24/7 Service | call us (877) 378-4642
Melissa Carlson
Melissa comes to Skid Pro with over 20 years of office management and customer service experience in the insurance industry. Her strengths are a friendly voice, a can-do attitude, and all while wearing a big smile!
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Forestry Mulcher – This attachment looks like it comes right out of a horror film!
Personal Time/Hobbies: I enjoy working in the yard with my twins, riding my bike on long adventures, and hiking with my dog.
Something Surprising About Me: I like my music LOUD, I am a huge UFC fan and all my friends call me socially awkward.
Favorite Food: I haven’t found a vegetable that I didn’t love! I also can’t pass up a good food truck or a “hole-in-the-wall” café/diner.
What I Like Most About My Job: I laugh every day! We all work really hard but we have fun while we’re doing it.
Josie grew up on a ranch in South Dakota; moving to Alexandria in 2007 for college and fell in love with the lakes area and the people – making it impossible to leave. Even though Josie hated farm work, she enjoys working in the equipment industry.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: The Post Pounder Puller Combo – because I’ve helped my dad build & tear down plenty of fence in my day & this attachment would have come in handy!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Being with my family, friends & fur babies – Chuck & Oscar, crafting, baking, cooking & reading.
Something Surprising About Me: I was the Valedictorian of my High School Senior Class & I speak fluent sarcasm.
Favorite Food: Mexican or Chinese
What I Like Most About My Job: My co-workers and their quick wit!
Lindsay comes to Skid Pro with an excessive amount of organizational skills and hands-on understanding of Skid Steer attachments from growing up on a dairy farm. Like a handful of the Guru’s she has been around equipment most of her life.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Pallet Forks – who doesn’t like the simplicity of a good set of Forks.
Personal Time/Hobbies: Being in the kitchen, working out, attending sporting events, and spending time with my family and my dog, Axel.
Something Surprising About Me: I have a handful of nicknames – most given to me from my Dad. The one that has stuck with me – Gump.
Favorite Food: Coffee, Cottage Cheese, Dates, and Mexican Food.
What I Like Most About My Job: The in-depth phone conversations about weather with customers and the witty one-liners from both the Guru’s and Customers.
Katie came to Skid Pro with many years of working in various office settings. She holds an AAS Degree in Administrative Office Management and a BAS Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. As a native Minnesotan, she enjoys all things outdoors and is intrigued to work in the Skid Steer attachment industry.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Wood Splitter. I’ve split and hauled wood with my dad the hard way, so I really appreciate the efficiency & simplicity of the wood splitter attachment.
Personal Time/Hobbies: Hunting and fishing/ice fishing, going for long runs and doing HIIT workouts, traveling the world with my husband and spending time with friends, family and my yellow Labrador. I am also guilty of being a couch potatoes & “binge” watching Netfix.
Something Surprising About Me: I used to be in gymnastics in high school – you’ll often still see me flipping around and walking on my hands! I was also a pole vaulter.
Favorite Food: Very Minnesotan of me, but Hotdish! Tater Tot hotdish, to be exact! You betcha!
What I Like Most About My Job: I really enjoy the fast pace atmosphere and constantly learning new facts about the equipment every day. I also enjoy interacting with our customers and Product Guru’s – never a dull moment!
Carol was born and raised in California. Growing up in a large family of 13 gives her the ability to work with a variety of personalities and ever changing circumstances. After visiting Minnesota on several business trips she fell in love with the seasons and moved here in 1993.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: X4 brush cutter, who doesn’t love a beast?
Personal Time/Hobbies: Riding my Can-Am Spyder, golf, fishing and spending time with my husband.
Something Surprising About Me: I’m a certified S.C.U.B.A. diver and I have my own bike.
Favorite Food: Mexican food and hot bread with butter.
What I Like Most About My Job: Beating any of the Guru’s in fantasy football.
Molly grew up in rural ND. Outside work was never her thing but she did get to help with hay. She moved to Alexandria to attend college where she met her husband and never left. She comes to Skid Pro with many years of customer service and office experience.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: The bucket! Who doesn’t love its versatility? It halls dirt, wood, silage, moves snow and while visiting grandparents the kiddos get a ride!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Being with my family, friends and of course shopping!
