Sometimes, gaining perspective is painful.

Ten years ago, Doug Severson, principle owner of Handyman’s Inc. in east St. Cloud, gained perspective.

Severson’s four-year-old son had congenital heart disease.  Now he was in the hospital again for a long stay.  Severson vividly remembers watching the monitors and willing them to move into the normal range.

About five years earlier Severson had taken over the leadership role at the hardware store started by his parents, Stan and Deloris.  He took the responsibility seriously and found he spent a lot of time worrying about providing jobs for his employees, serving the customers properly, and building the business.  “My wife told me that I needed to worry less and just do the best I could, but…” he trailed off.  But … that’s easier said than done.

Now, watching his toddler struggle for life, perspective came easier.  “That changed me,” he said simply.  “I’m not sure if you said to people at the store ‘Remember ten years ago when I changed?’ that they’d know what you were talking about.  But it definitely changed me.”  For one thing, he’s not so driven anymore.  For another, once four-year-old Pat was out of the hospital, Severson started volunteering.  Every Friday afternoon for five years, he left work and helped at the hospital.  “I don’t do it anymore,” he said.  “I just can’t take the time now, but I will again some day.”

That doesn’t mean that work has again become all consuming for Severson.  It just means that perspective requires setting priorities.  “As I get older I find myself wanting to be home more,” he said.  A funny statement coming from a man that is on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
 

Relationship Building

Twenty-four hour service is one way Handyman’s separates itself from the competition of big box retailers, according to Severson.  On-call service is particularly important for places like nursing homes, hospitals and apartment complexes.  “If they have a boiler go out in the middle of the night, they need help right now,” he said.  Three people at Handyman’s are on the call list, but Severson is always first when he’s in town.  Unlike most of their competitors, Handyman’s doesn’t charge for the service call.  It’s part of establishing that all important relationship so that when the boiler goes out on a weekday afternoon next time, the customer still thinks of Handyman’s first.

“We could have someone calling on a potential customer for a year,” Severson said.  “But the day we stay open an extra hour so they can drive in from Albany and get the part they need, we have a foot in the door.  You have to start somewhere and we just hope that they remember our service and want to maintain that relationship with us.”

Severson also believes Handyman’s knowledgeable personnel help him stand out from other hardware stores.  “Our people really know our products,” he said. One reason is that they practice using it.   

Gail Ivers is vice president of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and editor of Business Central Magazine.