I used to work in a sales office with an older gentleman named Kenny. He was the greatest. Old school values, old school manners. A relaxed, easy-going guy, but smart as a whip. Stories? He had a million of them. He really knew something about just about everything. Reminded me of my grandpa.
Kenny had a ton of wonderful qualities, but one that I really enjoyed was that Kenny was a walking storehouse of folksy one liners. He always made me want to listen to what he had to say, because no matter what the conversation topic, Kenny had a saying appropriate for the situation:
“A short pencil beats a long memory.”
“There are two kinds of people in life: people who like their jobs and people who don’t work here anymore.”
“He’s about as handy as a back pocket on a shirt.”
“I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.”
“A person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package.”
“It’s so dry the trees are bribing the dogs.”
“That guy was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple!”
One of Kenny’s less flamboyant, but equally true sayings popped into my mind the other day when I was talking to a customer named Ross. He called to pay his monthly bill and mentioned that his house payment and both car payments were due at the first of the month, as was his auto insurance with us. It made for a rough beginning of the month. I pulled out my Kenny-ism “It doesn’t cost anything to ask!” and said to Ross, “Would it help if we changed your due date?” Well, you could have heard his sigh of relief two states away. We changed his due date to the middle of the month, and instead of dreading calling us each month, Ross is breathing easy and smiling when he calls.
As a policyholder, or as an agent, or just as a consumer in general, remember: It doesn’t cost anything to ask! Sometimes a small change can make a big difference. So, go ahead and ask! The price is right and you might just be surprised at the results!
I ran into Kenny and his wife, Marilyn, a few weeks ago. He is still going strong and sporting his usual good-natured grin. If you are really lucky, you have a Kenny in your life, imparting wisdom, perspective and a laugh, just when you need it the most.
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