It’s my own personal Labor Day tradition to remind people and businesses that talented, skilled employees are the best asset of any company. This is my last column before the holiday, so I wanted to pay tribute to the men and women who keep this and every business going.

Recently, I busted on several companies that had lost touch with the concept of customer service. Today, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story.

If you are a boss, you need workers who won’t just do the minimum. You need men and women who try to learn and grow and still do everything they are supposed to do. That used to be easy but isn’t any more.

America’s work ethic has eroded. Maybe too many of us just have it too easy. But good workers are available, and bosses have to do everything to find and keep them.

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I found many descriptions of what employers want, but Kent State University’s Career Placement Office puts it well. Employers “look for students who are highly motivated, able to communicate their ideas clearly and concisely, and can demonstrate skills in leadership and teamwork.” The office added academic background, the ability to interview, appearance and initiative.

When employers say “highly motivated,” they mean hard workers who don’t need to be pushed to work hard. They mean people exactly like many I have encountered recently.

The best was my Verizon installer. Verizon has been nailed by complaints about service a lot lately. Coming on the heels of my failed Comcast experience, I was worried no one would be able to handle the Internet installation for my home. Since I am reliant on technology, this was a major issue.

Or wasn’t, thanks to my installer. The service technician Verizon sent arrived on time and told me it would be “no trouble.” He was concerned that the cable hadn’t been buried in my lawn yet and placed a quick call.

The next thing I knew, a whole team of Verizon workers was here digging a tiny trench in my yard to bury the cable. And before you could say “high-speed Internet,” they had buried the cable and were pushing the grass back down. In any weather, that would be impressive. In 100-degree heat, all the more so.

The fact that the installer was capable, friendly and extremely knowledgeable made it even better. In just a couple of hours, two TVs, cable Internet and a phone were all working great.

But he’s just one example. Two separate salesmen took care to be helpful but not pushy. I gladly bought a car from one (more on that later) and a couch from the other. Both gentlemen were low on pressure and scored high on information. I left both businesses happy that I had decided to spend my money there.

That’s what it’s all about. Every employee you have is building relationships with customers — or tearing them down. Labor Day is a time to remember those employees who help you build.

Dan Gainor is a career journalist, media commentator and The Boone Pickens Free Market Fellow at the Media Research Center’s Free Market Project. He can be reached at gainorcolumn@gmail.com.