Madden Door & Sons, Inc.

Scott O’Neill: Raising the Bar

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

MMARTINEZ – Scott O’Neill has been involved with his stepfather’s garage door company since he was a young man, but when he returned to the family business after graduating from college, he assumed it would be a temporary layover before he embarked on a new career path. However, upon taking over management of the company’s sales division, he discovered his marketing degree might be best applied at home. “I realized there was a lot of room for the company to improve, not only in terms of profits but also in our approaches to sales and service,” he explains. “I recommended a complete overhaul of our sales strategy, which shifted our focus from volume to quality.”

Scott’s recommendations soon proved beneficial for both the business and its customers. “We developed a new customer service model around serving the needs of individuals while adhering to the larger goals of the community,” he says. “We also changed the way we sold our garage door systems to reflect ‘prudence to purpose,’ which takes into account how each product functions within a client’s home as a whole.” Today, customers of Madden Door & Sons, Inc. continue to profit from Scott’s extensive expertise.

Having resided in the Bay Area for most of his life, Scott says while he appreciates characteristic attributes like temperate weather and diverse topography, it’s the people that make it such a great place to live. “The Bay Area is an amazing melting pot of people from all over the world, and it’s inspiring to see how we’re all able to live and do business together.” Scott says the Bay Area also provides an ideal setting for his other occupation. “I’m actually a performing musician. I sing and play guitar and keyboards, both in my own band and in others. It’s a true passion for me, and I really enjoy it.”

In his career, Scott says he often invokes a particular quote that has stuck with him throughout his life. “Someone once told me, ‘We’re all responsible, even if we’re not to blame.’ Everyone has some degree of collective responsibility, and I think that applies to how I approach my vocation. Historically, this industry has been driven by shortcut approaches rather than by serving and satisfying customers, but we all have a responsibility to do what’s right for others.”

When asked what he’d do if he could retire tomorrow, Scott says he would continue to spread his ethos and methodology with the aim of further improving the garage door industry. “I currently write for a national publication with the sole intention of raising the bar of sales professionalism in the garage door trade. In addition, I serve in a consulting capacity to help other businesses improve their operations and customer service. If I was to retire tomorrow, I’d probably continue to contribute my knowledge in these capacities.”