Saturday, March 27, 2010

Best Question I've ever been asked


At the Harvard Expo today I paused at the Walmart booth.

For many reasons I was pleased to see Walmart's booth. Perhaps because, when I was a membership sales rep for a large chamber of commerce 20 years ago, I called on the local Walmart store and tried to persuade the general manager to join the chamber.

I got bumped to the corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., where I got a cool reception (and no membership). Things have changed at Walmart. Now they are very active community members.

Saturday is a busy day at Walmart, and Walmart has a new store in Harvard. And, yet, the Store Manager, Greg Bontz, thought the Harvard Expo was important enough to be there.

When I stopped at the Walmart booth, he introduced himself and asked, "What could we do better to serve you?"

Man! I was stopped in my tracks! He was interested in what I thought!

We chatted a few minutes, and I told him that I am running for Sheriff of McHenry County. I also told him that his question is the one I am planning to ask the citizens of McHenry County.

"What can we do better to serve you?"

And I told him that I intend to ask all the employees of the Sheriff's Department that same question.

Some of the things I'll be able to do. Perhaps many of them I'll be able to do. Some, I won't. But the communication will be open.

And no one is going to get yelled at.

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