My Knight in a Shiny White Van

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, it’s the Golden Rule. We all know it, it’s one of the first things we learn as children. Unfortunately, it seems as if all too often it’s also one of the first things we forget. This became all too apparent to me as I recently set out on a quest to find the perfect plumber. I did my due diligence as a consumer, checking and cross checking the Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List and Consumer Checkbook websites as if they were going to magically lead me to him. He would come in his shiny white van, wielding his gleaming pipe wrench, and rescue me from the puddle of water that I knew with utmost certainty, was a sure sign that my water heater was about to explode.

 After spending more time than I care to admit in this pursuit, I narrowed my list of potential plumbers down to a mere six companies with whom I made appointments for free estimates. I had no idea that what was to follow was going to leave me wondering if I was on some type of new hidden camera reality show. I got everything from the man who spent more time on his phone talking to his wife about the new tires she needed for her car than he did looking at my puddle, to the one who felt it necessary to share his entire life story with me while he snapped some pictures of my water heater with his iPhone. It was obvious that I knew more about his stolen dog, old car, past two jobs as a personal trainer, and his girlfriend’s love for beautiful landscaping than he knew about plumbing, by the time he left.

Then, there was Tobey. Quite frankly, by the time Tobey showed up I was losing hope. I had estimates ranging from $3000 to $6000, and was still waiting for my estimate from the iPhone picture-taking, story-telling guy. Tobey came into my home with a smile on his face and booties on his feet to protect my floors. He proceeded directly into my utility room, not bothering to waste my valuable time with stories of stolen dogs and Audis, and within a few minutes had his diagnosis for me. Now this is where it gets REALLY good. Tobey said that although my water heater did indeed need to be replaced, he thought it may still be under warranty. Was I imagining things or did a beam of light come down from heaven fill the room with an angelic chorus? Under warranty? None of the other plumbers even mentioned the possibility of a warranty, and the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. After all, I’ve lived in this house for 8 years and my car doesn’t even have a warranty that lasts that long. After stepping out to his van (yes, it was white) and making a few phone calls, Tobey came back with the good news. My leaky water heater was not going to explode, and it was indeed under warranty. He could install a new one the very next day and all I needed to do was pay for the labor, which ended up being less than half of my lowest estimate. He would even haul my old water heater away for me. I had found my plumber in a shiny white van.

A few months later when another random pump-looking thingy in my utility room woke me up in the middle of the night, making noises so horrendous that my only conclusion was that it, too, was moments away from detonation, I called Tobey. Once again, he came in his shiny white van and rescued me. Nothing too serious this time, just an air locked pump that he was able to fix in about 30 minutes. As he gathered his things to leave, I went to grab my checkbook and he said “Nope, no charge this time.” This man is too good to be true! Really? Not even a fee for the service call?! Really.

This is where we get to the part about me being surprised. Not surprised that Tobey had done such a nice thing for me, (because he is, after all, my perfect plumber), but surprised that I was surprised by having been given exceptional customer service. Shouldn’t that be the rule rather than the exception? Yes, itshould, but in my experience as a consumer, all too often it’s not. I frequently feel as if I’m bothering the person who is being paid to help me, because they clearly have somewhere better to be. Why is this?

After some deep thought and much introspection, I determined the reason I see such apparent lack of empathy exhibited by many people in customer service positions. It’s actually quite simple; they have forgotten what they learned on the first day of kindergarten, the Golden Rule. Tobey however, had not forgotten, and I was going to make sure EVERYONE in Saint Michael and Albertville knew about it.

 I immediately turned on my computer and emailed Mike Schoemer, the editor of the Patch, and suggested he do a column featuring local businesses that go above and beyond the call of duty for their customers. They should call it the “Golden Rule Business of the Month Award” and customers would choose the awardees themselves. Then, not only could I have the perfect plumber, but I could go and see what other kinds of businesses I would like to support based on their reputations in the community for excellent customer service. Yay! Fortunately, Mike loved the idea and that is why you are now reading this article. I guess the moral of the story is do not email Mike with an idea unless you want to do it yourself. I digress. Soooooo.. Dat, da, da, dahhhhh…. (Think guys wearing funny hats and tights, playing long trumpets, flags waving in the air), I present the very first Golden Rule Business of the Month award winner, B& D Plumbing!

B&D Plumbing will be celebrating their 30 year anniversary in February 2012, having been started out of the Saint Michael home of Billy and Betty Daleiden in 1982. After the business outgrew their home, they moved it to a post shed on 241, where the Holdiay gas station now stands. Their business continued to grow quickly, which is not a surprise, given the kind of awesome customer service they provide, and in 2007 they moved into their current location at 4145 MacKenzie Ct NE, just off of 241. Their new location is not only larger, but it also has a beautiful showroom, open to the public during business hours.

I spoke with Billy and Betty’s daughter-in-law, Tracy Daleiden, who now owns the business with her husband Dennis, and asked her about their customer service philosophy. I was not at all surprised to learn that this is not the first time B&D has been given an award for excellent customer service, having been awarded the 2011 Crow River Readers Choice Award. She shared that at B&D, they really want the company to have a family feel, not only for their customers, but for their employees as well. She said they realize that without the customers they serve, and amazing employees to serve them, they would not have a business. As a matter of fact, Tobey has been with them for 17 years, and most of their other 34 employees have been with them for many years as well.  

B&D’s commitment to their customers and employees is further evident when you look at the amount of time they spend in continuing education classes and training sessions to keep up to date on the latest and greatest technologies. They want to be able to give their customers the most current information possible so they can make informed decisions about their plumbing, heating, and cooling needs. You can learn more about B&D by visiting their website, www.bdplumbers.com or by calling them at 497-2290.

So, now it’s your turn. Email me with your ideas for the Patch’s next “Golden Rule Business of the Month” award winner. Don’t be shy; I know there are plenty of businesses in Saint Michael and Albertville who go above and beyond, so let’s hear about them. I need to add on to my list. After all, one needs to be prepared when appliances start threatening to explode.