By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive

I’ve been in business a long time but it still thrills me when I run into a company that treats customers, employees and vendors with class. To be sure there are a number of definitions of class, but for me, class is when somebody, or a company, does everything the right way effortlessly. When that person or company extends itself, with graciousness, for the sake of others, even when it doesn’t have to, it’s classy. 

Dennis and David’s Cookies, which includes Ari Margulies, and others, are by application of my definition, class acts. I include Ari in this because it all starts with ownership and management. The people they hire are a reflection of their beliefs and core values. I’ve never spoken or met Ari but think highly of him based on my interactions with Dennis. 

I’m extremely confident that David’s Cookies treats it employees well because I am of the belief that a man of Dennis’s merit would’ve left long ago if he didn’t find his work environment engaging and fulfilling. I suspect that he feels that he is part of a team where his opinion is valued and his efforts appreciated.

Let me use an anecdote to illustrate the differences between a hostile work environment where management made its employees feel like we were an expendable commodity, and another, positive environment, at the same company, where we felt like we were part of a great team, and how employees are a reflection of that environment.

When I was a young sales rep I worked under a VP of Sales who was a dictator. His motto was, “I may be wrong but I’ll go to my grave being wrong”. And he was wrong a lot. He ruled by fear and created fear in his sales team. Meetings were hell. He dictated our every movement and every word. We were never asked our opinion; and we wouldn’t offer it if asked. He created an environment where everybody and, eventually, the company began to shut down. We couldn’t wait to get the heck out of there at the end of the day. It wasn’t too long before the numbers fell off appreciably and he was fired. 

His replacement had a completely different approach. The tenor of the sales meetings changed. The new VP encouraged a free exchange of ideas and information. We felt like we were part of an exciting team. We began to appreciate one another anew for our talents, skills and character. The working environment went from stultifying and suffocating to energetic and exciting. We worked longer and harder. We felt like we had a personal stake in the growth of the company. It was a beautiful experience and the company prospered. 

If you would’ve talked to me while working under the VP dictator, you would’ve found me to be combative, hostile and desperate. A fear driven personality, and by proxy of the manager they hired, a negative reflection of the company no matter how hard I worked at being upbeat.  

If you would have met me six months later while working under the VP who replaced the dictator, you would’ve had a different impression of me and would’ve wanted to do business with us. I felt free and easy and confident. I was a positive reflection of the company. The only difference was in the quality of the managers. One VP understood why people are referred to a human resource, while the other didn’t. 

It’s clear that Dennis works for great people. Along with his deep understanding of marketing he has a grace and ease that I’m sue is allowed and nutured in his work envirinment. The greatest actor can’t put a smile on daily pain and misery.

The products sold by David’s are first rate and generous in size. The customer service extraordinary. Customers are well taken care of and should never be disappointed.

You may wonder why I’ve taken the time to write this rather lengthy article trumpeting the virtues of Dennis and David’s; well, let me give you an idea of how they treated this vendor.

We recently posted an article in eBizine for Dennis in which we gave Dennis an opportunity to talk about David’s. Without our asking (which we wouldn’t have done), and to our surprise, Dennis and his company expressed their gratitude to us in two rather uncommon and not inconsequential ways. I’m not at liberty to reveal exactly what they did but let me clear, it wasn’t expected, and they did it, spontaneously, because that’s who they are.

Class acts. 

The result of which is that they have a friend in eBrand. As a result of their gesture we feel noticed, remembered and appreciated. As a result eBrand Media officially inducts Dennis and David’s Cookies into the eBrand Hall of Fame.

Thank you, Dennis, and everybody at David’s. We’ll remember to pay it forward.