Something Surprising About Me: I don’t drink milk or eat vegetables.
Favorite Food: Coffee & Pizza
What I Like Most About My Job: My co-workers, along with the fast pace environment and the laughing that happens every day.
Carly grew up just southwest of Alexandria on her family’s century farm. Raising crops and livestock, she has been around equipment and the agricultural industry her whole life. She came back to the area after getting a B.S. in Animal Science with a Minor in Agricultural Communications from North Dakota State University.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: any bucket. Some of my favorite memories was getting to “ride” in the bucket around the farm to help my dad.
Personal Time/Hobbies: Wood projects, going to my farm, and hanging out with my friends and family, and Bison tailgating.
Something Surprising about me: I can weld pretty well!
Favorite Food: Meat and veggies
What I like most about my job: My co-workers and the jokes/pranks that happen every day.
Holli comes to the Skid Pro team with almost 7 years of customer service experience. She graduated from Alex Tech with an A.A.S. Degree in Marketing and Sales as well as Business Management. Growing up in an Ag Community and with both parents working in the construction industry. She is ready to dive in and learn all she can about the industry and equipment.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Log splitter. I would rather not chop wood with an axe!
Personal Time/Hobbies: I spend lots of time at the lake with my family and friends, reading a good book, or finding hole-in-the-wall restaurants and coffee shops to try.
Something Surprising About Me: My family was the first family in Stevens County to have a tractor with rubber tires and the First Family in Grant County to have a combine!
Favorite Food: Coffee and Corndogs
What I like Most About My Job: Being excited to come to work every day and the fun, fast-paced atmosphere.
Todd came to Skid Pro with over 20 years’ experience in business, sales and service, including owning his own business for several years. Todd excels at listening to his customers and finding the exact attachment that will fit their needs best.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Snow blower – Have you ever operated a snow shovel with wind-chills approaching 30 below zero?
Personal Time/Hobbies: Fishing for walleye, hunting deer “up north,” coaching hockey and hanging out w/ friends and family.
Something Surprising About Me: Voted Man of the Year by my wife for the past 18 years.
Favorite Food: Steak with grilled mushrooms. During the work days however, I’m usually “all hyped up on Mountain Dew.”
What I Like Most About My Job: Helping customer’s get into an attachment on budget that will make their life easier…and raiding Erik’s candy drawer.
If you count the years in high school where Erik was trying to explain why he missed the due date on his homework, he’s been selling for a very, very long time. He’s a hard worker that finds great satisfaction exceeding his customer’s expectations by going the extra mile each and every time. A born-talker, Erik finds enjoyment in getting to know all his customers better.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Dozer blade – Just digging in the dirt, tearing stuff up!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Nothing better than hanging out with friends and dirt-track, stock-car racing in the summer & chasing big walleyes over 18” of thick, Minnesota-ice in the winter!
Something Surprising About Me: Hands down, I have the highest blood pressure of anyone in the office.
Favorite Food: Steak
What I Like Most About My Job: No doubt it is the rewarding calls and emails from past customers raving about our equipment quality, and hearing how our equipment has helped their business or life-style. And their appreciation for my old-fashioned customer service and follow through.
Jeremy has been working in factory-direct to end-user sales for as long as he can remember. His ability to get to the bottom of the customer’s issues and match them with the right tool is second-to-none. His genuine care for the customer’s needs is evident even after a short call.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Pallet forks – Hey they aren’t glamorous but dang they’re sure helpful! OK, so maybe the open X4 cutter, the thing is just a beast!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Hunting, fishing, billiards, and Viking football.
Something Surprising About Me: I really enjoy traveling, and have been to Thailand, Japan, France, Germany, Nicaragua and Aruba to name a few.
Favorite Food: Steak
What I Like Most About My Job: Working with a good team of people, helping customers out daily, and earning a living for my family…what more could a guy ask for?
