say, the dynamic that exists between a husband and a wife, or a
father and a daughter — process it, and adjust his or her own
behavior accordingly, and do all of that within the first few
moments of the encounter.
Bob Golomb is clearly the kind of person who seems to do
that kind of thin-slicing effortlessly. He’s the Evelyn Harrison of
car selling. He has a quiet, watchful intelligence and a courtly
charm. He is thoughtful and attentive. He’s a wonderful
listener. He has, he says, three simple rules that guide his every
action: “Take care of the customer. Take care of the customer.
Take care of the customer.” If you buy a car from Bob Golomb,
he will be on the phone to you the next day, making sure
everything is all right. If you come to the dealership but don’t
end up buying anything, he’ll call you the next day, thanking
you for stopping by. “You always put on your best face, even if
you are having a bad day. You leave that behind,” he says.
“Even if things are horrendous at home, you give the customer
your best.”
When I met Golomb, he took out a thick three-ring binder
filled with the mountain of letters he had received over the
years from satisfied customers. “Each one of these has a story
to tell,” he said. He seemed to remember every one. As he