September 2023 Newsletter

We hope you enjoy this employee newsletter with its different resources, links, and articles included in it. We think Tri County is an awesome company, but it would never be that without having awesome employees! Thanks for what you do every day to make us the kind of company that displays our mission of comforting others in such a way that they are compelled to tell others about their experience, and it honors the Great Comforter, Jesus Christ. We love you, and hope you enjoyed your extended weekend this Labor Day.

. . . and, if you want some good values to live that life by, consider these . . .

Billy Blurb

Honesty. (Part 2) Last month I talked about how the value of honesty influences the employer/employee relationship, but this month I want to address how it impacts the company’s relationship with the customer. We always want to clearly tell the customer what the expectation should be of a certain product or service that they are going to receive from us. This is why we try to test everything before we offer it to the customer, so we can look them in the eye and offer it to them as a viable solution to their comfort issue. And we have to be honest about using correct words, like “helpful” instead of “need”. “Need” is a very relative word when it comes to the comfort industry. Do they even actually “need” air conditioning? Over half the world is existing without it, so offering our comfort enhancements should not be couched in words like “need” or “have to have”, but rather words more like “helpful to minimize an uncomfortable event”, or, “effective in reducing your discomfort”. Our mission statement is grounded in comforting people, and everyone has their own level of comfort that they are trying to achieve. We must remember to attach what we areoffering to what they are looking for, and help them see that the product or service we have will help them get what they are wanting to accomplish. This is why its so important to listen to what people value, so we can honestly offer to them what they are hoping to solve, and not trying to sell them something they don’t value having. We don’t have to convince them of making a purchase if it’s aligned with their desired outcome, we simply have to explain to them clearly how that purchase is a wise solution for them, and they then get to make the final decision. If we will speak and act truthfully with our customers, they will be satisfied with their decision, and also compelled to tell others about their experience. Honesty is foundational throughout this process, and will reinforce the reputation we’ve been building in this area since 1977.

Better vs. Bigger

Back in the 90’s, Boston Chicken, which eventually became Boston Market, was giving Chick-Fil-A their first real competition in the fast food chicken realm, and their driving goal was to achieve $1 Billion of sales by the year 2000. The leaders of Chick-Fil-A started feeling the pressure to grow bigger, faster, and it culminated in a boardroom meeting at headquarters where all the VP’s and marketing people were focused on how to grow bigger, faster, and beat their rising competition of Boston Market. Truett Cathy, the Founder of Chick-Fil-A was at this meeting, and after some time of everyone throwing around their ideas, he started banging on the table until he had everyone’s attention, and he said to his leaders the following – “I am sick and tired of hearing you talk about us getting bigger. What we need to be talking about is getting better. If we get better, our customers will demand that we get bigger.” It shifted their whole conversation, and their eventual strategy. Ironically, in the year 2000, Boston Market filed for bankruptcy, the same year Chick-Fil-A hit $1 Billion in sales.

We have been getting bigger as a company, but that is because we’ve been focused on always getting better. Are there areas that we can still address? You bet! And as we address those areas together, with humility and wisdom, we will keep getting better, and like Chick-Fil-A, our customers will demand that we get bigger. Share with your team at your meetings insights and opportunities you see where we can grow in our service excellence and teamwork, and help lead the way towards better. We don’t claim to be a perfect company, but together, with humility, we can be perfectible, and become better!

Puerta de Esperanza Update

Puerta de Esperanza is the CarePoint in Guatemala where Tri County Air sponsors 40 kids to receive educational, occupational, relational, nutritional, and spiritual help in a safe environment. They have been looking for opportunities to generate income and support the community, and have started the extraordinary entrepreneurship of selling freshly made, low-cost tortillas. This is a two-way benefit, because for the CarePoint an income will be generated to cover some general expenses and support all the families of thee children in their economy. But it will also be used to feed the children of the CarePoint. We love to see this entrepreneurial spirit develop for the long-term sustainability of the center. Those of you who have agreed to write letters to a child, please remember to do that on a regular basis. It makes a difference!

NeverThirst Update

We are 64% of the way to funding our water project with NeverThirst. The whole company is pulling together for this one, as each time we show up and do our part, we give a proportioned amount towards the project. While we are providing air conditioning comfort to our customers, we are also providing comfort to a village in Chad, Africa, on a whole different level altogether.

These large-scale tap stand systems provide a complete water infrastructure featuring central water storage tanks, underground piping and strategically places tap stands. They serve families by contributing to improved health, increased safety, redeeming time typically lost to collecting from distant and congested sources and more — providing a community-wide water infrastructure that transforms daily life!

Most importantly, this work opens doors for the small and often persecuted local believers to love and serve families in order to proclaim the life-giving good news of Jesus Christ. What we are doing together makes an impact that is hard for us to comprehend!

2023 Employee Benefit Open Enrollment

It’s that time of year again! As always, our friends at Alltrust will be joining us in Zoom meetings to cover our 2023 benefit package and answer any questions you have. Below are links to the Zoom meeting that will be held. You need to select one meeting to participate in and send Holly an RSVP by email with your planned date/time. Every employee must select one meeting date and time to participate. This is a mandatory session.

Just For Laughs

Thanks For Reading

Feel free to contribute to future newsletter editions by sending in pictures on the job, the view from your desk, or bragging about your fellow employees when you catch them being awesome. Stay safe out there, be kind, and drink lots of water in this heat! Thanks for everything you do.