A customer recently called FriendsOffice and accused one of our customer service representatives of being AI.

Seriously.

She was helping him find what he needed when he became convinced he wasn't talking to a real person.

"You're AI, aren't you?"

"No sir, I'm not AI."

"Well, yes you are."

After a little back and forth, the customer asked how she could prove she wasn't artificial intelligence.

Her response?

"Because I care. I care and I need to make you happy with what you're needing."

It's a story that still makes FriendsOffice COO Peg Schroeder laugh.

But behind the humor is something Peg takes pretty seriously.

When customers reach out to FriendsOffice, she wants them to feel like they're the most important person on the other end of that conversation.

And after 28 years with the company, she believes that's one of the biggest reasons customers keep coming back.

What Does It Really Mean to Put Customers First?

It's a phrase you hear in business all the time.

We put our customers first.

But what does that actually look like?

For Peg, it starts with how someone feels when they reach out for help.

"I want to make that customer feel they're important and they come first," she explains.

Maybe they're trying to find a product that isn't in the usual catalog. Maybe they ordered something that didn't work out. Or maybe they simply have a question and would rather talk to someone than navigate an automated system.

Whatever the reason, Peg wants customers to know there's a real person ready to help.

Someone who listens. Someone who understands that there's a business depending on the answer. Someone who genuinely wants to find a solution.

And that's why FriendsOffice continues to invest in a live customer service team.

Because while technology has changed the way we purchase practically everything, the value of having someone who cares about your experience hasn't changed.

It's Often the Little Things That Matter Most

Peg has watched workplace purchasing evolve dramatically over nearly three decades.

Today, customers can compare suppliers, browse thousands of products and place orders from practically anywhere.

With so many choices available, what makes someone stay with FriendsOffice?

Peg has heard the answer directly from customers.

It's how they're treated.

And sometimes, the best example is something as ordinary as a return.

Maybe someone ordered the wrong item. Maybe a product arrived and wasn't quite what they expected. Or maybe the office simply doesn't need it anymore.

Instead of leaving customers to figure out what happens next, FriendsOffice has a team ready to help.

The customer calls. The team processes the applicable credit and pickup request. And a FriendsOffice driver collects the return.

No unnecessary runaround.

It's not the kind of service that makes headlines.

But for the person responsible for purchasing supplies for an entire organization, those little experiences add up.

Fewer steps. Less time spent resolving problems. One less thing on the to-do list.

Because putting customers first sometimes means taking a few things off their plate.

A Real Person. A Real Relationship.

Peg knows technology will continue to shape the workplace.

She's seen just how much the industry has changed during her 28 years with FriendsOffice.

And she recognizes that customers expect modern purchasing tools, access to products and efficient service.

But she also believes something important can get lost when every interaction becomes a transaction.

The relationship.

"Relationships in business still very much matter," Peg says.

It's why FriendsOffice maintains a live customer service team and why the company places so much importance on the people who interact with customers every day.

Sometimes a customer knows exactly what they need.

Other times, they need someone to help them figure it out.

And occasionally, as Peg's AI story reminds us, the interaction becomes memorable for reasons nobody could have predicted.

But the goal is always the same.

Make the customer feel heard, valued and confident that someone is looking out for them.

The People Behind the Promise

Of course, putting customers first takes more than a friendly voice on the phone.

Someone has to source the product. Someone has to process the return. Someone has to coordinate the pickup. And someone has to arrive at the customer's location to collect it.

The customer may interact with only one person, but there's an entire team making the experience work.

And those are the people Peg credits for making FriendsOffice what it is.

Even during the busiest seasons of the year, when the workload is especially demanding, she says she still looks forward to coming to work.

Why?

The people she works with.

She describes a team that wants to be there, takes pride in serving customers and genuinely wants to provide an experience that brings them back.

And that attitude matters.

Because a company's promise to put customers first only means something when the people doing the work believe in it, too.

The People Who Put You First

Over the past several weeks, we've introduced you to some of the people behind FriendsOffice.

We've talked about technology, operations, project coordination, company growth and what it means to take care of business.

Different roles. Different perspectives.

But there's something that connects every conversation.

The people.

The ones who answer the phone. Find the product. Solve the unexpected problem. Coordinate the delivery. Make the return less of a hassle.

The people who care about getting the little things right because they know those little things matter to someone else.

And perhaps that's what makes Peg's story about the customer who thought he was talking to AI so fitting.

Technology will continue to change how we work, communicate and purchase the things our businesses need.

But the desire to feel heard, understood and taken care of?

That isn't going anywhere.

And neither is our commitment to putting the people we serve first.

Everything for people@work.

All with the help of your Friends.

In case you missed it, here's the full video showcasing all about FriendsOffice and what we can do for our customers!