A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by Greg Hadfield, President/CEO, to speak at Century Professional Flooring and Cleaning, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Greg and I had met at the Starnet Service Convention in Las Vegas last January and shared our ideas about business. Greg is a very smart businessman, and we shared a lot of the same ideas. We also realized I had taken an IICRC upholstery cleaning class, many years ago through Clean Fax, taught by Greg!
Greg called me and asked me to design a couple of seminars for his company. He shared his ideas, and I sent him a proposal. Designing a custom seminar takes time, lots of revisions and input from many people involved. I brought up the concept of aging in place, and Greg was very interested in their customer base. He felt the information would be great for his company along with designers, architects and builders. Greg also had ideas about helping his employees be better communicators. We settled on a seminar on “Redefining Customer Relationships and the Importance of Effective Communication” for the staff, along with the
presentation to designers and architects alike on Aging in Place.
In Michigan, for instance, the over 65 populations are outpacing the younger generation. Michigan’s 16 area agencies on aging are providing additional resources for the elderly. The Share Care or Village movement is growing around the country and is delivering additional services in his community. “Aging in Place offers us an opportunity to pair with interior designers and realtors, says Greg; we are capable of consulting with them and providing interior renovations to make homes age “friendly.” We would like to become the leader on aging in place concepts in our area of the country and a leader in this concept around the country.”
Greg told me that Grand Rapids, MI, was selected by Vogue Magazine in 2018 as the number-one city to live in America. A home building boom is happening in Grand Rapids and Century Professional Flooring, and Cleaning would like to reap the benefit.
“Not only is Grand Rapids a great place to live, says Greg, but we want it to be a great place to age. Since the seminar, we have met with several industry leaders about taking next step and getting certified in Aging in Place. Our salespeople saw the value in having an aging in place specialty. This is an extension of our commitment to the people in our community.”
Greg realized his team could benefit from Lisbeth’s unique ideas about education. “Sometimes it takes someone from the outside who’s on your wavelength to deliver your message in a different way. Lisbeth really is great delivering the message worth telling.”
The concept of critical thinking came to mind. Simply put, critical thinking means making reasoned judgments that are logical and well-thought out. Greg’s employees are constantly in positions where they must make spur of the moment decisions.
Greg works tirelessly to make sure Century is on the cutting edge and a leader in the flooring industry in the Midwest. Century offers all types of benefits to their employees as well as profit sharing. When employees are taking part in profit sharing, I see them more as business partners than employees. It’s important for them to think as partners and entrepreneurs. We also know that employees benefit from outside learning, and it can be inspiring.
These days, consumers expect an outstanding experience; customer service is not enough. The concept of customer service comes from ‘fixing problems.’ Consumers not only expect a seamless experience, but one that delights, excites and finishes their vision. In order to provide this, employees must be able to offer new products and suggestions that will add to the customer experience.