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Sometimes bigger is not better. A personal touch can go a long way in keeping a customer for life. That is what Shelly Feinman, owner and "customer care specialist" for Best Supply Company, Dallas, Texas, has found in his 30 years working in the jan/san industry.

Feinman learned the value of customer service early in his sales career. Selling women's clothes and eventually men's suits prepared him for the rigors of a maintenance products' distributorship. He learned how to make cold calls and listen to the needs of the customer.

"If you can sell women's clothes, you can sell anything," says Feinman.

The start

It wasn't necessarily Feinman's goal to have his own distributorship. He was content to work for somebody else and just part time. However, his former employer's business practices led him into a different direction. Back then, many of his clients were tight on credit and were in a bind.

"My boss didn't want me to sell them any more products. I couldn't just abandon them, so I sold them behind her back and on the side. She eventually caught me and ultimately fired me," says Feinman.

Not permitted to call on his former clients, his old customers sought him out. Feinman decided to take the plunge and open a distributorship and sell maintenance supplies full time.

"The customers I wanted to keep, I kept. I still sell them today. They believe in me."

Educational trainer

Another lesson Feinman learned early in his career was the importance of education. Being informed and able to pass that knowledge on to clients has paid dividends for Feinman. Because he was also a cook in a nursing home, he was eligible to take classes offered by the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA).

Through these classes, he was able to enhance his skills and learn the industry cleaning standards. "Back then, only one or two people went to the classes," says Feinman. "I figured it would be good for me and my business. And it was."

Feinman stuck with the classes and eventually earned the Registered Executive Housekeeper (R.E.H.) designation.

According to Feinman, health care facilities are inspected frequently in Texas. In addition, rules change often for housekeeping and cleaning staff, so they must keep up to date. Nursing homes are rated and scored after their inspection and these scores are then made available to the general public. This gives further incentive for the facilities to perform well.

"Fortunately for me, I have a lot of nursing home facilities as clients and this leads to housekeeping supplies sales," says Feinman.

However, his training skills are what really endears him to his clients and just as important, to their housekeeping staffs. Using his skills as a trainer, Feinman prepares housekeepers and builds up their confidence. According to Feinman, housekeeping is seen as the "low position on the totem pole" and therefore many of the workers have self-esteem issues. At the start of training sessions, Feinman asks the housekeepers how many of them love their job and have confidence in what they are doing. Usually, only one or two hands go up. By the end of the session, everybody's hand goes up.

"When I get finished talking with them, everybody has confidence in their job. They know that I am on their side and want them to succeed," says Feinman.

But the relationship doesn't end when the session is over. Feinman gives workers his personal cell phone number so they can call him with any questions or problems that they might experience. Often, when the workers change jobs, they take Feinman with them to their new facility.