Name: Douglas Minor
SPG Career: Portfolio Manager
Favorite Hand Tool: Makita cordless variable speed driver-drill (18 volt)

Shops With His Dad

Douglas Minor has a favorite hardware store. For ten cents he can have a Dixie cup full of Coke and walk the aisles where most of the merchandise isn’t shrink wrapped and packaged. He can buy a quarter of a pound of two-inch brads, a double snap hook and consult with an expert about hanging a new screen door or patching a wall. "Whenever my Dad is in town we go to this store," says Mr. Minor. "We talk about our projects and our latest tools and tell stories about customer service in this day and age."

In fact, he collects stories for these moments with his Dad – stories about nightmares with customer service phone reps, how he succeeded in getting good service from some of them, what kinds of evasions he’s heard while attempting to get help. "We kind of ‘one-up’ each other with these tales," he states, laughing. "But my Dad taught me the meaning of customer service when I worked summers with him in his lumber yard. He did business with a handshake and a smile. I try to emulate him in my work and try to do business with others with the same basic philosophy."

SPG found working with Mr. Minor and his unwavering customer focus to be one old-fashioned treat.