As many of us rush about conducting the daily business of living our lives, we allow so much of what is happening around us to fade into the background. We look, but we don’t really see. We tend to forget that many of the very necessary services and conveniences provided to us are done so by individuals just like ourselves. Individuals who work tirelessly in the background at their jobs to make the rest of our lives a little easier.

As the wife of a career delivery driver, I get to see the challenges and the joys associated with such an occupation. It can be the UPS, FedEx, USPS or it can be the garbage collector, fuel delivery, and repair technician. I can see how much the people and the areas in which these workers provide their services really mean to them both personally and professionally. These people contribute much more to our community than just making deliveries or fixing things. Many of these individuals are the first line of defense when it comes to reporting crimes and traffic accidents. In a lot of situations the delivery driver or service provider is the only person with whom some of our elderly, disabled and homebound community members have outside contact with during the day or sometimes during the entire week. Many of the drivers/providers take the time to get to know the people and their situations and will do whatever they can to accommodate whenever possible as their job allows.

In the corporate rush to improve profit margins and increase production, the true human connection between the service provider and the customer is starting to become somewhat lost. As a customer, be selective in choosing the companies with whom you do business. Be sure to tell them that your all-around satisfaction is just as important as the profit margin. Look for the companies that allow their workers to make customers the priority. Companies can be successful in both aspects if they simply take the time to know what is needed and put the time for this type of connection back into their individual work plans. I also encourage everyone to take a moment to say “thank you” to the delivery person or service provider who comes to your home or business in the coming weeks. They really are the much needed working backbone of our community.

This column is dedicated to Ron K. Get better soon, my friend. The Men in Brown and your customers need you back.