Service that results from ones life is an expression of that person's nature. In other words the delivery of service is not something that can be taught in a school or mastered by reading a book. In fact, I'm convinced one's commitment to serving others is ingrained - almost a genetic predisposition.

PLEASE, no letters calling me to task for introducing genetics into the conversation. Admittedly I was a "C" student in high school biology and carried forward a religious conviction to stay clear of the sciences in college. So those who excelled may be fighting the urge to send that email - I pray you will not.

However, those who enjoyed their biology experience will be interested to know I vaguely recall Gregor Johann Mendel, the Augustinian monk who experimented with plant hybridization using peas as a prop. But beyond that memory my contention is supported based solely on observations made here at Landscape Supply.

Service to others is the overflow from a life filled with a deep caring for ones fellow man and devotion to everyone's well-being. Strictly speaking service to others is not a calling. Service is what an employee brings to the business as a reflection of his/her nature. Certainly, how we're raised has bearing on our caring for others but again no parent or professor can teach one into a servant's clothing.

In the same way a business can't be service committed simply by saying it is so or by throwing coins into the wishing well.

Making service a core attribute here at Landscape Supply is the result of two things. With a humble heart I contend that making service foundational to our business depends on those in a leadership role - the owners, the CEO and all those titled as senior managers.

Each of us in those roles must have that service gene. But more importantly all need to consistently and clearly state there's no choice - no excuses, no exceptions and missing the mark is not acceptable. Everyone in the organization must know that delivering bad service may result in the offender being relieved of his or her duties.

The second contributing factor and perhaps the more important of the two is hiring. All of us in the Green Industry have a tendency to hire based on the candidate's technical skills. Clearly, ones agronomic abilities can't be ignored, but the key to having a service-centered company is hiring for that gene I mentioned above. Skills can be taught but we don't yet have the equipment to splice in a service gene.

Doing so takes a commitment to investing the time and focusing on a line of questioning designed to discover the candidate's interest in others, in his/her willingness to go the extra mile and doing so without instruction. As we interview confirm by example that taking those extra steps were the result of simply doing the "right thing".

Again, I humbly contend that all the Connelly's are uncompromising when it comes to customer service. All on our team are well aware of our obsession with customer service. We do a fairly good job on the hiring side of the equation but I've found this aspect of the job is an on-going challenge. We continue to work on our interviewing skills.

All of us at LSI strive for perfection in all we do. But we do occasionally miss the mark. My request is for all reading this to call should you feel we've earned any grade under A+. Taking the time to offer criticism is always taken as a compliment. Rest assured we will listen. Action will be taken to earn the very best grade, every time. And if there's a service you need that we don't currently offer please let me know. We are obsessed with our customers and committed to differentiation based on service.