What I Learned By Making My Bed (How to Increase Sales and Achieve Outstanding Customer Service)

It’s embarrassing to admit that until recently I was terrible at making my bed.

In my youth, my mother tried to instill this trait within me – optimistically hoping it will become a daily habit – but no luck. Counselors in sleep away camp also tried (even offering me candy bars as incentives), but it was pointless. Many color war points in camp were lost because of my inability to make my bed.

My wife, who has put up with me on many issues for 25+ years, has tried, and to her credit - never gives up on me.

It wasn’t as if I didn’t try. I put the blanket over my bed and straightened my pillows, but even I have to admit that it never looked quite right.

And then one day it clicked.

It turns out that the difference between making your bed poorly and being an expert and recognized expert bed maker (by the proper expert bed making authorities) requires minimal effort. In this case, it was smoothing out the sheets and the blanket after the hard work is done, and puffing up the pillows.

Literally 15 seconds more work...

What a lesson. The difference better doing a poor job and a great job is just taking that little extra step.

Scary to think about how many hours I wasted doing a poor job over the years. Even scarier to think about how may other things that applies to in our lives.

Lesson learned.

Now where’s my candy bar?