I got up this morning and started thinking about the shop. I wish that was an aberration, but it isn't.
If I'm not thinking about the shop, I'm thinking about thinking about the shop! Lesley, my wife, thinks it's some kind of incurable virus I picked up at our service station in Brooklyn when I was a kid. That or a congenital birth defect that has gone undiscovered and untreated until now.
This being Sunday morning, I pushed those thoughts to the back of my head, watched and listened to David Gregory and "Meet the Press," read the Sunday Times and scarfed down some oatmeal and a lot of very strong coffee until I found myself sitting in front of the computer checking email and trying to play catch-up.
I start just about every morning with Seth Godin's blog. It is an essential part of my everyday ritual. Today was no exception. If Seth is disciplined enough to write a blog post every day for almost seven years, I feel the least I can do is read it. The fact that he might be my favorite author doesn't hurt. His writing is responsible for the greatest gains I've made both personally and in business.
This morning's post was another in a long line of Godin powered epiphanies: "Aha!" moments for want of a better description. It will fuel a continuing effort to help differentiate our business from all the other automotive service businesses out there. Perhaps, from all service businesses in general.
This morning, he was talking about the light fixtures a contractor installed during a kitchen remodel a number of years ago and how they suddenly were failing one after another. Like everything else he writes, he turned that simple observation on its head.
Instead of talking about quality in general, he skillfully pointed out that the contractor he used probably still is installing the same fixtures because he really has no way of knowing there is a problem. There is no feedback mechanism designed to address the quality issues or satisfaction of previously accomplished projects.
That got me thinking about our processes. We make follow-up phone calls to ensure everything is OK. We've been doing that to ensure the quality of every job and the satisfaction of every client for longer than I can remember. But, admittedly, we do it within two weeks after the event.
We also have a distinct advantage over most contractors. Our model is different. There is repetitive service, scheduled maintenance and the sophistication of a complex machine. Consequently, we get to see our customers more often. Certainly, more often than a contractor would have to wait between projects or remodels. Often enough to see how well our products and services are holding up.
Still, the point was well taken: How would the contractor know there was a problem, especially if he never asked? Undeniably, there is a degree of hidden security in not asking, a throwback to, "What you don't know won't hurt you."
The problem is we now know that what you don't know can hurt you. In fact, it can actually destroy you if you're not careful. But, knowing that is not enough. You have to act upon what you know. So, beginning that Monday we decided to start asking that question or questions like that about the work we've done and whether that work has exceeded client expectations.
We're going to ensure the brands we trust are still worthy of the trust we've placed in them, and ensure that our brand is held to the same high standard and meets the same high criterion.
Why?
Because, if you don't ask, how would you know? If you don't know, how can you "fix" it and move things in the right direction? And, if you don't fix it, how can you be sure you'll be there tomorrow?
