubes to the office and returned with the change, to
the modern computer entries, the standard of staff service has never
changed.
Mail Order
The Mail Order Department of Ballantynes sends goods all over New
Zealand and overseas.
Postage services
I discovered the full value of the postage services when we responded to
our daughter's request for a New Zealand blanket made from real wool.
She had not been impressed by the labels which stated that the blankets
were made from "pure virgin acrylic". When Ballantynes offered to post
the blanket I was pleased not to have to try and wrap such a large item.
When the assistant explained that if the blanket was sent direct from
the shop to an overseas address no GST would have to be paid I was
delighted. The saving on the GST paid for the postage.
Delivery of goods on approval
For a small charge Ballantynes will deliver goods on approval to urban
account holders and collect the articles to be returned. This is a
great saving in time and allows the customers to ponder over their
purchases at home and coordinate colours of clothes or furnishings.
Care for the individual customer
I was in the store with a frail elderly friend recently and as we
finished our shopping we were discussing where we would find the nearest
taxi rink. Our conversation was overhead by a staff member who told us
that part of customer service was ordering taxis and within minutes she
was picked up at the Lichfield Street door.
The 'service' code can demand using all types of transport!
In the days when the dressmaking workroom made wedding gowns there were
two
brides of the same surname having gowns made. Unfortunately, the gowns
were
sent to the wrong brides. Fortunately, with the use of horse and
railway,
both brides were beautifully dressed in their own dresses on the wedding
day.
Once a bridegroom purchased a pair of shoes for his wedding, only to
find
on his wedding day he had two shoes for the same foot! He rang
Ballantynes
on his wedding day and a light aircraft air-dropped a replacement pair
on
his farm at the top of the Rakaia.
Tourist Shops
The "visitor business" has always been important to the Company. It
opened the first duty free shop in New Zealand at Christchurch
International Airport in 1963. It lost the franchise in the 1960's but
still trades from outlets at Christchurch Airport.
Times of Difficulty
Like all businesses, Ballantynes needed careful management during the
years of the depression in the 1930's.
Fifty years ago the business was hit by a disastrous fire which resulted
in serious loss of life and the destruction of the buildings. However ,
it is to their credit that they rebuilt themselves after that tragedy to
endure as one of the city's most successful and well liked businesses.
The future
Richard Ballantyne, the present managing director, admits that there are
difficulties for retailers in the inner city as more people shop in
suburban malls. However he believes that provided the principles on
which
the firm was built are upheld Ballantynes will continue to trade
successfully by being willing to change with the times and fit new ideas
into the Ballantynes code of practice.
