I am so thankful I work for my family's plumbing company! Although I wish sometimes our bottom line was a bit fatter, it feels good to know that we CARE about our customers first.

When I told my dad we needed to raise prices to cover some increased overhead, he said no, then implemented a System Check process that helps our guys recognize potential problems and offer that information to the client. Some of those clients decided to be pro-active and address some of those problems and this increased our average tickets thus balancing our overhead.

When a tech goes out to a home and tells someone that they see no problem to correct, he doesn't write an invoice. Some of our competitors do. One client sent us a bill she recieved from a competitor who came out for a kitchen sink problem that turned out to be a broken dish washer and they charged her $90 to walk into the house. We are hard working homeowners too and we understand how frustrating it is to have something break and not be able to fix it. We too trust that the professionals that come into our homes act professionally.

A woman I met networking called me to discuss the invoice we had written her. After listening to her heart-breaking story, I asked her what I could do to help. She asked me if I could set her up on payment arangements! She was even willing to have us auto-debit her account! I didn't have any red tape to cut, no committee or board or handbook to tell me no, so I said YES, because our customers deserve to be treated as human beings and not $$$.

I am so glad that I work for a company that cares about all people and finds the balance between taking care of its employees (so they can care for their families) as well as take care of its clients (and allow them to still care for their families).

Do you support family owned businesses? Why or Why not? Who do you know who works in or owns a family business?