Going the Extra 1200 Miles: A Story of Doing the Right Thing

Living iCoStore’s Core Values

When one of iCoStore’s clients, a wind energy company, planned an opening ceremony for a new wind farm in rural Kansas, it was more than just a ribbon-cutting. Community members, local landowners, company executives, and the entire team of workers gathered to mark the occasion. iCoStore was honored to support this celebration by providing custom hats to commemorate the day and represent the company’s brand.

But on the afternoon before the event, Whitney, the client’s account manager, got a call: the hats iCoStore shipped weren’t the ones they ordered. With the event set to start at 9 a.m. the next morning—hours from the nearest airport—it became clear that we’d mixed up two similar boxes. Fortunately, the correct hats were still at iCoStore.

Time was tight. Whitney quickly informed Tom, iCoStore’s president, and together they tried every shipping service possible to rush the hats to Kansas by 8 a.m. By 4:30 p.m., it was clear that only one option remained: delivering the hats by hand.

Tom canceled his evening plans, booked a last-minute flight to Denver (the closest available option), and took the boxes to the airport. He called the client en-route, assuring her he’d do everything possible to make things right. The client was understandably concerned, knowing her reputation was on the line with company leaders and community members.

After a delayed flight, Tom landed in Denver after 11 p.m., rented a car, and started the 250-mile drive with a couple of Red Bulls to fuel the journey. He arrived in town by 3:30 a.m., grabbed a quick nap, and met the client’s team for breakfast to swap the boxes. With the correct hats in hand, the team was ready for the big day. Tom then headed back toward Denver, knowing iCoStore had fulfilled its commitment.

Although this was not a large account for iCoStore, this effort wasn’t about the size of the client. Mistakes happen in every business, but it is how they are handled that matters.  The iCoStore motto is, “Do the right thing” and that is what we did.

This story didn’t need a company-wide announcement; it spoke for itself. The word spread quietly, and employees knew it was more than a motto…iCoStore lives by it. We may “just” provide promotional products, but we know our clients depend on us. Their brand and reputation matter, so we go the extra mile, or 1200 miles, whatever it takes—because that’s how we do business: by doing the right thing.