Lessons From A Carpenter
Posted on 12/09/2025 in Selling SkillsThis is one of my favorite stories in our upcoming book titled "How to Wow Customers and Grow Your Business." Please share with others if you like it.
I first learned how to wow customers from my grandfather, who was a carpenter. He started a carpentry business with his brothers after immigrating here as a young man.
I spent a lot of time as a boy at his carpentry shop, initially by helping with simple tasks such as bringing supplies but eventually progressing to working on actual jobs, such as helping to make furniture or add an extra room.
His craftsmanship was exceptional, which is certainly one way to wow customers. But what was the special thing that he did to wow customers even more? He always gave them something extra and unexpected.
For example, imagine that a customer asked him to build a bookcase. When the customer first viewed the finished bookcase, they would be so impressed to see how how well it was built. My grandfather would then surprise them by saying, “I did something else for you. Here are some bookends.” The bookends were made from scrap pieces of wood that had been left over from making the bookshelf. And because the wood was identical, and it was finished with the same stain as the bookshelf, it matched perfectly.
When given the extra item, the look on the customer’s face was priceless. It seemed as if they were even happier to receive the bookends than the bookshelf, which itself was a work of art.
The bookends cost very little since they were made from scrap wood and used the same stain. This allowed my grandfather to provide something extra and unexpected at no additional cost for the customer.
My grandfather did this with all customers, regardless of whether it was a large or small job. This lesson from my grandfather is something that I’ve never forgotten. I thought that he was teaching me to become a carpenter but now realize that he taught me instead how to succeed in business.