Paying It Forward: Why service is the secret to building better bonds #171
Service is more than action; it’s a commitment to dignity. Respect first, compassion next, creating meaningful impact in neighborhoods, businesses, and everyday human interactions.
Jack Browne, Wichita Falls Times Record News
Sunday, July 19, 2026
We are social creatures. Most of us were raised to respect others, use good manners, and treat people the way we would like to be treated.
The Golden Rule is simple: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Yet in today’s fast-paced world, that principle is often replaced by urgency, convenience, and self-interest. We see it in small ways every day: cutting in line, rushing past people, or treating interactions as transactions rather than relationships.
Service offers an antidote.
When we serve others, we gain a better understanding of their challenges. That understanding makes us more compassionate, effective, and connected to our communities.
Recently, Wichita Falls Code Enforcement issued a call for volunteers to help mow yards for elderly, disabled, and low-income residents. Some homeowners have received warnings for high grass but lack the physical ability or financial resources to maintain their properties. A few hours of volunteer work can help a neighbor avoid fines while improving the appearance of an entire neighborhood.
That is service in action.
I was reminded of another side of service when a friend ordered a foam chair online. The chair arrived compressed in layers of plastic packaging. After unwrapping it, she discovered it never fully expanded into the chair she had ordered.
Getting help proved even more frustrating than opening the package. Multiple calls, extended hold times, and repeated explanations led nowhere. Finally, she reached a customer service manager who listened carefully and worked to understand what had gone wrong.
The company refunded her money, but the experience had already cost too much time and frustration. The refund solved the transaction. The service failure lost a customer.
Businesses often focus heavily on acquiring customers, but keeping them depends on something much simpler: making people feel valued.
Research has consistently shown that customers often leave not because of product failures, but because they feel ignored, unappreciated, or poorly treated. Products matter. Pricing matters. But relationships matter more.
During my career in sales and marketing, I learned that service is a covenant between provider and customer. It is an understanding that when someone places trust in us, we have an obligation to honor that trust.
The same principle applies beyond business.
This week, while volunteering at the North Texas Pantry, we were distributing food during a particularly hot morning. Near the end of the distribution period, one client repeatedly asked for items that had already run out. After several requests, I responded with visible frustration.
His reaction stopped me in my tracks.
Though I was tired and trying to help, I had failed to treat him with the patience and respect I expected from others. I apologized and explained that arriving earlier would provide more choices in the future.
The exchange reminded me that service is not measured by what we give. It is measured by how we make people feel.
Whether we are raising children, mentoring employees, helping neighbors, serving customers, or volunteering in our communities, the goal is the same: to make a positive difference.
And that begins with recognizing the humanity in the person standing in front of us. This means meeting the client where they are, rather than expecting them to act as you prefer.
Respect first. Service second. Impact follows.
Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection, service, and lifelong learning.