On my way to the airport this morning, I passed a large white van with bold lettering on the side:
Ice Machine Service Company.
The moment I saw it, I smiled because it reminded me of a story from years ago at TMC.
One of our merchants—a fast-food restaurant—called our office in a panic because their ice machine had stopped working.
Now, for context… we are a credit card processing company.
Most companies in our industry would have immediately responded with:
“Sorry, you’ve reached the wrong company.”
And technically, they would have been correct.
But at TMC, we’ve always believed customer service is bigger than the specific product you sell.
So instead of dismissing the call, one of our team members started asking questions.
“When was the last time it worked?”
“Is it plugged in?”
“Have you checked the reset button or breaker?”
“Do you happen to have the service company information?”
Eventually, our team tracked down the phone number for the ice machine company, helped connect the merchant to the right people, and the issue was resolved.
Here’s the part that matters most:
When the story made its way back to the credit union that referred the merchant to us, they didn’t say:
“TMC processed their credit cards.”
They said:
“TMC fixed their ice machine.”
And honestly?
Maybe we did.
Not mechanically, of course.
But we solved a problem.
We reduced stress.
We helped someone who needed help.
We cared enough to stay on the line.
That’s what great customer service really is.
The older I get, the more convinced I become that most businesses misunderstand what business they are actually in.
Restaurants think they sell food.
Banks think they sell accounts.
Merchant service companies think they sell processing.
But the best organizations understand something deeper:
We are all in the people business.
Every phone call.
Every email.
Every interaction.
Every frustrated customer.
Every confused merchant.
Every teammate having a hard day.
They are all opportunities to care for people well.
At TMC, we often say we want to “do what is right, not what is easy, cheap, popular, or convenient.”
Sometimes that means helping with something that technically isn’t “our job.”
Because people rarely remember the exact rate you quoted, the software you installed, or the paperwork you processed.
But they absolutely remember how you made them feel when they needed help.
And maybe that’s the real reminder here:
The businesses that stand out in this world are not the ones that protect their job descriptions the best.
They’re the ones that serve people the best.
So no…
We don’t fix ice machines.
Or maybe, in the ways that matter most…
we do.
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