Yesterday was appliance day shopping. My wife, daughter, and I went to five stores comparing and contrasting refrigerators.
Around lunch time, we headed to our nearest Lowe’s Home Improvement. After exiting the car and walking to the entrance, I noticed the sign. The sign that read, “VETERAN PARKING ONLY. Thank you for your service.”
I had to take the picture.
I also had to say “Thank you” to Lowe’s. While it may seem like a small token, it meant a lot to me as a veteran. Mission BBQ is the only other business I am aware of in the Washington, DC area that has a parking spot reserved for veterans.
Lowe’s “Veteran Only Parking” sign is a differentiator. While small in size, its message is big. The sign is shouting to veterans–we value your business. That doesn’t mean other retailers are not. I am a huge advocating of stating the obvious in your services and your business stories. If you don’t, someone else will.
The lesson from today… What is your organization doing to differentiate itself? Its culture? Its values? Its customer service? Today, more than ever, you need a value story that differentiates you from your competition.
FURTHER READING ON VETERAN-RELATED TOPICS
- Happy Veterans Day: 2019, 2018
- In LinkedIn, What Kind of Profile Picture Should I have?
- Can You Recommend a Good Military to Civilian Resume Writing Service?
- Happy Birthday US Army: 244th, 243rd
- A Sailor’s Perspective on the U.S. Army, Inspiring Speech from Admiral William H. McRaven
Photography Source: © Copyright 2018, The Chief Storyteller®, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
