(Dan Bird headshot)
Staffers at the Dan Company, which specializes in house renovations in Nashville, Tennessee, frequently get calls from folks looking for help with small repair jobs. At times, their schedule is too full to accommodate such requests.
Instead of turning them down, they provide the caller with recommendations for other contractors, including online research while on the phone. “Even if we aren’t doing the work, if you’re calling on us and we can help, we’ll help,” says Dan Bird, owner of the Dan Company. “Everybody who comes to us, we serve.”
This is just one example of why the Dan Company won an International Torch Award for Ethics in 2022 for businesses with 11 to 99 employees. “Being recognized for doing good is better than being recognized for having the best piece of trim carpentry or the best kitchen,” Bird says. “There are plenty of guys that can do what we can do in the market—doing great work. But to do great work and go above that and do great things for your employees, to do great things for your community, to do great things for your customers while doing great work is a step above.”
“We no longer want to be the best kitchen-maker or the best addition-maker, but the best company to work for because you will get the best kitchen made, you will get the best addition built, if you are the best company to work for.”
Committing to the four C’s
The local and International Torch Awards for Ethics criteria are based on the four C’s: Character of the organization’s leadership, an authentic Culture, a transparent relationship with Customers, and the impact in the local Community.
Here are Bird’s thoughts on the importance of each of the four C’s in running his business of 15 employees.
Character: For Bird, it’s about honesty. If a mistake is made, own up and fix it. He also understands that their work—renovating someone’s house while they are living in it—causes upheaval in people’s lives. “It is important to think about the other person,” he says. “What does our footprint look like in their world and if we can always present an honest, truthful storyline on how we are going to get there, then we believe that is the best way we can provide a service to our client.”
Culture: Bird credits a couple of mentors for helping him realize he should depend on the team instead of just himself in making decisions and solving problems. “We want to make sure we are tapping into what every single person can be as a resource to make the business better, which ultimately serves the client better.”
Bird has built a culture of collaboration and information sharing. There’s a team meeting every Thursday to discuss successes and review improvements. Afterward, notes from the gathering are distributed to every team member.
Plus, he builds support for employees into the system. If job duties shift, there’s a 60-day training period before the employee assumes full responsibility. If someone’s workload is too heavy, he says, “We want to recognize it before they say something about it.” Vacations are just that: no checking on work emails. Citing the intensity of the renovation business, “We do everything in our power to let our people rest.” And they hold at least four staff outings a year.
Customer relationships: “We want customers to feel like they are cared for from the moment I knock on the door,” he says. Each project, no matter how big or small, is assigned to at least five staffers to track the progress. And there are several check-in calls with customers to make adjustments.
Bird also cites examples of spending time with clients before renovation begins to find the best solutions. For instance, one couple wanted to build an addition, but after realizing the root of the problem (an attic space was too hot to use), they shifted directions by reworking the HVAC system, among other things. They also discovered and fixed a plumbing issue that had prevented the homeowners from using their clothes washer, eliminating wasteful trips to a laundromat.
“I am not the salesman of the company,” Bird says. “I am the provider of services.”
Community: When a major storm hits Nashville, Bird will send crews in trucks loaded with plywood and tarp into impacted neighborhoods to go door-to-door to ask people if they need help at no cost. Bird also volunteers for 413 Strong, which provides intensive, faith-based life training for young men in difficult circumstances (homeless, recently released from prison) and a pipeline for employment. He is also helping the Better Business Bureau’s Integrity Foundation raise money for scholarship programs.
