little things make a
Big Impact

Written By: Mark Stevens

In the battle to win customers, companies are offering more and more services and options to make it advantageous to choose their business over a competitor. Take, for example, Walmart. A few years ago, Walmart introduced online grocery pickup, which allowed a consumer to order online and select a pickup time. Then, as you arrive at the store, simply call the service line, and a worker brings out the handpicked items, loads them in your car, and your 'shopping' is done. You never even have to get out of your vehicle.

As other stores have implemented this type of service, Walmart has now upped the ante by introducing grocery DELIVERY to your home. After paying a nominal annual fee, a consumer orders online, picks the delivery time, either the day of or the next day, and your items are delivered to your home, so you don't have to so much as set foot into a store, let alone drive there. Naturally, my wife excitedly signed up to save some time in her busy schedule. What a time to be alive! To make this service possible, Walmart utilizes drivers from "on-demand" driving services such as Uber or Lyft. I've thought about how this service comes with a risk. There is an opportunity to snatch more customers away from competitors, but Walmart is TRUSTING their name and customer service experience in the hands of random people not employed by the company. This day and age, people expect to be served well. When they are not, plenty of forums are available for consumers to express their displeasure, tainting the experience for potential customers.

A short time ago, we received a card in the mail. The return address referenced "Dan the Dasher." This was an odd piece of mail, but inside was a pleasant surprise. This man had delivered groceries to our home weeks earlier. Unlike most drivers, he had an engaging smile, a helpful attitude, and was just different. As he asked questions and talked as he made a delivery, we learned his experience moving away from Wall Street to other industries where he just wanted to help people and do good to others. It was a noticeably pleasant experience that left a very positive impression of Walmart, a company he wasn't directly employed by. He took the time to send a thank you note to our family for the opportunity to serve our needs and better help our day to day life. All on his own accord.

So maybe you’re asking, "What exactly does this have to do with Med One Group?" I think Dan the Dasher, grocery delivery driver can teach us some good lessons about the impact one person can have.

It may be common within our organization to look at goals for annual sales and think, "I'm not part of the sales department; my job doesn't impact the company sales goal." Maybe we open the employee website and see the status of our Leasing/Sales/Rental goals and think, “Our salespeople need to step it up,” or, “Wow, they are having a great year.” Perhaps we underestimate the impact every single person can have on our success. We are ALL involved in sales. Maybe we don’t visit hospitals directly or make calls to reps, maybe we don’t do any of the traditional things a salesperson does, but the sales process is much bigger than that. It doesn't matter what our role at Med One Group, every function, whether a supporting role or one that has direct contact with customers, influences our customers -- the way we answer phone calls, the timeliness of replying to emails, the way we word emails or phone conversations, how much pride we take in cleaning and repairing equipment, the way we interact when equipment is delivered, how we express gratitude to our customers.

When we take the time to think about the impact Med One Group makes on people and communities, most of whom we will never meet, hopefully, it will impact how we go about our job in order to present Med One Group in the best possible way. The little things, like an unsolicited thank you note from "Dan the Dasher" can go a long way to leave a meaningful impression on our valuable customers.