The past week I was on vacation and was able to (finally) read a couple books. One of those books was Linchpin by Seth Godin. In Linchpin, Godin talks about becoming “indispensable” in the workplace. One of his main arguments is that there is always emotional labor that can be added to any given job. Emotional labor is about making connections, creating “art” in your workplace, and going beyond simply being a cog in the machine.
The first person I thought of when I read this book was the manager of our local Jiffy Lube, Andre. When you think about franchises, especially franchises of huge chains like Jiffy Lube, you probably know that they have a standardized approach to how they do their work. There are guidelines and procedures for everything. How could anyone ever become indispensable in a place like that?
Yet somehow Andre has become completely indispensable.
I’m not just saying he’s indispensable because he has good customer service. There is financial proof that they can’t replace him. About a year ago they transferred him to a different Jiffy Lube franchise in another city and replaced him with another manager. People who used to be loyal customers of that Jiffy Lube franchise stopped going there. People who did go there avoided paying for additional services, since they didn’t trust the new manager. In short, the financial bottom line got hit, and it got hit hard.
Sure enough, they switched him back to this Jiffy Lube and while I don’t have the financials in front of me, there is no doubt they are bringing in much more than when he was gone. I personally made a point of telling him when he was gone I was not happy, since I trusted Andre and he seemed to take an interest in my and my wife’s life, as well as all the other customers.
On a recent trip another customer was smiling after being greeted warmly by Andre and offered coffee and asked some relevant question to her life. Once he went back into the garage, she said, aloud, “that’s hospitality right there,” still holding the same smile and shaking her head probably still in disbelief at how he goes out of the way to make sure his customers are comfortable.
I would be lying if I said I don’t drive by slowly to make sure Andre is working before I pull up for an oil change. If he’s not, I wait until the next weekend. There’s no substitute for good customer service, connection, and trust.
The powerful thing about Godin’s Linchpin theory is that it doesn’t matter where you work. You can exert emotional labor and become indispensable even in an environment where there are processes and procedures for everything. Andre did. Why not you?
What examples do you have of indispensable individuals like Andre?
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Photo by Mike Rosati
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It is interesting how staff can be difficult to replace. Having said that, there are many irreplaceable people in the cemetery.
@MonsterPiggyBank Indispensable, not irreplaceable! Haha, at least I’m pretty sure that’s why he chose that word over the other.
We have a good contractor at the moment, and every time he is about to finish a project, BF starts another one so the guy doesn’t go look for another job. I complain because we spend money too quick but truth be said those works will have to be done eventually and the guy is really good. I think everyone is replaceable though, but doing your job the best you can will only get you great things.
@RFIndependence There’s 10 bad ones for every good one, maybe even a smaller ratio where you are…I think you’re making the right choice.
I really wouldn’t have it any other way… I take a lot of pride in making myself indespensible no matter where I work… I want to be the “go to” guy for something.. Preferably for a lot of things.. Not only does it buy you job se.curity, but it cycles your name and reputation up the management chain
@seedebtrun Definitely makes sense! Would be interested in hearing more about your workplace…nothing specific more along the lines of # of employees, do you do a wide range of work or just a small slice of a bigger process, etc.
I would say I’m pretty indispensable at my work. Not many people in the world do what I do, and it takes around 3 years to get someone to be “okay” at my job. It helps that I’m in a fast growing field with no one who really wants to get into it haha
@SenseofCents I would love to see you blog more about your career and field!
I have learned firsthand how it’s impossible to replace valuable employees! Some people are indispensable for various reasons.
@Holly at ClubThrifty I think one of the worst situations is the “undervalued employee” who is indispensable but management doesn’t realize it…until they move on.
Good post DC! I think this goes to show that it really is people and the service they offer that will help create loyal customers. We have it with our mechanic. We would trust him with anything and that is incredibly rare to find.
@FrugalRules Thanks! I started going to a small repair shop that my wife has gone to for years. I drive out of my way to get there, but I know the extra miles are worth it.
