By Keith White, Jr.
Consistently manufacturing high-quality products for customers presents numerous challenges. So many things must come together at the right time; the planets of the industrial world must align perfectly to produce excellent products and service. That’s one of the things I love so much about working in this industry. As a company president, I prefer challenges over easy wins, because they help me to grow in my role. But, I also do not like losing. Therein lies the dichotomy, because losing refines us and points to the potential for improvement. The joy of winning feels less sweet without experiencing the misery of defeat once in a while. Just as sadness contrasts with joy and bad with good, losing gives meaning to winning.
If that’s the case, why do so many companies that produce goods often balk at taking responsibility for issues related to their products? Why are service systems often designed to defend the company more than support the customer?
As I grow professionally within our company and industry, these questions consistently trouble me. I believe in the value of honesty and transparency, but also recognize the complexities that arise in business. Over the years, I’ve worked in design, managed product portfolios, selected and removed vendors, and refined our processes, software, and team. What I observed during disagreements, time and again, was how much effort companies and people spent defending their position—whatever “right” meant in a given situation—instead of focusing on finding solutions. I couldn’t accept that approach, and because of that our company operates differently. We prioritize solutions over defending positions. We aren’t perfect, and we’re ok with that.
AirPro craves solutions. When a customer brings us a problem, we want to fix it. This ethos runs deep. This might mean admitting we didn’t do something well enough, much to our chagrin. Navigating this relationally proves challenging because our fans interact with systems from other manufacturers, and some issues might not stem from our fans. Because of this, we gather facts and objectively collaborate with the customer to understand cause and effect and other variables to find an expedient solution.
Imagine a scenario where contacting an industrial fan manufacturer with a concern about an industrial fan purchase results in a prompt response from a live person who seeks additional information to assist effectively. The problem-solving process feels collaborative and supportive, rather than adversarial. Envision a business relationship that feels cohesive, involving a single, unified company rather than multiple entities. That’s AirPro’s vision.
If that sort of relationship sounds appealing, consider working with AirPro on your next industrial fan project. We are eager to establish a business relationship that extends beyond financial transactions. We want to help make your project great, fully acknowledging that we may encounter and address issues as we progress.