Although his customers may say it’s his energy that makes him stand out, Rick Gardner, a Cornwell distributor, would say it’s his work ethic to always stay on schedule — and that he likes to have fun.
“I like to have a joke of the week,” he says, noting that he doesn’t like when it goes quiet on his truck. “I like to have an edgy joke that I can tell customers that kind of breaks attention and gets them more comfortable to open up.”
He also enjoys getting to know his customers and having a one-on-one relationship with them. In fact, it’s his favorite thing about the business.
“You can’t judge a book by its cover,” he says.
When he first started out, he had a customer comment that he’s just going to be like all the other tool dealers and not listen to what he wants. After hearing that, he makes sure to not only get to know every customer personally, but also to ask them additional questions to ensure he understands what exactly they need.
“I always try to ask extra questions and investigate what the customer is really looking for,” he notes.
