As frustrating as the nature of our business can be — oh the stories to tell — we are reminded constantly that we cannot allow the unavoidable head-slapping moments to overshadow the wonderful connections we make with our clients, tradespeople and vendors. This week alone I have experienced three “examples” of what mutually respectful professional relationships yield — give and you shall receive if put in a more conventional sense.
This morning Bill Hubbard, a fine cabinetmaker with whom we have worked for years, spent 4 hours with me at a project problem-solving cabinetry he did not even build. He expected to be there an hour perhaps, did not complain, and will probably bill us for an hour.
This week Bill McBrayer of Window Concepts, as he has done so many times in the past, offered to drop by two clients’ homes to gather information about existing door units to assist in addressing concerns about products he did not even sell to us. Bill just instinctively operates this way. Yes, he sells great products. A lot of vendors do. Very few offer the level of caring and service that he does.
Last weekend, I met a prospective client at a completed Kitchen project to show our stuff. Our clients, the Underwoods, greeted us, gave our prospect a tour, and then spent 30 minutes cheerfully answering questions about their project and our company. They could not have been more thoughtful, and on a weekend at that. And as a bonus, they are discussing a follow-up project with us as well.
Why would we want to do business in any way that would sacrifice the gifts of relationships like these? Rhetorical question.