在制服事业大概没有什么出奇的事，唯一的惊奇就是Heldmans家族， Bob、George、Gary、Roger跟Fred，对于这行业熟的不能再熟，同时也乐在其中，我们何其有幸能与他们一起合作共事。
There"s nothing magic about the Uniform business; the only magic is in the Heldmans. Bob, George, Gary, Roger and Fred know the business inside and out, and they have fun running it. We are fortunate to be in partnership with them. o Chuck Huggins continues to set new records at See"s, just as he has ever since we put him in charge on the day of our purchase some 16 years ago. In 1987, volume hit a new high at slightly Under 25 million pounds. For the second year in a row, moreover, same-store sales, measured in pounds, were virtually unchanged. In case you are wondering, that represents improvement: In each of the previous six years, same-store sales had fallen.
Chuck Huggins持续为喜斯糖果缔造新猷，自从十六年前我们买下这家公司，并请他主掌这项事业时，便一直是如此，在1987年糖果销售量创下近二千五百万英镑的新高，同时连续第二年单店平均营业额维持不坠，你可能会觉得没什么了不起，事实上这已是相当大的改善，因为过去连续六年数字都呈现下滑的趋势。
Although we had a particularly strong 1986 Christmas season, we racked up better store-for-store comparisons in the 1987 Christmas season than at any other time of the year. Thus, the seasonal factor at See"s becomes even more extreme. In 1987, about 85% of our profit was earned during December.
虽然1986年的圣诞节特别旺，但1987年的记录比86年还要好，使得季节因素对喜斯糖果来说越来越重要，经统计去年一整年约有85%的获利是在十二月单月所创造的。糖果店是个很好玩的地方，但对大部分的老板来说就不那么有趣了，就我们所知，这几年来除了喜斯赚大钱之外，其它糖果店的经营皆相当惨淡，所以很明显的喜斯搭的并不是顺风车，它的表现是扎扎实实的。
Candy stores are fun to visit, but most have not been fun for their owners. From what we can learn, practically no one besides See"s has made significant profits in recent years from the operation of candy shops. Clearly, Chuck"s record at See"s is not due to a rising industry tide. Rather, it is a one-of-a-kind performance.
这项成就当然需要优秀的产品，这个倒不是问题，因为我们确实拥有，但除此之外它还需要对客户衷心的服务，Chuck可以说是百分之百地为客户设想，而他的态度更直接感染到公司上下所有的员工。
His achievement requires an excellent product - which we have - but it also requires genuine affection for the customer. Chuck is 100% customer-oriented, and his attitude sets the tone for the rest of the See"s organization.
以下是一个具体的例证，在喜斯我们通常会定期增添新的口味并删除旧的口味以维持大约一百种组合，去年我们淘汰了14种口味，结果其中有两种让我们的客户无法忘怀，而不断地表达他们对我们这种举动的不满，「愿喜斯所有做出这种卑鄙决定的相关人士嘴巴流脓长疮；愿你们新的巧克力糖在运送途中融化；愿你们吃到酸掉的糖果；愿你们的亏大钱；我们正试图寻求要求你们恢复供应原有口味的法院强制令」，总计最后我们收到好几百封的抱怨信。
Here"s an example of Chuck in action: At See"s we regularly add new pieces of candy to our mix and also cull a few to keep our product line at about 100 varieties. Last spring we selected 14 items for elimination. Two, it turned out, were badly missed by our customers, who wasted no time in letting us know what they thought of our judgment: "A pox on all in See"s who participated in the abominable decision...;" "May your new truffles melt in transit, may they sour in people"s mouths, may your costs go up and your profits go down...;" "We are investigating the possibility of obtaining a mandatory injunction requiring you to supply...;" You get the picture. In all, we received many hundreds of letters.
为此Chuck不但重新推出原来的口味，他还将危机化为转机，所有来信的客户都得到完整且诚实的回复，信上是这样写的︰「虽然我们做出错误的决定，但值得庆幸的是最后得以以喜剧收场」，随信还附赠一个特别的小礼物。
Chuck not only reintroduced the pieces, he turned this miscue into an opportunity. Each person who had written got a complete and honest explanation in return. Said Chuck"s letter: "Fortunately, when I make poor decisions, good things often happen as a result...;" And with the letter went a special gift certificate. See"s increased prices only slightly in the last two years. In 1988 we have raised prices somewhat more, though still moderately. To date, sales have been weak and it may be difficult for See"s to improve its earnings this year.
过去两年喜斯糖果仅稍微地涨价，在今年(1988年)我们仍会继续调涨价格，幅度还算合理，只是截至目前为止销售持续低迷，预计今年公司盈余将难再有继续成长的可能性。