Spotlight Awards

Christopher Benjamin
Pinellas County Housing Authority

Making customers feel comfortable can help defuse anger and resolve problems says Christopher Benjamin. When working with customers in person, he likes to, “sit down with them, side-by-side, and look at them in their eyes so that they feel comfortable and welcome in this setting.” That level of care can make a huge difference in service outcomes.

Justin Prescott
Navy Federal Credit Union

Justin Prescott is well known for his ability to handle any call. Here’s his secret: “When I am making a customer service call, I think how nice it would be to have a friend there that I could speak with who could help me out. So I try to be that friend when people call in — especially if there is a problem, because that is when you need a friend the most.”

Linda Kristensen
VA Outpatient Clinic

Scheduling time to work with busy patients, clients or customers can be a challenge. For Kristensen and other staff members, the solution is strenouous ten-and-a-half-hour days when needed. “We try to make time for those whose schedules leave them time only early or later in the day,” she says.

Beverly Reese
Arkansas Oncology Associates

For Beverly Reese, “going above and beyond” is more than a simple catch phrase. It’s what service is all about. Take the time that a patient couldn’t afford frequent trips to the medical office for his treatments, Beverly purchased a discounted bus pass for him at her own expense. Actions like that make the words come alive.

Leon Doty 
Battle Creek VA Medical Center

Leon Doty has learned a lot about working with people in his 30 plus years on the job. But perhaps the most important lesson for service providers, in all fields, is to remember to deal with the person before dealing with any problems.

Michael Gervasi 
Ice.com

When Michael Gervasi learns that a customer is having a special anniversary, returning from the hospital or marking some other milestone, he doesn”t hesitate to request that flowers be sent to the customer. It”s the kind of personal touch that makes Gervasi a top rep and his customers devoted fans.

Larry Martindale 
Solid Cactus

Martindale keeps a quote in his cubicle that reads, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” And that’s what he tries to keep in mind when he gets a difficult call. “You just want to back off, let them vent, extend empathy, and apologize for whatever the situation was,” he says.

Megan Linton 
ASA Electronics

Linton is happy to attribute much of her service success to a positive team environment. “Everybody is willing to help each other out, and when things do get stressful, you can get up and go laugh with your coworkers and talk about stuff outside of work.” That type of team environment can make all the difference, especially during hectic times.

Karsin Lederle 
GreatAmerica Leasing Corporation

One of the greatest challenges that Lederle faces is moving quickly between different types of customer calls. Especially tricky is the switch from collections to traditional customer service. The secret she says is to never assume you know why someone is calling but to take it, “one call at a time.”

Katherine Bellefontaine 
The Chronicle Herald

In today’s high-tech world, Bellefontaine uses a decidedly low-tech method to keep track of customer requests and to ensure that they are handled properly. Issues that can’t be resolved on the spot are entered in a journal for internal follow-up and eventually a follow-up call to the customer.