Out on a Limb of Gratitude

Posted by Vince Poscente on Sat, Aug 18, 2012 @ 08:33 AM

The tree removal crew showed up on time. Nice. What caught our attention in particular? When Marvin and Bud, each made eye contact, and said with absolute sincerity, “I sure appreciate the work. Thank you Sir!”

Huh?

When’s the last time your mechanic, barista, cable guy, nurse said that? They might be friendly and nice, you could even get a thank you note from head office, they may even be the type who appreciates having the job... but these tree trimming and removal employees acknowledging the work to the customer stood out for one important reason. Dallas Tree Wizards were clearly not coming from a place of entitlement. They didn’t think they deserved a paycheck. They appreciated the client enough to say so. This couldn’t happen by chance…

“Who owns the tree removal services Tree Wizards?”

Dallas Arbor, Jim Chase, Sir.”

Dear reader, we have a growing epidemic in our society today. It’s called entitlement. What does this humble Dallas Arbor do to create a culture of gratitude over entitlement? Talking to this Jim was worth every second.

“Tell me about yourself.”

tree removal, Dallas Arbor Jim Chase“I grew up in an orchard and tree nursery. With nine kids in my family, living on a 20-acre lot, my entrepreneurial nature sparked when I climbed my first tree. Combine that with my artistic nature and I found the magical combination of risk and reward of tree removal.’

Jim’s tree trimming and removal crew loved their work and seemed fearless as they danced from limb to limb. These tree specialist guys mirrored Jim’s passion for Dallas trees and craftsmanship. According to this professional tree service owner, “Climbing is goal oriented. A thinker’s paradise! It rewards you with daily thrills, finding solutions, and then achieving them. The thrill of overcoming fear and repeatedly accomplishing your goals.”

“Okay, I get you like goals. But what do you do to get such appreciative and grateful employees?”

“We only surround ourselves with tree removal people who absolutely love this work. Their passion is my passion. The stakes are high; it’s dangerous. It’s risky and the solutions are always customized. No two trees are alike. When you swallow your fears and trust your abilities the magic happens. Creativity, consistent communication and teamwork combine to make our clients (and us) thrilled with the end result. That – is a cool feeling!”

“That’s great,” I said “so you tell your employees to thank their customers for the tree removal work?”

Jim stared for a second. “I don’t ‘tell them’ to say anything. They interact with the customer in any way they want. Vince, they just love their work and the money is icing on the cake. Every time they get sent out on a job, they appreciate getting to do what they love to do."

Ding! It finally made sense. These tree trimming and removal Wizards defined work as more than just money.

It looks like a simple formula for a grateful, appreciative culture. Engage with people who:

  1. Match values with the job.
  2. Have a passion for the work.
  3. Sync their goals with the customer’s goals.
  4. Repeat daily.

Countless business owners admit when hiring, “You never know who will work out.” Looks like the Tree Wizard is the hiring wizard too.

His secret… have professional tree service employees out on a limb of gratitude.

Tags: Sales, Motivational, Business Leadership, Inspirational