Throughout the last couple of days my friend and I have spent several hours on the phone with my website’s hosting company. The website had been running slow and we were advised to move the site to a new server. It sounded like a pretty simple and straightforward process, but upon making the move the site was plagued with even more issues. Most of the pictures of the site were lost with the initial move, and those that remained would seemingly disappear and reappear for no apparent reason.

After discussing the case of the disappearing pictures with at least 5 or 6 different representatives, all of whom were very polite and professional, we made one last call in which we were accidently connected with a lady in the billing department. Of all the people we talked with, this lady stands out in my mind above the rest because she possesses a special quality that’s rare to find in this day and age. She cares, and not just about the work she’s doing, but more importantly about the people she’s trying to help. Jim Rohn said, “if you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results.” Here was a lady who worked in the billing office. It was not her job to deal with technical issues, but because she had prior experience with hosting and cared enough about our situation she decided to step in. Wouldn’t it be nice if more people in the world were like this woman, yet so often people are preoccupied with their own lives that they don’t take the time to show others that they care. The person who remembers to care about people on a daily basis will always be able to find meaning in whatever it is that they do, and they will also form many great connections along the way. 

This lady went so far above and beyond the scope of her job that she made a huge impression on both me and my friend. In fact at the end of the call my friend joked, “can we get a direct line to you if we have any further problems?” Doesn’t this sound like someone who is going to be highly valued by her company, someone who will undoubtedly continue moving up the ladder? And why? It’s not that she possesses some superior knowledge compared to all the other employees that we talked with. Knowledge and skill are important, but in a world in which businesses exist to benefit society, the most valuable skill of all is the ability to connect with the people those businesses are designed to serve. By demonstrating that she truly cared about helping us, she was able to do just that.

I’m reminded of a quote from Dale Carnegie that says, “the world is full of people who are grabbing and self-seeking. So the rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage.” These words are just as true today as when they were first written in 1936, and they are a reminder that caring makes all the difference!