Leading with responsiveness and hands-on customer service

By Jenny Yu. 

From direct-to-builder service to jobsite visits, AJ Manufacturing puts customer needs at the center of every decision. 

At A.J. Manufacturing Inc., customer service is more than a department. It has been a core part of the company’s identity for its over five decades as a leader in insulated door product manufacturing. In this episode of MetalCast™, Karen Edwards spoke with Todd Carlson, the president of A.J. Manufacturing, about how the team’s fast response and hands-on approach continue to set the tone for how the business interacts with builders, contractors and end users. 

“We trip over ourselves sometimes in responding, so we reflect and we say we should slow down a little bit. Let's follow our problem-solving format. Let's get to the root cause before we jump to solutions,” Todd shared, showcasing the urgency and enthusiasm in which the A.J. Manufacturing team brings to each customer inquiry.  

A big contributor to AJ’s responsiveness is its choice to operate direct-to-builder instead of relying heavily on distribution. Todd said the model keeps the company close to customers and more aware of jobsite realities. “We are direct substantially. The direct contact means we're right next to the customer and the end user, and that's how we try to look at the relationship,” Todd explained. “When we deliver a product, it's not just getting it to our customer. It's getting it to the job site, and then it's the interface and interaction with the end user.” 

Todd and A.J. Manufacturing leaders take that commitment into the field. Instead of sending service teams to jobsites, the quality manager, head of operations, head of engineering or the president will travel across the country to observe conditions firsthand. “I've been on rooftops of buildings in California, New York. I've been on job sites in the Deep South at poultry and hog farms,” Todd shared. “We take a look at what the real conditions are, and we try to really understand what's happening and then come back and work on it.” 

Listen to the full podcast to learn more about A.J. Manufacturing’s customer-first approach.