Mike joined the Skid Pro team with over 15 years of territory-rep sales experience and customer service. He really enjoys chewing the fat and getting to know his customers better, along with meeting the challenges of top-notch customer service.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Easy one…Angle broom. How can you beat an attachment that allows me to clear my drive way or the ice for pond hockey, all while wearing shorts and a t-shirt when it is negative 10 degrees outside?
Personal Time/Hobbies: Watching my kid’s athletic events, anything outside including hunting and fishing, grilling and just hanging out with friends or family.
Something Surprising About Me: Even though I live in Minnesota, my favorite hockey team is the UND Fighting Sue.
Favorite Food: Steak or deep dish pizza….too close to call.
What I Like Most About My Job: I like talking to a complete stranger from another part of the country and hearing a bit of their story and what life is like for them. Every call is different and fun!
Joe comes to Skid Pro with a background in teaching and customer service. His natural fit with customers is education on product and service after the sale. Growing up on a farm in ND, he’s been around equipment most of his life.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Industrial Grapple Rake – There’s not much this versatile grapple can’t do!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Golf, riding motorcycle, wood working, anything outside, and hanging with friends and family at the lake.
Something Surprising About Me: I’m pretty sure I was hit by lightning as a kid while mowing lawn. It would explain a lot.
Favorite Food: Pizza and tortilla chips
What I Like Most About My Job: Helping out customers all while wearing shorts & flip flops (in the summer mostly…winters here are pretty cold)!
Chris comes to Skid Pro with over 20 years of territory sales manager experience. He worked with some of the largest retail customer chains in the country. You can bet his customer service and attention-to-detail deliver a 10-out-of-10 on anyone’s scale. He really enjoys hearing new customer stories, and making darn sure to find the best attachment for their needs.
Favorite Skid Pro attachment: X4 open front brush cutter – Maintaining and blazing new trails at the family farm for bowhunting, all without breaking a sweat – Priceless!
Personal time / hobbies: Refereeing hockey, playing hockey and coaching hockey. Most of all, watching my 3 kids sporting events which include hockey, basketball, baseball, golf and volleyball.
Something Surprising About Me: I carry a 2 handicap in golf. I’m also a speed talker (and I don’t even drink that much coffee).
Favorite Food: Steak & Coors Light
What I Like Most About My Job: Talking to new people and getting to know them personally. Swapping experiences and stories is something I’d do for free!
Shane comes to Skid Pro with a wealth of knowledge in the skid steer industry. Most of his experience is with attachments, but he’s been versed in the construction and electrical industries as well. Likely our most easy-going Product Guru, he has also been blessed with the gift to gab, so call to shoot the breeze anytime.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Brush Mower, who doesn’t like destruction? Good stress reliever getting out and clearing brush.
Personal Time/Hobbies: Spending time with my twin daughters, fishing, hunting and of course lounging on the lake in the summer. We have 10,000 here in Minnesota so it’s easy to find one.
Something Surprising About Me: I live in Minnesota and have never been on a pair of skates or skis. I prefer warmer activities!
Favorite Food: Authentic Mexican food…or taco bell either way.
What I Like Most About My Job: I love talking to people from every part of the country and hearing their story and helping them get into the right attachment. Also couldn’t ask for a better bunch of people to work with.
Brad joined the Skid Pro team with over 20 years of sales & customer service experience, and nearly 10 years specifically in the skid loader attachment industry. Brad is very mechanically-inclined and knows equipment inside and out. In fact, he just may be our most tech-savvy guru!
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Probably a three-way tie; low-pro long-bottom bucket, snow blower, and brush cutter. I know the bucket is boring, but as a past owner/operator of a dairy farm, a high-capacity dirt bucket on a skid loader is simply a life saver! No better way to dig out from under a big Minnesota snow storm than in a heated skid loader driving forward with a snow blower! Cutting deer trails w/ the X4 industrial brush cutter is not only productive, it is a blast!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Pheasant hunting in North Dakota in October, followed closely by deer hunting in Minnesota in November up at the “deer shack.” Hard to beat time spent in the field with family & friends, enjoying God’s Great Outdoors!
Something Surprising About Me: I got a very expensive ride in a Life-Flight helicopter after a snowmobile accident, and thankfully lived to tell about it!
