The LBM industry is in Joe Miles' blood. His family has owned and operated r.k. Miles since 1940 and he never thought he would do anything else. In his 31 years working for the company, he has seen it grow from a single-family business to an expanding six-branch operation with locations across Vermont and Massachusetts.
Change Over Time
We work hard to be forward-thinking and change with the times. For example, early on we recognized that we needed to take a much more proactive role with our contracting customers, which led to us adding estimator and designer positions. It has also required us to improve our dispatch and improve upon our communication with our customers and associates. When I first started, we would be given a list of materials and we would either load it on a truck for delivery or put it in a pick-up truck and out it would go. Those days are pretty much over. With so many materials available on the market and endless information available to customers, these days nearly every sale requires a higher customer touch and information sharing. I don't think this is a bad thing; you just need to be prepared for this level of customer service and accountability.
Family-Owned Business
We are a local, family-owned business and we know a great deal about the communities we serve. Because of that, we know who our customers are, and we understand how to create value for them. Creating value for our customers is our number one goal. Part of that value proposition is how we're perceived in the community. We have six locations, and we like to be involved in those communities in some capacity whether with schools, sports, or some other community organization.
Company Culture
I meet annually with our new employees. We call it basic training. We meet about four times during the winter for a little over eight hours in total, not only do we talk about what makes a customer want to purchase from r.k. Miles, but also what brings them back time and time again. We talk about the value we bring to the customer. We're different in that I spend time with every one of our over 200 employees, and we continue those conversations throughout their time at r.k. Miles.
I'd say we have a fairly competitive culture, between departments and between stores and we have good fun with that. That manifests on a location-by-location basis and with managers recognizing when a salesperson does a good job or goes above and beyond. It drives other people to want to do a similarly good job. We like to recognize effort, but we also like to see people always trying to raise the bar within our organization.
Learning Process
The best lessons are often painful and expensive ones. You learn a lot from your customers. They will tell you exactly whether you're doing a good job or a bad job. The knee-jerk reaction is to find an excuse or point the finger at someone else, but at the end of the day, it is an opportunity for self-improvement or reflection. We have found value in that, and to a great extent, it has guided our business over the years.
