Yes, that photo is really me at eight years old with my younger cousin, Rick Bell. Rick was from Savannah and would come to visit me for a week at my rural home almost every summer. We pretty much lived in the woods and didn’t even turn “cowboys” off when we came to the dinner table. Two things to notice about this photo. I’m barefooted, and I’m wearing twin pearl-handled pistols. We only had one cowboy hat, so we took turns wearing it.
When you Google images of wholesomeness and genuineness, you are likely to get in the collection a picture of a barefooted boy, usually carrying a cane fishing pole. Well, at least you should! When I grew up, rural kids went barefooted from Easter until Halloween. It made the bottoms of our feet so leathery we could walk on sharp rocks and feel no discomfort. It made mud puddles extra special. Rick wore shoes because he was from the city, so his feet were tender.
Customers today – especially today – need service providers who serve with authenticity and wholesomeness. This is not a time for manipulation, ploys, or shady dealings. The “we are all in this together” mentality means treating customers like important neighbors. It means a helping gesture is an instant reflex, not a calculated deed. And, it requires complete honesty and compassionate kindness. It means remembering that only the “good guys” win at the end of this movie.
Most TV cowboys did not wear twin six-shooters; they only wore one. But, we believed they should have; it would have made them super cool. Mine came from Santa (a.k.a., Sears & Roebuck) Claus. Twin pistols to us junior cowboys meant double protection. They fueled imaginary stories of heroism and bravery. If you wore the pistols, you did not wear the cowboy hat.
Customers need bravery, even heroism. They want service providers who execute ways to protect them. They want imaginative approaches to safely deliver service in the middle of a pandemic. It means bringing a “twin pearl-handled” mentality to creating value by delivering more than expected. Share your cowboy hat with your customers. Partner with them to create great experiences that will yield compelling stories they will share for years.