Survival in a business depends on watching the bottom line, providing consistent customer service that is top notch, memorable.

All the time. It takes work ethic, pride in what you do even if you are not handstand happy about certain aspects of any job you hold down. And it means liking people, all of them. With empathy to put yourself in their moccasins to feel what it like to be on the receiving end of the product sale, service provided.

On a recent fly out, drive back trip to youngest son’s college graduation we both got a chance to examine lots of transactions. With motels, restaurants, and store stops of all kinds, every quality level of service showed up, was experienced. The good, bad, and ugly.

One stop at a BP gas station caused a young lady to trot out to the self serve pumps in the middle of no where in Kansas.

Handing out BP hand sanitizers, nickel discount per gallon of gas cards if you signed up for plastic. With a magnetic strip to add to the wallet collection I sit on. Ah, no thanks. In the small C Store, another young lad’s full time job was meet, greet and try a second time to hand out a sanitizer, credit card application and again no thanks. Need a black coffee, a little snack and back on the black, broken white line highway for this pair from Maine.

But before the cup of Joe, the tidbit wrapped in plastic, high time to hit the little boys room. Which was also the little girls room, one at a time use please. Whoa, got my attention. The by far dirtiest, grossest and not so sweet smelling pit stop spot. Luckily I have had all my shots, still have tonsils, a spleen, other infection fighters on board.

But wonder, why not take one of the hand santiser distributors on two feet to tackle the bathroom facilities with a scrub brush, bucket?

Then think back about a Maine Irving gas outlet and a clipboard hanging on the door. Showing hourly clean up details, a time and signature of the employee who is responsible. Reprimanded for slacking or patted on the back for doing his job. Who’s mission is to make the place to sparkle shine, odorless, spotless. Clean and fresh. To give a comfortable, safe feeling to a weary road warrior traveler who stumbles in, races out.

Thank you, said with eye contact, smile and really meaning it at some motels. Others, the desk clerk does not make the eye to eye, could not appear more bored or mad or alternating between both. And feeling like an interruption, a nuisance, pain in the keester to the guy or gal standing on the other side of the service counter. That somehow the guy before me, myself and person behind me is making their job harder by showing up when we all did. Disturbing them and feeling like somehow er are all putting them out when just retrieving a reservation. Needing a shove, simple index finger point in the direction of my room and we’ll be out of your hair Mr Dale Carnegie – NOT.

In business, the tone of the phone call I use, the attitude of the approach when someone enters the office with a problem is everything.

And sensitivity to what is the expectation, situation I can help the buyer or seller of Maine real estate with always on my mind. Has to be or in the wrong business. Not going to keep the doors open long if anyone we are lucky enough to help buy or sell gets the cold shoulder.

So much of quality customer service means manners, willingness to work to meet the needs of others needing help. I am glad I was raised in Maine, taught skills to last a life time by parents who my appreciation for grows daily. Long after they have stopped the training. Left the Earth.

Maine, we keep it simple, life is spent mostly outdoors all four seasons. Come get lost, found by dissolving in Vacationland.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com