Hassett Goes to Las Vegas

A few people from our team went to Las Vegas last week for a retreat put on by our culture coach, Linda Small.

Not all of us are Vegas fans (for reals - it's something about the smoke in the casinos, and well, the casinos, actually, if you get right down to it) but it's always an experience, and I for one love the heat.

I realize that I am also the only one. My idea of a good time in Vegas is to get up way early, practice yoga in my totally-non-air-conditioned room (again, for reals, I turn the thing off); get down to the pool as soon as it opens at 7am; swim some laps while dodging industrious waders trying to enjoy the pool while it's only 90 degrees out; go do whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing in Las Vegas for work: touring Zappos, giving a talk on my new role as Director of Culture and Dream Advocate; meeting with our aforementioned culture coach, on, well, our culture; finishing all of that and then delightedly running up to my room to change into either A) running clothes (yes, for reals, running in the desert heat is on the top of my list of favorite pastimes) or B) my swimsuit to go lounge by the pool while it's still 107 out.

I know, my proclivities run towards the weird and verge on the downright unbearable for most people. I've never been one who keeps warm easily and I think I thinned my blood permanently on my 10-year stint in the tropics. And so, I enjoy the things the Vegas has to offer that most people spend their entire visit trying to avoid.

Perhaps the only thing I and my travelmates all equally enjoyed on this trip was the tour of Zappos. Zappos (the just-purchased-by-Amazon-and-started-by-culture-maven-Tony-Hseih-pronounced-shay-shoe-and-other-stuff-selling online company) has a great tagline: Delivering Happiness. If you haven't read Tony's book by the same name, and you're interested at all in business, culture, employees, customer service or national best sellers, I highly recommend it. The concept of delivering happiness has become its own company.

Tony believes by, "...concentrating on the happiness of those around you, you can dramatically increase your own." That idea and ideal is the foundation of how he created one of the most vibrant and emulated company cultures in business today.

Our company trip to Vegas was a part of our own mission to bring more personal and professional happiness into our teams. If our employees are truly happy to be at work, our customers can feel that and perhaps take some of that happiness back into their own lives, and bam! we've made the world a (just a little bit) better place.

-Jocelyn Lovelle

Hassett's Top 10 Moments From 2015

Hassett Hardware had a great year in 2015. We opened a new store, deepened our commitment to our culture and had a good time together. Here are some of the highlights:

Ribbon Cutting at Our New Redwood City Location with Mayor Jeff Gee

The Willow Glen Team During Spirit Week

ACE Ladies at Our Contractor Breakfast in San Mateo

San Mateo Shows Their Support for Trades People Day

Richard and Eric Hassett at the Grand Opening of Their Fifth Store in Redwood City

The Redwood City Team Gets Dressed Up for Their One Year Anniversary

Team Spirit During Spirit Week in Willow Glen

San Mateo Shows Some Love for Their Store

Our First Class in the Redwood City Garden Center

The Holiday Party 

Five Star Yelp Review

Our Redwood City Store Where Myles Works

I've been inundated lately with kind words about our teams - at all our stores - and I thought it would be fun to post a series of Yelp reviews spotlighting individual employees. 

The owners, the corporate/support team, the managers - we can all do everything within our power to create a great culture that strives to give the best customer service possible, but it's the people on the floor, day in and day out, who do the work of greeting each customer with a smile and helping them as best as they can, who truly create the culture in our stores about which I keep hearing so many good things. So kudos to all of our energetic, dedicated, smart, loyal, thoughtful and helpful team. Here's the first in our series - a shout out to Myles in Redwood City:

Miles helped me out and I really have to say he went above and beyond. I needed to rig a custom stabilizer for my camera and Miles helped me explore several options, eventually settling on an outstanding solution. Miles also helped me cut the pieces necessary in store, on the spot. Very positive experience! Also the store is very clean and there were no lines. Winning!