Page 39 of Stuck with the Hot Boss
Leo’s tea set turned out to be Japanese, sophisticated and minimal, with handle-less cups that all matched and didn’t have novelty sayings or chips in the rim.
‘I hope you’re all right with lapsang souchong,’ he told her. ‘It’s all I had.’
‘We’ll soon find out,’ said Evie.
She took a cup and sniffed. It smelled woody and smoky. And tasted–
‘Delicious,’ said Evie. ‘Good choice.’
‘Glad you approve,’ said Leo, with a wry smile. Then he said, ‘Come on. Spill. What’s this amazing idea of yours?’
‘Ofours,’ said Evie, triumphantly. ‘It’s that strategy document that we put together. I think it’s the key to helping Double K hold its own.’
Leo frowned as he cast his mind back over what they’d proposed.
‘I don’t see it,’ he confessed. ‘We mainly talked about how Double K could cement closer relationships with its customers. How will that help if Plumbing Ultra undercuts pricing?’
‘Because pricing isn’t everything!’ Evie searched for a way to explain. ‘What was Ash doing that morning we spent with them?’
‘Fixing a shower stall?’ Leo’s tone implied that she might be losing her mind.
‘Wrong!’
Leo laughed. ‘Okay. What then?’
‘Solving a problem!’ said Evie. ‘Making the customer’s life easier! And doing it efficiently and with integrity, so the customer doesn’t have to worry about being ripped off and being left with a shower stall that leaks again a week later.’
‘Building trust,’ said Leo, nodding. ‘Ensuring Straight Flush is the customer’s plumber of choice. And that they’ll recommend Straight Flush to all their friends.’
‘Yes!’ Evie put her teacup down before she dropped it. ‘So, what if Double K helpedeveryplumbing firm be the best they can be? What if Double K had a phone line that plumbers could call to get advice from experts? What if Double Ktrainedplumbers in great customer service, and helped them set up efficient systems and processes? What if Double K gave objective reviews and ratings on all plumbing supplies, so you could trust what you bought from them? Might piss a few suppliers off, but I think most would relish the chance to show off their products.’
There was a new spark in Leo’s eye. ‘Those ideas sound remarkably like the ones we included in our strategy paper.’
‘They do, don’t they?’ said Evie, happily. ‘Which geniuses wrote that?’
‘It might be too late,’ Leo warned. ‘Keith and Kev have all but signed the sale agreement.’
‘What if we rallied Double K’s customers?’ said Evie. ‘Rang round all the most loyal ones first thing tomorrow? Enrolled them in our cause?’
‘And our cause is?’ said Leo.
‘Giving Keith and Kev the ammunition to tell Plumbing Ultra to shove it,’ Evie replied. ‘If our loyal customers tell us our ideas are good, and they’d be prepared to pay a bit extra to get all that added value, then we’ve disrupted the usual plumbing supplies business model! And given Double K an unassailable competitive platform!’
Leo was staring at her like she’d grown two heads.
‘If you’d said we’d Blue-Oceaned it, that would have been full business jargon Bingo.’
‘You’re rubbing off on me,’ said Evie, with a smile. ‘I don’t mind it as much as I thought.’
‘I think I love you, Evie Martin,’ said Leo, quietly and in earnest.
‘I’m pretty sure I love you, too, Leo Hurst,’ said Evie. ‘And because of that, I’m going to resist an urge to drag you to the bedroom by the cord of that sexy dressing gown and leave now so we can both get some sleep. We’ll need to get up at crack of dawn if we’re going to call all our customers by midday.’
Leo stood up as she did. ‘I’ll see you out.’
‘Absolutely not,’ said Evie, backing away. ‘If I get too close to you, all my good intentions will evaporate in an inferno of lust, so I won’t risk it.’
She smiled at him before she closed the door. ‘You see, I’m only human, too.’
