Building a Culture of Excellence

Excell Refrigeration of SC, has prided itself over the past 25 years of being the best refrigeration installation and service company to our region.

Over those 25 years we have done little to no advertising other than the signs we have on our trucks and the shirts on our backs. Word of mouth and our reputation has served us well over these years. We have come up with a new way promote our company and ourselves internally and probably externally as well.

Challenge Coins for those of you who may not have heard of them have been around for quite a while; I have included a letter with a history and origin of the challenge coin.
We have come up with our own Challenge Coin and will be issuing them along with some basic rules that go along with the coin. As we go along we will collect ideas from you and others so that we can build on the basic rules and make amendments.

Glenn Taylor

The History of the Challenge Coin

During World War 1, American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy scions attending colleges such as Yale and Harvard who quit in mid-term to join the war. In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered medallions struck in solid bronze and presented them to his unit. One young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore about his neck.

Shortly after acquiring the medallions, the pilots’ aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire. He was forced to land behind enemy lines and was immediately captured by a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. In the meantime, he was taken to a small French town near the front. Taking advantage of a bombardment that night, he escaped. However, he was without personal identification.

He succeeded in avoiding German patrols by donning civilian attire and reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man’s land. Eventually, he stumbled onto a French outpost. Unfortunately, saboteurs had plagued the French in the sector. They sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot’s American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him. He had no identification to prove his allegiance, but he did have his leather pouch containing the medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners and one of his French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion. They delayed his execution long enough for him to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him they gave him a bottle of wine.

Back at his squadron, it became tradition to ensure that all members carried their medallion or coin at all times. This was accomplished through challenge in the following manner – a challenger would ask to see the medallion. If the challenged could not produce a medallion, they were required to buy a drink of choice for the member who challenged them. If the challenged member produced a medallion, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This tradition continued on throughout the war and for many years after the war while surviving members of the squadron were still alive.

Rules of the “coin check!”

This coin challenge is meant to build and strengthen our company from within. It is also supposed to be fun and to encourage each other with company pride. I truly believe we have the best people in the business and our customers confirm this frequently, when we stop hearing this from our customers we can all turn in our coins.

Prerequisite for receiving a coin:

  • Be an employee of Excell Refrigeration of SC for 90 days.
  • Have an honest desire to provide the Best Customer Service possible.
  • Acknowledge that the coin must be carried at all times.

A “coin check” consists of a challenge and a response.

Rules:

  • The challenge is initiated by drawing your coin, holding it in the air by whatever means possible and state, shout or otherwise verbally acknowledge that you are initiating a coin check. Another, but less vocal method is to firmly place it on a bar, table or counter, etc.
  • The response consists of all those persons being challenged drawing their coin in a like manner.
  • If you are challenged and are unable to properly respond, you must buy a round of drinks, lunch or whatever the challenge is, within reason.
  • If everyone being challenged responds in the correct manner, the challenger must buy a round of drinks, lunch or whatever the challenge is, within reason.
  • Failure to comply with a lost challenge is a despicable crime and will require that you turn-in your coin to the issuing party.

Pictures of the Front & Back of Coin

coinfront
coinback

Do’s & Don’ts

Important Things to Remember

  1. Coin checks are permitted, ANY TIME, ANY PLACE.
  2. There are no exceptions to the rules. At the time of the challenge you are permitted one step and an arms reach to locate your coin.
  3. A coin is a coin. Coins attached to belt buckles are considered “belt buckles.” Coins on key chains are considered “key chains.”

A coin can be revoked for:

  • Failure to comply with a lost challenge
  • Multiple losses of challenges
  • Consistently providing poor service
  • Insubordination or dereliction of duty
  • Termination of employment
  • Management discretion

A coin can be reinstated for:

  • Providing exceptional Customer Service
  • Recite the Excell Mission Statement by memory
  • Management discretion