Dick Puglia Illustrated the Meaning of "Giving Value"

I hear the words “customer service” so much in business contacts and in the media that it has become an empty expression. My phone company claims that XYZ polling gives them credit for excellent service even though my experience is that they do everything possible to avoid talking with their customers. The expressions “customer-centered” and “customer-focused” are overused.

I never heard Richard “Dick” Puglia mention anything about customer service and he certainly did not write about it in the circulars he mailed out from the Manchester Hardware and Supply. He didn’t boast about it on a web site (to my knowledge he doesn’t have a web site). He was the owner of this store, located in Manchester-By-The-Sea, Massachusetts, population 7,600. Dick passed away on April 29 at the age of 74; he will be greatly missed by all of his customers.

Dick didn’t have to talk about customer service because he embodied it. He had a pleasant and patient presence with every customer.

Not so long ago I was trying to repair the shelves in our expensive new kitchen cabinets. I couldn’t get much help from the company that made the cabinets or from the super store that sold them to us, but the little plastic shelf support brackets were breaking and could not be easily replaced. I went down to our neighborhood hardware store thinking I’d get a thick finishing nail, cut it to a short length, and use it like a peg in the bracket holes of the cabinets. Dick listened to my idea and gave me a few nails to test in the holes. I tried the nails and changed my mind. I decided I should use screws. I went back and bought some screws for a few cents. I went home again and found they were not really the right size and brought them back… TWICE! In the end I spent less than $2 for some screws and consumed at least 30-40 minutes of Dick’s time that day.

And that’s the way I’ve relied on him since he opened the store in 1978. What clear stain should I use on my deck?  Oh, by the way, how should I prep the wood? My grandson has been stung by a bunch of wasps in the lilac tree. How can I safely get rid of the nest? Dick always had the right information, products, and referrals.

I’m not a plumber, electrician, carpenter, or anything like a “handy” man.  So when I went looking for certain connectors for my phone or hose or clothes dryer, I never knew the right terminology. Dick was good at asking questions and patiently uncovering what I needed. Then he would make sure I knew what I was doing before I left the store. He was a gold mine of information and he freely shared the gold with everyone. A lot of us in the internet marketing world or the network marketing arena talk about “giving value” but Dick gave constantly. He was what Bob Burg calls a go-giver.

Checkout was speedy. Returns were simple. Got something that doesn’t work? Chances are, Dick’s staff could fix it. Unlike some stores where you would have to complete a lengthy repair request form and then ship it half way across the country, you just told Dick and he’d jot down a note and say check back in two days.

Sometimes I’d have to wait because Dick and his staff took whatever time was required to help every customer in front of me. But I generally didn’t mind because I knew, when it was my turn, I would have his full attention.

In Manchester, most of us will by-pass the convenience of the “village” stores in favor of the less expensive chain stores, with huge selections, about 5 to 10 miles down the highway. However, when it came to household supplies, I generally did the opposite: I would go to Manchester Hardware instead of the super store. Sometimes it would cost more.  Sometimes my item would have to be ordered, but I would rather wait and give Dick the extra business. Why? I needed him. Simple as that.

My need bred my loyalty. I always had this fear that he might go out of business and I would have nothing left but Lowes and Home Depot 10 miles down the highway.

Over the years I went to Dick to buy things like:

• The Radio Flyer Wagon for my granddaughter
• Snow Shovels
• Bird Seed
• Electric Heaters
• Tools
• Paint
• Batteries

And so much more.  But mainly I went to see Dick to find out how to do things, and besides, it was fun to hang out in his store.

I was told that his last words to his brother were, “Take care of my customers.”

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