Article contributed by Mike Berman, COO, Day & Nite/All Service
Anyone even loosely connected to the Day & Nite family of companies is still reeling from news that Janice Harms passed away early last week. Tributes befitting a head of state or notable celebrity keep pouring in. While Janice would probably be embarrassed by it all, minimizing it with her typical “I care about our customers, I care about the company, I care about doing things right, I’m just doing my job…”, even the always humble Ms Harms would appreciate this recognition for just how special she was, delighted to know how she touched so many.
Included in the outpouring of meaningful Janice Harms memories are several calling her “an original” or “truly unique”. Even if you only knew Janice for a brief period of time you’d know she wasn’t one to hold back. Every time I’ve read an email, text or heard it from someone in conversation, I hear a much louder and clearer Janice with a patented ” you gotta be kiddin’ me!?!?!”. To Janice, professional excellence in all things one does, says and are was never a cause for celebration and hardly unique or original. To her, it’s the expectation, a standard to not only uphold in every word, deed and action but one to continually improve upon.
This has been a particularly hard week for all Day & Nite/All Service/Popular Plumbing/Performance Air Mechanical stakeholders. I really don’t know if anyone can ever truly get over the loss of such a magnetic and caring person, exceptional and sincere professional. The Janice we all knew, respected and have deep affection for would undoubtedly tell us to get over it–again, as only she could. But most importantly, the Janice who meant so much to us all would have one demand and she’d insistently make sure we all live up to it: just be at your best to never let anyone down, always know that in the service industry your job is to make everyone else’s day better, brighter.
Janice Harms did all these things, nobody has ever done it better. In this very public tribute I pledge to honor her memory by striving to be all those things she was and urge all others to do the same.
On this Thanksgiving week many will shed a tear for losing Janice Harms way too suddenly and soon. Knowing Janice and the spirit of Thanksgiving, let’s spend more of our time for counting all the blessings we had to know her and be thankful for the timeless inspiration she was.
