“When it absolutely, positively has to be there by 9 p.m. … call Steve.”
It was a little after 8 p.m., and I was just settling down with a bourbon when my phone rang.
If you’ve spent any time in management, you already know what an evening phone call usually means—it’s rarely good news, even when you’re running a second shift.
But this one was different. It was Steve, our second-shift yard supervisor. He had just made his first “big decision” in a position he’d held for just over a month, and he wanted to make sure he had done the right thing.
As it turned out, he absolutely had. Not too long after the rest of us had gone home for the day, Steve received a call from Tom, the owner of one of our large construction patrons. This construction company was a multi-family builder and one of our largest and most loyal customers.
Tom needed a favor. He was a stickler for deadlines, running second-shift crews, if necessary, when a project was close to closing. Tom’s problem was that he had a trim crew running out of material and a foreman who had forgotten to place an order. He desperately needed a delivery that night—to a jobsite two hours away.
We talk a lot in this business about “going the extra mile.” But this wasn’t an extra mile; this was an extra hundred miles, late at night, with overtime, logistics, and plenty of risk involved. It had to be a very special customer.
And, at the time, Steve didn’t know Tom from Adam. What’s more, he wasn’t sure he had the authority to send a truck and a driver out until midnight. Not to mention the overtime involved.
Steve had put Tom on hold and called his boss but got no answer. He then called me and got no answer. The clock was ticking. Then he had an idea. He looked up the construction company’s sales history and immediately saw the bigger picture. This was a long-term partner with a solid track record.
He picked up the phone … “Tom, we’ll be there within three hours.” This gave an hour to build the load and approximately two hours to get to the site.
At that point, Steve wasn’t about to let anything go wrong. As he and Bill, the driver, built the load, they checked everything twice. He made two copies of a map and highlighted the fastest route (this was before GPS). He handed one copy to Bill and put the other copy on the dashboard. He also made a thermos of coffee so Bill wouldn’t have to stop, or at least not until he was on his way back.
That’s leadership—not a title, but a mindset.
While Bill was on the road, Steve called Tom to make sure he knew the load was coming and should be there around 9 p.m.
Bill arrived at the jobsite at 8:45 p.m., just in time to prevent the crew from running out of material by 9:30 p.m.
Tom was the happiest camper the next day when he called me. He was overflowing with praise for how our company responded to his emergency. Then he said something that stuck with me; he said, “This is why I do business with you guys … you actually care!”
That one sentence says more than any marketing slogan ever could.
I passed his praise on to both Steve and Bill—not only for their quick thinking and willingness to help, but also for the way they dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s to ensure everything went smoothly. They didn’t just do their jobs—they protected a relationship, strengthened trust, and reinforced our reputation.
They thanked me, but Bill had a suggestion. “I don’t mind doing this again,” he said, “but next time, how about a truck with two working headlights?”
The Real Lesson:
This story isn’t about heroics or working late for the sake of it. It’s about culture, trust, and empowerment.
Steve made the right call because he understood the value of the customer, he felt trusted to make decisions, and he knew leadership would have his back.
That kind of confidence doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through training, communication, and a culture that encourages people to think.
Sometimes, all it takes is one person who is empowered to do the right thing.
Mike McDole has 40+ years of actual LBM experience, including being SVP of a large regional pro-dealer, and is the principal of Firing Line LBM Advisors. He’s also partners with Greg Brooks of the Executive Council on Construction Supply and his LMS. Mike can be reached at 774.372.1367 or Mike@FiringLineLBM.com.
