The story briefly (yes, it’s still raw, so short and sweet), in the early hours of the 6th of July, I knew that Maya would not be with me very much longer.
Maybe you too have been in a similar situation (to which I’m genuinely sorry) I hadn’t, and sitting with her that last night I hadn’t got a clue about what to do after she’d gone.
I began searching and it wasn’t long before I was reading an article called ‘The Right Choice’ which explained all about giving your pet a ‘dignified and respectful cremation’.
Click, click, click, I landed on a local business that offered ‘pet bereavement services’.
The sad hour did come and because of what I has read on the site above, I had no hesitation in calling the number.
Here’s What Happened…
1. Expecting an answering service (I called at 4.30am) the call was answered by a woman who understood instantly my needs, my state, my problem, my pain. (When many business owners are making themselves less available this lady is answering calls 24/7.)
2. She arrived at my home (55 miles from hers) at 6.30am. (She gave the ETA and stuck to it.)
3. She (and her partner) came into my home with the respect and understanding of my situation.
4. She sat, she let me cry, she explained the process in language I would understand, she listened, she didn’t once flinch or flicker at the irrational behaviour I was displaying, she treated Maya with the utmost respect and dignity (as she promised on her website), she step by step took me by the hand and led me through what was going to happen. She hid nothing. (When many business owners are trying to hide behind their faults and failings.)
5. She told her story (when I asked and not before) and it was obvious (even then) she had ‘walked in my shoes’ (she knew me better at that moment, than I knew myself.)
6. She then drove Maya the 55 miles back to her home (until she could contact the crematorium to book a time for later on that day)
7. Then she drove 120 miles to the pet crematorium because that is the only one that operates on the same ethical values as herself.
8. She waited an hour for Maya’s ashes.
9. She then drove the 175 miles back to my home to give me them. 18 hours in total.
10. All in the same day – and that is something she does in rain, hail, snow or shine.
The cost of this floored me, so I paid more.
Then a few days later I started receiving letters from animal charities thanking me for their donations, the woman didn’t even take the extra, she gave it away.
What am I sharing this with you?
If You’re a Small Business Owner
You have probably heard of the saying ‘going the extra mile’.
And for some business owners it means ‘throwing in a free sample’ or ‘we have a free phone number’ or perhaps the major selling point is ‘ call us, you’ll get to speak to a real human being’.
Here’s the test…go through your business and honestly answer this question ‘is this part of my service so special and unique that even I would rave about it?’.
Next, go through every benefit, add on, service you offer and ask yourself ‘is this extremely valuable to my customer’ if the answer is yes then think of five ways you can add to it, if the answer is no, then (like I did) get busy and make it so.
When I read the petundertakers site on the first visit I read exactly what was going to happen at the end (and it’s not pretty reading nor was a pretty sight) but I was given knowledge.
Is there something that you are holding back from your customers that if they knew just that one thing they would have information that is priceless. Give them it, give it away.
I know one of the reasons I choose the petundertaker was because one little piece of information prepared and informed me more than any trip to the vet could do.
If You’re an Employee
Well, another story…when I called and cancelled Maya’s pet insurance I explained the situation and the first reply was ‘you still have the rest of next months premium to pay’.
It was on the tip of my tongue to give out to the person on the other end of the phone and shout ‘you eegit, do you really MORE THAN care?’ but I held my breath.
The next time you are faced with any customer say to yourself:
‘I’m the first person that has heard this persons problem.’
You could be the first person that another human being has spoken to that day, you could be the first person that another human being has told their problem to, you could be the first person that has really listened and cared!
You could be the first person in that persons LIFE who has listened to understand them rather than respond.
And Lastly If You’re a Human Being!
Through this sad experience it has added further to my beliefs about living a life of ‘purpose and passion’ (and I mean by that, at any moment your world can change) and those who know me will know how much I care about ‘service and giving back’.
Yes, I know you may be thinking ‘but she was only a dog for goodness sake’, ah, and that is the truth, for sure.
And that’s the lesson.
To truly deliver passion and purpose in our service as a business, as an employee, human being: is it not about putting ‘I’ aside and what ‘I’ think even a tiny moment so that we can serve people better?
To sum up…do one thing for yourself today, ask yourself tonight (you’ll remember to do it) when you go to bed and slip between the sheets, ‘what one thing did I do today that was purposeful, full of passion and of service to others’?
If not, get moving, it ‘aint long till the ‘two legged undertaker calls’ at your own door…do you want to just leave or leave a legacy?
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