That’s so interesting, and it’s definitely something to ponder on. I know one of my best qualities is that I’m hard working. I’m also a little introverted though and work my magic sitting at my computer with my headphones in. So, I’m not sure I’m one of those people with a big personality that’s really fun to work with, but I definitely don’t mess around!
@BudgetBlonde I think you and I have very similar personalities. I do my best work when I’m left alone and don’t have to worry about being bothered. I honestly really struggle with my new workplace (we moved buildings end of last summer). The cubes are super open and I feel like I have no privacy and no space that is just mine. I understand exerting “emotional labor” can help, but I try much harder to be the person who churns out quality work, makes quick decisions, and makes things more efficient. I think there are different ways of providing value, and “creating” can be tough in the environment I work in because it’s so corporate, but I have been able to “create” in my own way through customized spreadsheets. Yikes, is that ever an oxymoron? : P
Nice post DC. I hate the company Jiffy Lube, but I know there are people like Andre that work in some of them. I try very hard to make myself indispensable in my work place and really in anything I do. I try to learn things that people don’t even think about and create things that people have no idea how to create, yet need to use on a daily basis. This keeps me going each day.
@DebtRoundUp What do you hate about them? The fact they rate their standard oil as one star? lol :P
I also stay motivated at work by creating things that make things better, that others would not even begin to delve into (a lot of the VBA stuff comes out of that).
@DC @ Young Adult Money Since I am very handle with automobiles, I tend to not even go to places like Jiffy Lube. If I am unable to change my own oil, then I used to take it there. Their services are way over priced and I hate being spun the “upsell”. I know what my car needs and I usually know more about my car then any of the techs in Jiffy Lube. There have been times when I had to show them how to do something or great something to work properly. I shouldn’t have to pay for inconvenience.
@DC @ Young Adult Money Since I am very handy with automobiles, I tend to not even go to places like Jiffy Lube. If I am unable to change my own oil, then I used to take it there. Their services are way over priced and I hate being spun the “upsell”. I know what my car needs and I usually know more about my car then any of the techs in Jiffy Lube. There have been times when I had to show them how to do something or get something to work properly. I shouldn’t have to pay for inconvenience.
@DebtRoundUp Definitely makes sense. I’m clueless when it comes to cars, haven’t had the time to learn. Hopefully will be able to pick up some things once I have the extra time.
So true! When I worked at the Home Depot in the paint department we had a guy like Andre who was not only an expert but went above and beyond the call of duty for customers. Customers would walk out if he was not working and come back alter, it was amazing to see. He was easily worth 10x what they were paying him.
@KyleJames1 That’s awesome! If only people like that were paid properly. Unfortunately, I doubt big chains ever come close to compensating what an employee like that deserves.
When it comes to customer service going that extra mile is key. It helps you and your business stand out from the crowd and it really doesn’t take much time out of your day to make your customers feel extra special.
@TacklingOurDebt Agreed! Customers are #1, unless they are bad customers that cost you money :0
It’s important to stand out at work, especially today when so many people are still looking for work. I’m amazed at co-workers who tell managers that “it’s not their job.” When the people up top are thinking about giving promotions who do you think they’ll choose. The person who helps out and tries to make the business run smoothly or the person who isn’t willing to go the extra mile.
@JustinatTheFrugalPath While I understand some people are drained, I personally get energy when I get pulled into something from someone I rarely work with on a team that I rarely collaborate with. Similar to what you said, managers take note when I am able to quickly get an answer from someone I have worked with (by choice) in the past from other teams and functional areas.
DC, I thought you had a new job there for a minute! There was a girl who worked at the rec center on the 5AM shift who was incredible. She knew everyone and kept calm if someone got upset. She even went to fetch mops when the custodian was in hiding. I stole her from the rec center, offered her more money and better hours, and now she works for me! They were crazy to let her go. You don’t come across people like her every day.
I’ve always found the employees at LL Bean to be exceptional. I’m from Maine and am very proud of the company and their customer service. They are always friendly, willing to help, and go above and beyond to make sure you’re happy with the purchase (lifetime guarantee, they never want you to have anything that isn’t satisfactory, even if you’ve owned it for 20 years and beat the heck out of it).