How Do You Build Solid Service?
One Block At A Time.
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THE STORY BEHIND HOME CLEAN HOME
Samuel remembers the pleasant car rides to Old San Juan during his childhood when his father would drive the family there. Breezy plazas, cobblestone streets, Old World architecture; the picturesque city by the sea never failed to enchant him. The city's walls spurred on his imagination every time he held sight of them. He was thrilled to walk through the fortresses that safeguarded the city and San Juan Bay for centuries. They are the beautiful La Fortaleza and her two fearsome brothers: El Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal. Standing on El Morro's battlements, he had a breathtaking view of the ocean below. He could almost see and hear the cannon-fire spectacles between the massive stronghold and intruding sail ships. |
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Although he couldn't envision himself running a business at the time, it wouldn't be long before Samuel would begin laying the blocks of customer service. When he was 16, his family moved to Georgia and settled in North Decatur. After graduating in 1990 from Shamrock High School (presently Druid Hills Middle School) he studied mechanical drafting at DeKalb Technical Institute (presently GA Piedmont Technical College). In 1992 he moved to upstate New York to work as a volunteer for a nonprofit educational organization, where he spent 3 years learning the value of service and hard work. Afterwards, he formed a family of his own and settled in northern New Jersey. While supporting his wife and baby girl, he learned more about customer service from two very different lines of business. They would imprint lessons that would influence Home Clean Home's service to its clients.
In 1996, Samuel became a delivery driver for Coffee Associates, Inc., a small coffee-roasting company serving hundreds of restaurants in New York City and the tri-state area. He acknowledges, "Driving in New York City traffic can be a challenge any day but it was especially for me because I was new to the area. I quickly learned that timely response and building rapport with customers were key to building customer satisfaction." With Manhattan's street parking at a premium, he had to double-park his van and deliver between 50 to 200 pounds of coffee to the establishment. With a watchful eye on the van and a friendly eye on the restaurant owner, the whole transaction had to be finalized before NYPD could pin a ticket on his windshield. Off he went to the next stop, using paper maps for navigation in those pre-GPS days. In time, he was promoted to Assistant Plant Manager where he managed inventory, equipment orders and loading of delivery vans. Yet, a larger opportunity awaited.
In summer of 2000, Samuel was hired by Bell Atlantic, the company that soon would become Verizon. As landlines continued disappearing through the early 2000s, Samuel's job entailed closing sales of Verizon's FiOS (fiber-optic service) throughout the mid-Atlantic region. He often observed, however, how corporate's preoccupation with spearheading the business isolated it from customers, a paradox that resulted in obliviousness to some customer needs and a slower response to employee feedback. Always keen on their concerns, he learned to listen to customers, serve them and make them feel valued. After 14 years at the company, Samuel says, "When leadership is always absent from engaging directly with customers and the day-to-day tools of the job, opportunities to improve service easily fall through the cracks or miss the mark. A huge lesson I learned was that, overall, the structure and intimacy of a small business is better suited to serve a community."
After widowing, it took time for Samuel to realize the need to focus on his teenage daughter. After some time, he sought support to help himself and his daughter. At this pivotal point, he resolved to pay off his debts and start a new life. In pursuit of a clean slate, he returned to Decatur in autumn of 2014. With his daughter in the passenger seat of the rental truck, he drove to Georgia debt-free and grateful to God.
Contemplating the idea of working for himself, he sought a way to provide a low-tech service to busy people. While employed as a painter, he asked a couple he knew about their work. When they said that they cleaned houses for a living he became intrigued. After asking if he could join them for 2 days to observe them at work, they happily obliged. That experience was enough to convince him that this was the path he'd been looking for. He researched cleaning techniques and the goal of becoming self-employed. At first, he sought clients by going house-to-house, leaving business cards and asking those who hired him for referrals. He established Home Clean Home in 2016 and formed a team, a group of hard-working friends that are like family. Besides managing the business, he chooses to participate in the cleaning work which helps him understand the workers' perspective and provide knowledgeable guidance. With 30 years of experience serving people, Samuel is happy to help homeowners and renters care for their homes.
Still, Old San Juan will always have a special place in Samuel's heart. He has a particular appreciation for El Morro because it revealed to him the 4 secrets of a valuable service: First, a service must be well-planned if it's to be reliable. Second, to endure, it must be built carefully and improved upon any vulnerabilities. Third, if people are to feel safe, it must prove itself under challenges. And fourth, in time it will draw people to cherish it. These are the accomplishments and legacy of any great service.
In 1996, Samuel became a delivery driver for Coffee Associates, Inc., a small coffee-roasting company serving hundreds of restaurants in New York City and the tri-state area. He acknowledges, "Driving in New York City traffic can be a challenge any day but it was especially for me because I was new to the area. I quickly learned that timely response and building rapport with customers were key to building customer satisfaction." With Manhattan's street parking at a premium, he had to double-park his van and deliver between 50 to 200 pounds of coffee to the establishment. With a watchful eye on the van and a friendly eye on the restaurant owner, the whole transaction had to be finalized before NYPD could pin a ticket on his windshield. Off he went to the next stop, using paper maps for navigation in those pre-GPS days. In time, he was promoted to Assistant Plant Manager where he managed inventory, equipment orders and loading of delivery vans. Yet, a larger opportunity awaited.
In summer of 2000, Samuel was hired by Bell Atlantic, the company that soon would become Verizon. As landlines continued disappearing through the early 2000s, Samuel's job entailed closing sales of Verizon's FiOS (fiber-optic service) throughout the mid-Atlantic region. He often observed, however, how corporate's preoccupation with spearheading the business isolated it from customers, a paradox that resulted in obliviousness to some customer needs and a slower response to employee feedback. Always keen on their concerns, he learned to listen to customers, serve them and make them feel valued. After 14 years at the company, Samuel says, "When leadership is always absent from engaging directly with customers and the day-to-day tools of the job, opportunities to improve service easily fall through the cracks or miss the mark. A huge lesson I learned was that, overall, the structure and intimacy of a small business is better suited to serve a community."
After widowing, it took time for Samuel to realize the need to focus on his teenage daughter. After some time, he sought support to help himself and his daughter. At this pivotal point, he resolved to pay off his debts and start a new life. In pursuit of a clean slate, he returned to Decatur in autumn of 2014. With his daughter in the passenger seat of the rental truck, he drove to Georgia debt-free and grateful to God.
Contemplating the idea of working for himself, he sought a way to provide a low-tech service to busy people. While employed as a painter, he asked a couple he knew about their work. When they said that they cleaned houses for a living he became intrigued. After asking if he could join them for 2 days to observe them at work, they happily obliged. That experience was enough to convince him that this was the path he'd been looking for. He researched cleaning techniques and the goal of becoming self-employed. At first, he sought clients by going house-to-house, leaving business cards and asking those who hired him for referrals. He established Home Clean Home in 2016 and formed a team, a group of hard-working friends that are like family. Besides managing the business, he chooses to participate in the cleaning work which helps him understand the workers' perspective and provide knowledgeable guidance. With 30 years of experience serving people, Samuel is happy to help homeowners and renters care for their homes.
Still, Old San Juan will always have a special place in Samuel's heart. He has a particular appreciation for El Morro because it revealed to him the 4 secrets of a valuable service: First, a service must be well-planned if it's to be reliable. Second, to endure, it must be built carefully and improved upon any vulnerabilities. Third, if people are to feel safe, it must prove itself under challenges. And fourth, in time it will draw people to cherish it. These are the accomplishments and legacy of any great service.
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