I try to keep these articles real, as in real world, in contrast to using platitudes to paint a grand picture in which the real world is unable to measure up. The subtitle of this article, a slightly modified quote (“giving” changed to “serving”) from St. Francis of Assissi’s famous prayer, seems at first glance to fail that test.

My real-world experience argues otherwise, however.

It is tempting to view business as a dog-eat-dog world. I can’t speak for every business, but in our business of providing home cleaning services, I have found that the biggest long-term dividends are found when we give more or serve better than expected.

For example, when a woman comes home to find a mess in her house because the dog got into something it shouldn’t, ate it and got sick (often from both ends), the last thing I want to do is hop in the truck and clean up that mess. Yet, if I do I will often — not always, but often — receive back from that person in additional business and referrals many times the value of the service I provided.

This is especially true if I resist the temptation to gouge the customer for the service provided when she was desperate.

Every week we are presented with at least one opportunity to serve in a way that goes above and beyond the norm. How we respond to these opportunities will determine, in large part, whether we build an ordinary or an extraordinary business.

Remember that the next time you get one of “those” calls.

John Downey is owner-operator of Downey’s Carpet Care of Granville in Granville, Ohio. When he’s not scrubbin’ rug, his wife, Cecilia, lets him help out his brother, Tiger, owner of Perceptionist, an appointment scheduling service for small service businesses (www.myperceptionist.com), or assist Dr. Michael Berry in his efforts to bring science-based environmental management practices to the cleaning industry. John can be reached at jdowney@johndowneyco.com.