Favorite Food: Thick-cut, T-bone steaks grilled to medium rare.
What I Like Most About My Job: Working hand-in-hand with customers to figure out their problem and how we can hopefully help make their life easier with an attachment. I know it is cliché, but those times where you really develop a good relationship and the customer is so happy and stays in touch after the sale are definitely the most rewarding.
Dick comes to Skid Pro with nearly 75 years of selling experience (at least it seems like it has been that long?!). From tool & die, to equipment, to food, to convincing his wife to stick with him, this guy has seen, sold it and backed it up!
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Pick Up Broom – Are you kidding me? This thing picks stuff up and sweeps it clean without having to push a broom? I’m in!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Bowhunting the wiley whitetail in September and jigging for fat walleyes in the summer with a cold Mich-Goldie…that is when I’m not occupying my La-Z-Boy watching the Vikes.
Something Surprising About Me: Just like Adam Thielen, I played receiver for Detroit Lakes High School football team. However unlike Adam Thielen, I wasn’t quite as good. And for the record, I didn’t wear a leather helmet!
Favorite Food: Fresh, unfrozen deer tenderloins. Some people hunt for horns, but I’m all about the steaks!
What I Like Most About My Job: First of all, there is zero manual labor…that’s a big plus! Seriously though, it is always fun getting to know a little bit more about the person on the other end of the line. Working hard for good customers and offering great equipment is a win-win. It’s is a bonus to give my grandfatherly advice to the other gurus even if they don’t want it.
Greg joined the Skid Pro team with years of focus in the manufacturing industry. First as a sales rep for a global aluminum and machining company, and then second as a business consultant in the same industry. He’s a natural problem solver and good listener, which make him a great fit at Skid Pro and highly valuable to his customers.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment – Our Open X4 Brush Cutter was the first attachment I sold when I started for Skid-Pro, so it holds a special place in my heart. What really gets me going though is when a customer watches the video and sees it take down a full-grown birch tree and they get excited. It is only topped when I follow up after the delivery and the only regret is not buying it sooner!
Personal Time/Hobbies – What’s personal time? When I am not at Skid Pro I am studying to finish my MBA in Business Analytics at Syracuse University. However, when I do find a sliver of time to eke out for myself you can find my son and I terrorizing his mother around the house. Believe me, we’ve gotten really good at it!
Something Surprising – I have traveled to Australia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Israel, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Mexico, and Canada. As much as I loved learning new cultures and eating the local fare, my favorite destination was always Home.
Favorite Food – Oysters on the half shell – a little bit of tobacco, a little horseradish – perfect. I had a 20oz tomahawk wagyu ribeye in Houston, TX this year, that was pretty magical as well.
What I like most about my job – The Skid Pro family. Everyone here is happy to help one another and goes out of their way to do so. You walk through our main door and there is music going, you hear laughs down the halls, and everyone is genuinely happy to be working for a great company, and with a great group of folks. It feels great to wake up on Monday morning and not dread heading into the office!
Ryan joined the Skid Pro team with 20 years of experience in the manufacturing equipment industry, specifically robotics and industrial equipment design and manufacturing. Ryan started his career in mechanical engineering but moved over to capital sales, where he found his true passion. He’s a laid-back, logical thinker and likes to understand how things work. He seeks to understand the whole picture from the customer before diving into a solution.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment – Open Front X4 Brush Cutter. I can cut 50 acres of deer trails with this thing and still be home for supper.
Personal Time/Hobbies – Fishing, hunting, home improvements, and real estate.
Something Surprising – There have only been 3 states I haven’t been to. Next stop, Hawaii.
Favorite Food – Up in MN it’s steak and potatoes. Down south it’s shrimp and grits!
What I like most about my job – The Skid Pro team and work environment. Everyone is so knowledgeable about the product & industry, have great attitudes, and are willing to put in 100% to help no matter what they are doing. I’ve never seen a culture of people so eager to find solutions to customer’s problems.
