Scott Bailey, Burkhart Account Manager and Mentor at Folsom Rotary Club
Scott Bailey was born with a heart for community.
For the past 35 years, Bailey has served his community of Folsom, CA in numerous ways, from being a reserve volunteer Folsom police officer, an equipment volunteer for local school music programs, a city council candidate, and to a Scout leader (for 22 years).
After stepping away from his Scout leader role, among others, Bailey sought out an outlet for his community service. He was soon recruited into the local Folsom Rotary Club and has been an active member for about four years.
The club recently held its annual Youth Leadership Conference where local high school students are connected with mentors. There, he met with about 50 high school juniors and about 60 other mentors. After taking part in a few group exercises and ice-breakers, Scott and other mentors presented on the topic of ethics, integrity, and doing the right thing in business and relationships.
Scott, who has been a Burkhart Account Manager for 14 years, asked the students ethical questions regarding doing what is right for the company v. what is right for the customer, using the example of the Ford Motor Co. and its fallible Pinto.
“These young minds were sponges,” Bailey said. “Fantastic conversations were had.”
Bailey continued to give the students a real-life example explaining the difference between a customer and a client.
“I gave a scenario where a dentist asks me for a quote on a new sterilizer. I explained that most of my competitors would immediately produce a proposal and likely try to sell the most expensive unit available. I explained that my first response to a client asking about a new sterilizer would be, ‘What’s the issue with your existing unit? Can I have my service department bring out a rental unit? Let’s have my service techs evaluate your unit and see if it can be repaired. If after that, you decide you need a new unit, we can talk about it at that time,’” Bailey said.
The Burkhart Family Values |
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| Integrity Always act with integrity to earn and maintain our clients’ trust. |
Knowledge Be a knowledgeable resource for our clients, their business, and their patients. |
Client Success Work in our client’s best interest to help their business succeed. |
Bailey then explained that Burkhart is a relationship-based business and aims to have lifelong clients versus a quick short-lived customer. “I explained that my goal is to be the trusted advisor and expert by demonstrating that I have the client’s best interest in mind. I then pulled out my Burkhart business card. I read them the lines ‘Integrity, knowledge, client success.’
“I explained that this is why I work for this company,” Bailey said. “The kids got it. The adults in the room were blown away!”
Some asked why competitors wouldn’t adopt the same approach, to which Bailey answered that stockholders and management are often greedy and place pressure to perform on employees. “I told them Burkhart was privately owned and I was proud to be working for the Burkhart family,” Bailey said.
Learn more about the Folsom Rotary at FolsomRotary.com
Written by Madison Miller
Published in Catalyst – Q3 2023.
Category: Giving Back
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