Spotlight Awards

Virna Waldron
American Airlines

Many of us go through the day without giving much thought to how we affect the people around us. But often, we have the opportunity to make a real impact on other people’s lives. It could be something as simple as making it easier to pay a bill, update an account, or fix a software problem. Or it could be as big as helping students learn English as a second language. So when Virna Waldron, a customer service team member at American Airlines, got an unusual request she dove right in, assembled a team, and sent much needed earbuds to an ESL class in Dallas.

Barbara Frye
Constant Contact

Constant Contact conducts more than half a dozen different surveys designed to identify customers who may be unsatisfied or who may have valuable feedback to share. It’s Barbara Frye’s job to analyze survey responses, contact customers, and resolve problems. Her personal attention and follow up are paying off in increased Net Promoter Scores. And customers are especially complimentary about the process. They note that their contacts with Barbara were unexpected, positive and very helpful. As one customer says, “I was very impressed with the way Barbara answered my questions and concerns. Knowing that the company cares about my relationship with it means a lot.”

Brenda Peralta
Crystal D

At Crystal D, everyone on staff is called a Memory Maker. The name reflects the company’s goal of creating positive memories for the customers and coworkers. Customer Service Rep Brenda Peralta exemplifies the Memory Maker goal and was recognized by her industry association as customer service rep of the year for 2018. Her number one tip for frontline reps is: “Smile when you’re helping customers. Even if it’s over the phone, people can tell when you’re smiling. If you smile, your customers will immediately trust you and trust that you’re going to be able to help them.”

Katie Suitter
Delta Airlines

When a young traveler and his family needed to get to a hospital for medical testing, Suitter not only made the reservations, she also sent her smallest customer a gift pack to make the flight and hospital stay a little easier. Taking the time to build rapport and following up in this thoughtful manner won Delta a devoted family of customers.

Briana Church
Veritiv Corporation

Church credits her success in customer service to the five years of learning and sharing that she has had on the job. “During that time, my knowledge of the business has grown tremendously,” she says, “and then I can pass that knowledge on to my teammates.”