James joined the Skid Pro team with over 15 years of customer service, construction, and sales experience. He likes a challenge and a little friendly competition to keep things interesting. He is always ready to meet people and make new friends.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: That would have to be the 4N1 Combo Bucket. To be able to scoop, back drag, grapple, etc., makes this such a versatile attachment that should be part of everyone’s lineup of attachments.
Personal Time/Hobbies: Living in MN, its all about the seasons. Summer is all about getting out in the sun and either golfing with friends and family or taking the girlfriend out for a nice long motorcycle ride. While in winter, I look forward to snow for hitting the trails and ditches on the snowmobile.
Something Surprising About Me: I have a pin holding my left hip in place from a childhood accident. While it did derail my promising break-dancing career, it has never really slowed me down, and it gives me a great fallback excuse when I shoot a bad round of golf.
Favorite Food: Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
What I Like Most About My Job: Being part of the Skid Pro team first and foremost. Love to be able to help people out solving attachment needs while excelling their business productivity and saving them time on projects. Always a good feeling to have a job well done.
Randy came to Skid Pro with over 25 years of sales and management experience. Randy has spent his career making sure that his customers know he is their trusted advisor by exceeding their expectations. Randy is easy-going and easy to talk to, and he’ll take the time to get it right the first time.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment – Growing up in MN, I did a lot of moving snow with a shovel and splitting wood with a hand maul. Our snow blower and wood splitter are absolute life savers. And time savers. And back savers.
Personal Time/Hobbies – Spending time with family and friends, attending my kids sporting events, following MN sport teams, taking aspirin after watching MN sports, camping, pheasant hunting, ice fishing and playing cribbage.
Something Surprising – I enjoy MN winters. Have you ever slept in a hammock in below zero temps? I have. Plus, 25 degrees feels like a heat wave after a week of 20 below zero. Another upside? No mosquitos!
Favorite Food – Grilled NY Strip medium rare with grilled asparagus.
What I like most about my job – The Skid Pro Team and work environment are second-to-none. Talking with customers from all over the country and listening to their stories and ultimately offering them solutions. It’s all about the customer.
Cory joined the Skid Pro Team with nearly 20 years of sales, marketing and management experience. Cory’s focus over those years has revolved around making sure customer needs are met and customer satisfaction is high. Cory is a good blend of technical and hands on, allowing him to be a great resource for the customer.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment – Spending more than a couple years as a sales manager in one of the biggest dealerships in the area, Cory knows the value of a clean lot and the time saving advantages of a pick up broom. A close second would be the angle broom. Rain or shine, dirt or snow, the angle broom is a versatile and effective tool to have.
Personal Time/Hobbies – Hanging with his wife and kids is number one. And since MN enjoys one of the longest winters of any state, you also have to find something to keep the boredom away and get out of the house. For Cory, his favorite individual hobby is logging miles on his snowmobile w/ his buddies.
Something Surprising – I’ve inherited a rescue dog problem through my large-hearted wife. Three dogs and counting…
Favorite Food – Fresh boiled lobster
What I like most about my job – Talking to so many different people each day, hearing stories from customers, and just being around the great group of folks at Skid Pro.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Growing up in MN and living 15 miles from town with a driveway that would fill up with a 5MPh wind out of the Northwest, a snow blower has to be far and away my favorite attachment. Sitting in a nice heated cab chugging along at 5MPH while the wind is blowing and the temp is 20 below 0, can’t beat it!
Personal Time/Hobbies: My wife and I have 2 boys, age 9 and 13 who are very active in sports and hunting so I love chasing them all around the country watching them play there sports, whether that is coaching them or just sitting in the stands. We also like to spend time working around our house or on the lake enjoying a nice summer afternoon.
Something Surprising: I managed a Hockey rink for a couple of years with no experience in Ice maintenance or Zamboni driving skills so I guess I can say that I am a self-taught expert at driving a Zamboni, I can get the ice cleaned, doors closed and team on the ice in 9 minutes! Everybody I know that is a hockey fan wants to drive the Zamboni, my advice, it’s not as easy as it looks especially when you have a couple hundred people watching you!
