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What Business Are YOU In?

Jeff Kershner

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May 1, 2005
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A friend of mine from school just took over ownership of a local vehicle service shop. I congratulated him. What an amazing opportunity.
I asked him - what business are you in?
He replied, with a funny look - we fix cars and trucks.
Why would I take my car to you to get fixed?
Because we work on all types of vehicles and we usually fix it right the first time.
So what - most everyone does that. What BUSINESS are you in?
We fix cars and trucks.
No! You're in the business of Customer Service. You just so happen to fix cars.

He pondered. Over the next 20 minutes of conversation around now operating his own business, he had that AH-HA moment.

"I'm in the business of making people feel better about getting their vehicle fixed."

You got it!
 

✨ AI Highlights

Jeff Kershner recounts a conversation with a friend who just took over a vehicle service shop, using it to illustrate that businesses often misidentify what they actually do — fixing cars is the task, but customer service is the real business. The core insight is that success comes from recognizing you're in the business of making customers feel good about the experience, not just completing the transaction.

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