Recently, while visiting one of our shed lots—the very place where my own journey in the shed industry first began—I had an experience that reminded me why customer service still matters more than any pricing strategy, promotion, or marketing campaign we can run.
I met a customer who came in simply to buy a shed. But instead of just walking through sizes and options, she shared a story from her own career that carried more wisdom than any sales seminar or business book. And it struck me how powerfully this lesson applies to every one of us in the shed, carport, and portable building industry.
She told me about her time selling shoes back in North Carolina. Retail shoe sales can be competitive, especially when multiple stores are fighting for the same customer traffic. But she managed to consistently separate herself from her competition—and her coworkers. One particular moment stayed with her.
One day, a man walked into the store carrying a gift card. At first glance, he looked like someone many retail employees might try to avoid helping. His clothing was worn, it was cold outside, and his shoes were in rough shape. As she described it, some people might say “his elevator hadn’t quite made it to the top.” In other words, he might not have seemed like the easiest or most profitable customer.
But he walked in determined to buy shoes, and he handed over a gift card. There was just one problem. The gift card was from a completely different company.
Most employees would have politely explained the situation and sent him back out into the cold. After all, policy is policy, right? Wrong card, wrong store. Problem solved.
But she hesitated. She looked down and saw the man’s feet through his worn-out shoes. He clearly needed them. So instead of turning him away, she called her manager and explained the situation. She asked if they could accept the gift card anyway and provide him with a pair of durable shoes.
Her boss approved it.
So, she helped the man pick out a solid, long-lasting pair of shoes and rang up the purchase using the gift card from the other store.
But she didn’t stop there.
After completing the sale, she walked over to a display and grabbed a pack of wool socks—warm, soft socks that would make those new shoes even more comfortable—and added them for him.
When the man left the store, grateful and smiling, her coworkers shook their heads.
“You’re going to get fired,” they told her. “You just gave away shoes and socks to someone who couldn’t even pay correctly.”
But they misunderstood something important.
Her boss had trained her with a principle he believed in deeply—a principle that guided how he treated customers. He called it: Just give them the pickle.
He explained the idea with another story.
A mother once came into a small grocery store to buy supplies for the week. Money was tight. Every penny mattered. She had her baby in the cart, and while checking out, the child noticed a jar of pickles sitting near the register.
The store sold pickles individually for two cents each.
The baby reached for the jar and began to fuss, wanting a pickle. But the mother knew her budget. Even two cents was more than she could spare at the moment. She gently told the child no.
As the baby started to cry, the store owner walked over, reached into the jar, and handed the baby a pickle. Instant happiness.
The baby calmed down, enjoying the unexpected treat. But the bigger impact was on the mother. She was deeply touched by the kindness. It was a tiny gesture—just two cents’ worth of product—but it meant something.
From that day forward, she chose to buy all her groceries from that store. Not because of pricing. Not because of convenience. Because of how they made her feel.
That’s the pickle.
And as I listened to this story at our shed lot, it hit me: we have the opportunity to give our customers the pickle every single day in our industry.
Think about what we sell. Portable buildings. Sheds. Garages. Workshops. Storage solutions. These purchases are often emotional decisions as much as practical ones. Customers are protecting belongings, creating hobby spaces, building small businesses, or simply trying to solve problems at home.
And yet, how often do we get caught up in contracts, delivery limits, warranty terms, and liability concerns?
Sometimes we hide behind policy. Sometimes we say, “That’s not our fault,” or “That’s outside of our responsibility.”
But here’s the truth: customers don’t remember policy. They remember experiences.
Maybe delivery day comes, and the ground isn’t perfectly level. Maybe the site needs a little extra adjustment. Maybe the customer misunderstood something about placement or access. Maybe a branch scratches siding during delivery. Maybe something goes wrong that technically isn’t our responsibility.
In those moments, we have a choice. We can argue policy. Or we can give them the pickle.
We can make sure the building gets leveled properly, even if it takes extra time. We can fix something small, even if the damage wasn’t entirely our fault. We can send someone back out to make a minor adjustment because the customer isn’t happy.
Those decisions cost a little time and money in the moment. But what do they buy? A customer for life.
In our business, repeat customers matter. Referrals matter even more. A single happy customer might send you 10 more. A frustrated one can drive away even more through bad reviews or word-of-mouth.
And today, with online reviews and social media, every customer interaction can become public instantly.
But beyond business strategy, it’s also just the right thing to do.
We’re in communities. We serve families. We work with people investing hard-earned money into something meaningful for them.
Sometimes the best marketing move we can make isn’t another advertisement—it’s simply kindness. It’s remembering that we’re dealing with people, not transactions.
The woman who shared this story didn’t remember sales quotas or store promotions. She remembered a moment when someone needed help, and she chose to give more than was required. That decision defined her career success in retail.
And I believe the same mindset can define success in the shed industry. So, the next time something small comes up with a customer, ask yourself: What’s the pickle here?
Maybe it’s throwing in touch-up paint. Maybe it’s helping with leveling. Maybe it’s replacing a small part without charging. Maybe it’s simply taking extra time to make sure they’re satisfied.
The cost is small. The impact is huge. Because when customers walk away thinking, “They didn’t have to do that, but they did,” you’ve created loyalty no marketing budget can buy.
And in this industry—where reputation travels fast—that might be the most valuable thing we can build.
So, here’s my encouragement to every dealer, manufacturer, and salesperson reading this: whenever you get the chance…
Just give them the pickle.