Favorite Food: Nothing beats a bone in pork chop cooked on the grill with some tomatoes and green beans on the side!
What I like most about my Job: The favorite part of my job is following up with my customers to see how there attachment are working. It’s extremely gratifying knowing I was able to help them with a project they had going on, getting there land cleared up for the next hunting season, moving snow so there kids could get on the bus and they could get to work, and the list goes on and on.. You can almost hear them smile when they tell you how great the attachment has been working and they wish they had bought one years before.
Joey came to Skid Pro with over 10 years’ experience in logistics, customer service, and project management in the construction industry. He leveraged his strong communication skills and hard work to help complete some major construction projects in the Minneapolis area. He loves to see projects get completed from start to finish and will do whatever he can to help with that process for each customer’s attachment needs.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Stump Bucket – Have you ever had to dig out a stump by hand?
Personal Time/Hobbies: Hunting ducks and deer in the fall. Watching all Minnesota sports teams let us down year after year. Hanging out with my family.
Something Surprising About Me: I know way too many useless fun facts.
Favorite Food: My mom’s homemade Goulash
What I Like Most About My Job: Getting to meet and chat with customers all over the country.
Dan comes to Skid Pro with over 8 years of experience in law enforcement. He worked for the local Sheriff’s Office and was apart of SWAT, Dive Rescue, Honor Guard and worked as a narcotics agent for their drug and violent crime task force. Dan gather his skid steer knowledge from working on dairy farms and working in the landscaping and irrigation industry.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Industrial Brush Cutter, when you call to check in with clients to see how everything is going, this is one of those attachments that you can hear/ feel their excitement over the phone. The industrial brush cutter will turn even the biggest, manliest men into little giddy schoolgirls after just a few minutes behind our cutter.
Personal Time/Hobbies: Any type of hunting or fishing. My favorite annual trip is bowhunting in South Dakota for Mule deer. Ice Fishing takes a close second. Of course that is when I’m not hanging out with my family. With two little girls and a third one on the way, it keeps us busy.
Something Surprising About Me: I have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
Favorite Food: Easy……T-Bone Steaks
What I Like Most About My Job: Chatting with people from all over the country (sometimes the world) and helping them solve their problems by listening to their needs and getting them into the right attachment.
AKA “The Hammer,” started at the ground floor with Skid Pro. The only thing that surpasses his good looks would be his ability to earn the trust of his customers and find win/win solutions for them and the company. At 20 years of direct sales experience, he’s our most senior-level Guru.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Auger – Have you ever dug a post-hole by hand?!?!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Spending time with my family will always be my #1 hobby. When not in the office you can usually find me on the golf course or the lake, soaking up the summer sun or ice-fishing for the elusive 32” walleye in the winter.
Something Surprising About Me: I am an exceptional juggler (at least the kids think so)!
Favorite Food: Anything Mexican
What I Like Most About My Job: Very cliché’ but true, I love helping people. There is nothing more rewarding than receiving a customer testimonial on how much a given attachment helped their business or saved them time on a project. Those are the moments that remind me how much I love my job.
Josh grew up on a farm, and has operated equipment since he can remember. His educational-focus is in agriculture, marketing and writing. Unlucky for him, his expertise in these areas meant he was on the short-list for helping out with videos and most any technical question that comes up.
Favorite Skid Pro Attachment: Rock grapple – Between clearing brush, digging roots & rocks, or cleaning the barn…this thing saves me more time and energy than any attachment. I’d give up my bucket before my grapple!
Personal Time/Hobbies: Chasing after my 5 kids, bowhunting, fishing, running, raising good cattle, and hanging out lakeside with a good Summit EPA.
Something Surprising About Me: I’m a certified S.C.U.B.A. diver.
Favorite Food: 3 fried eggs, 4 slices of bacon, 2 pieces of English-muffin toast (heavy butter), 2 ham-steaks, 2 sausage patties and a giant (fresh-baked) caramel roll on the side. All washed down with plenty of tea and coffee.
What I Like Most About My Job: Meeting new people, talking technical aspects of the attachments, and truly finding a solution to a person’s problem….and then getting that email back how much it meant to the customer.