Invest in people and get a dog

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As the demise of the News of the World shows, nothing is forever, says Lord Kirkham

As the demise of the News of the World shows, nothing is forever, says Lord Kirkham.

Sometimes it is good to be reminded that nothing is forever.

If a 168-year-old newspaper that seemed as fixed a part of British society as fish and chips, queuing and Eastenders can vanish overnight, so too can chains of shops that have long been household names.

As I contemplate the wreck of the not-so-good ship Murdoch, I cannot help wondering whether Rupert regrets not obeying that precept I embraced throughout my business career: “Be nice to the people you meet on the way up, as you might meet them again on the way down.”

He certainly seems well short of good pals right now. Yet only weeks ago they were queuing to party with him, laugh at his jokes and lick his shoes clean.

Rupert must have killed a flock of robins or walked under a year’s stock of B&Q ladders to be a recipient of such a mammoth dose of bad luck.

Lack of friends is not a problem I suffer from – I own a yacht. But seriously, friendship is not an issue I face since two of my very best pals Jake and Fizz, young Dalmatians, love the very bones of me, always greeting me with displays of ecstatic affection, non-stop tail-wagging and huge tongue kisses regardless of sales, weather or competitor activity: one of the Kirkham family’s better investments that I can recommend to you without caveat.

As the French say and what Monsieur Murdoch may well be thinking, “the more I see of my fellow man, the more I love my dog”.

On the topic of investments, now may well be the time to top up your investment in people, retailing’s biggest asset.

In this testing environment, constant trimming of costs comes with the risk of compromised service, while an investment in staff care and motivation in my experience can yield stellar returns, with no downside.

I learned the importance of treating people properly early on, which in my considered view is the real secret of any success DFS and Graham Kirkham have enjoyed.

Be it a fish and chip shop, fine art gallery or fashion, an investment in great service is guaranteed to generate excellent returns, an area in which the UK needs to raise its game.

Last weekend (four days of it) I enjoyed a bit of R&R in Paris, and I can tell you that this city once renowned for arrogant and indifferent waiters now offers a standard of service in both restaurants and shops that knocks London out of the game.

With a journey from London to Paris by train taking only about half an hour longer than a trip to Doncaster, British retailers clearly need to get a grip if we don’t want to see our dreams of building great businesses ending in the dust and ashes of a Woolworths or a News Corporation.

As for poor old Rupert Murdoch and anyone on the high street who is feeling seriously under the cosh at the moment, I can only conclude with my own canine experiences and the sound advice proffered by both Harry S Truman and Gordon Gekko: “If you want a friend, get a dog.”