Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Chandler
Linda Stanfield, co-owner
Chandler, Ariz.
benfranklinplumbingaz.com

Linda Stanfield and her husband, Chris, also a co-owner, have been involved in plumbing for 26 years. They’ve received the Super Service Award every year since 2006.

by Paul F. P. Pogue

Linda Stanfield, co-owner of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Chandler, believes business success hinges on two-way communication.

"We really listen to our customers, and we want them to know about products and services that can make their lives easier," Stanfield says.

She's been in the plumbing business for 26 years, and relishes her role in educating the community, whether at festivals, school events, or on radio call-in shows. "Lately I've been known as 'the plumbing gal of Phoenix,'" she says.

Stanfield is also active in community service; her company donated $30,000 to a Habitat for Humanity home in 2006 and installed all the plumbing for free. They continue to donate plumbing services to families in need and also help produce local parades and festivals. "It's very important we give back to the community," she says.

She says she carefully screens and selects her employees with background checks and drug tests to ensure a trustworthy workforce. "As a woman, you never know who's coming into your house," she says. "I want all our families to feel safe."

Stanfield says her 18-person staff is trained to think beyond just following a checklist. "Our plumbers know they need to exceed people's expectations and meet all their needs," she says. "Our employees are happy, and I think that makes a big difference."

She's altered the company's methods over time to ensure customer satisfaction, as well. "We learned that a lot of people with kids and families couldn't take off work for plumbing needs," she says. "So we extended our hours into the evening with no extra charges and started treating Saturday and Sunday like they were weekdays."

Angie's List member John Dowd of Phoenix certainly appreciated their dedication when they cleaned out a sewer backup on a Sunday. "They were really concerned with doing a great job and had very fair pricing," he says.