GIVE TO THE COMMUNITY, and it will give back to you. It almost sounds like a proverb. At Blackbear Medical in Portland and Bangor, Maine, it practically is. Whether it means donating company time for staff members to work in a soup kitchen or doing free on-the-spot fix-it jobs, these are words to do business by.

"We are always looking for a way to get better," says Tom Jones, owner and treasurer of the 11-year-old company. "The end result of everything we do boils down to providing better service and asking ourselves, 'How do we improve our service?' "

One way is by honing a philanthropic bent that places employees in the community. Beginning in January 1999, staffers in groups of two pulled a Monday shift in a soup kitchen, working until 300 people were fed. In addition to their regular pay, everyone (except the managers) was given a half-day off of their choosing.

Besides touching stories to share, what did the 11 employees gain from the experience? "I guess they felt pretty good about themselves, and they felt justified in getting that extra half-day off," Jones says, with a laugh.

What the volunteering does on a grander scale is reconnect the company with the community at large, he says. Blackbear's charity work is always local. It's a chance for people in town to discover the company-and for employees to see customers as people.

Within the four walls of its retail stores, Blackbear Medical gives to the community by trying to improve service. The two are linked in Jones' mind. The improvement comes from continually training staffers to do a better job-and not nickel-and-dime customers.

"On a daily basis, when someone comes in with a broken cane or a walker that needs tightening, all that stuff is free," Jones says. "The tool box is right at the counter, and it's not uncommon for that tool box to be out several hours a day. If someone is missing a knob or a handle, we don't charge for every little item."

In addition to building customer loyalty, focusing on customer service makes good sense from an operational standpoint, too. "Sometimes it's just easier to give something to somebody in the course of a regular business day," Jones says.

Looking to make its mark outside the company's current customer base, Blackbear participates in twice-a-year Elder Fairs at the local mall, a painless way to place its products before the public while meeting potential customers. The company will also stage its second annual Scooter Rodeo this year, complete with contests, a raffle and "silly" cowboy hats. "It's a fun way for suppliers to show off scooters and powered mobility aids," Jones says.

One of his favorite ways of company giving is participating in a local muscular dystrophy fund-raiser. An employee who hasn't been forewarned is "arrested" by the local police, then taken to a "cell" that's been set up in a local restaurant. Instead of one telephone call, the "prisoner" must make many to raise money for charity and earn a get-out-of-jail pass.

Sounds like the perfect trick to hone customer service-and sales-skills. HC