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hen it comes time to deliver on a pledge to go the extra mile, service providers have lots of options, depending on the assignment and the nature of the client relationship. One that rarely gets much serious consideration is to simply give the service away. After all, service providers in the business world exist to make money. But that is exactly what Dallas-based WorkPlaceUSA — winner of a 2001 Site Selection/William Dorsey Service Provider Award — is doing in nearby Fort Worth.
When executives at WorkPlaceUSA, a provider of integrated workplace solutions, learned that The Gladney Center for Adoption was seeking bidders on a new headquarters location, they quickly swung into action, developing and submitting a design, project management and consulting-services proposal as the RFP cycle was winding up. David Amend, the brother of WorkPlaceUSA President John Amend, had adopted a child from the Gladney Center, which for 115 years has provided adoption and maternity services internationally. It has placed more than 25,000 children and assisted more than 36,000 women experiencing crisis pregnancies.
“WorkPlaceUSA was the last firm to come in to make their presentation, which included wonderful architectural design and a high-touch, customer-service-driven approach to helping us get done what we needed in a short period of time,” recalls Mike McMahon, president of the Gladney Center. “We then discovered at the end of the proposal that they intended to do this without charge. We couldn’t believe a firm would offer to do this. Furthermore, they enlisted the services of numerous subcontractors who would provide their services as part of the package. It was a wonderful thing they did for us, and they are accomplishing the work in a timely, customer-friendly way.”
A True Win-Win Situation
McMahon says the services being rendered are worth $1,050,000. “Because they made this pledge so early in the fund-raising campaign, we didn’t need to raise as much money. It makes a big difference, especially after September 11th with fund raising being so much more difficult.” A key tool the center uses in its fund raising is an animated rendering of the facility developed in-house at WorkPlaceUSA. The firm distributes CDs containing project renderings to prospects and existing clients, giving viewers a dynamic look at internal and external space as if they were watching a video of the completed facility.
“Our people actually fought to be on that project,” says WorkPlaceUSA’s John Amend. “It created a sense of morale and esprit de corps in our shop that we didn’t anticipate. At this point in our country’s history, more than ever before, corporations doing things like this can provide unity and show that people can come together and help the community. It’s this spirit, in my view, that demonstrates why we have such a high customer-satisfaction rating. This company is full of passionate, caring people, and this involvement reflects that.”
When completed in May 2002, the 60,000-sq.-ft (5,600-sq.-m.) headquarters will have accommodations for 30 women and the capability to handle up to 300 adoptions per year. “Good news doesn’t make very many headlines, but WorkPlaceUSA has set a great example for other companies,” notes McMahon.
–Mark Arend
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