Thursday, July 5, 2012

Happy 4th of July Phil!



I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July. With the searing heat that seems to be affecting just about everybody, I thought  this might be a good time to revisit what it really means to be an American.

Right now, I'm sitting in the comfort of my air-conditioned home thanks to a guy named Phil, who, in my opinion,  gets the All- American award for this 4th of July.  To be honest, I don't know if Phil is a flag-waving patriot, a Republican, or a Democrat, and it doesn't matter. What does matter is that Phil exemplifies the American spirit by handling himself in a way that many other Americans would do well to emulate.  So what did Phil do for me that makes me think so highly of him? Simple­: He did what he said he would do. Doesn't sound like such a big deal, but when you're sweating bullets and the AC cashes out on you at the onset of  a heat wave, you come to appreciate the value of service like never before.  

You see, Phil runs a small heating and cooling company  and has always been my go to guy for any HVAC work. So naturally when my AC went down, I called Phil.  Phil has a well- established business with a long list of loyal customers and is always busy, yet  somehow, he manages  to always respond to me both  quickly and professionally.  He gives me the kind of personal attention that makes me feel special and has earned my loyalty without question.  To be specific, a lot of AC guys would jack up the price or gouge you for a new unit in the middle of a heat wave,  and it's a perfect example of how some ugly Americans take advantage of their  fellow Americans in a crisis. Fortunately,  I didn't have to go that route or wait indefinitely for someone to show up  because I have Phil. Phil is fair, honest, does great work at a great price, and provides great service. He is, in a word, an All- American.  Instead of ripping people off when the opportunity arises, Phil realizes the value of building a long-term customer relationship so when the need for a major replacement arises, he gets the call. In fact, there is no-one else I would even consider calling because I know I can trust Phil to do the work right the first time, on-time.  No contract, no-deposit, just a handshake–the way real Americans still do business. But let's not just be American on the 4th of July, let's try being true Americans all-year long, just to see what happens.

Sure , you may still get screwed every now and then by those who can only think of themselves, but when you get past them and if you look closely, you'll probably see that you have a Phil or two in your life and you didn't even know it.

Happy 4th of July Phil !