How's the Corn?

The kernel of our relationship philosophy

On a muggy Florida afternoon in May, 1989, as Dona Covington is just returning from lunch, the phone rings. She rushes to her desk and answers, “Good afternoon, ACS!”

“Hi.” The caller (we’ll call her Julie to protect the innocent) inquires, “Is Barry in?”

“No, I’m sorry, he’s still at lunch.”

“How about Roy? Is he in?”

“Yes, but he’s on another call. Jeff can probably help you,” Dona offers, and then rolls her eyes as Julie utters a familiar sigh on the other end of the phone.

“Yeah… I guess,” Julie responds after a brief pause.

Later that afternoon, Jeff confides to Barry about his conversation with Julie. “It just sounds like she doesn’t really want to talk to me. I gave her what she needed, but it seemed like she couldn’t hang up fast enough.” With a perplexed look he continued, “Also, every time she calls, she asks for somebody else.”

Barry smiles and considers how best to respond. As the most experienced of the company’s founders, Jeff Himmel is known for his broad expertise and his knack for getting things done. At a particularly busy time in the history of the business, he has also developed a reputation for having a direct, sometimes brusque personality.

“That’s interesting,” Barry chuckles, “especially since I’m getting a hundred people a day that only want to talk to me. Maybe it’s because I stop and ask them how they’re doing, how are the kids, stuff like that.”
Jeff glowered. “What am I doing wrong? I’m just trying to fix this program as fast as possible. Besides, I don’t do small talk. What am I supposed to say?”

Barry pauses and thinks about everything he knows about Julie. “Well, she’s from Iowa. Ask her about the corn.”

“The corn?” Jeff looks puzzled. “Who gives a damn about corn?”

“People in Iowa might. That’s all you see up there,” Barry replies. Jeff shakes his head as he walks away.

The next month, Barry works diligently in his office as Dona’s voice crackles on his intercom, “Since Jeff is busy, can you take this call from Julie in Iowa?”

“You mean she asked for Jeff?”

“Yes,” Dona replies. Barry raises his eyebrows and picks up the phone.

He proceeds to chat with Julie for a few minutes, finally posing the question, “So, you’ve been working with Jeff on this issue. How is that going?”

“Oh, it’s going really well. He’s so sweet lately,” she gushes. “He was asking me about the corn the other day, and I told him it looks like it’ll be knee high by July.”

Immediately after hanging up the phone, Barry appears in Jeff’s doorway. Jeff turns and peers over his glasses just as an enthusiastic Barry prompts, “Hey, Jeff!”

“What?”

“How’s the corn?” Barry grins, and darts away as Jeff proceeds to loudly describe exactly what Barry should do with his corn.

Over the years, Jeff Himmel began traveling more and more, meeting face to face with customers, often accompanying younger consultants. As he experienced much of the American landscape, Jeff eventually saw the corn in Iowa for himself. Along the way, he developed an even deeper appreciation for relationship building, an approach equally embraced by then partners Roy Jaeger and Barry Frangipane. Even in partial retirement (no more than 40 hours a week), he flew his private plane, or sometimes drove with wife Mary in their motor home, to visit customers. He continued this tradition until his death in 2005.

Today it is possible to provide most programming and support remotely. But the lesson stands. Although much business is transacted by phone or email, we make a special effort to get to know our customers. And we come visit every chance we get.