We recently conducted a contest that resulted in recognizing three GIC employees as “Customer Service Superstars” (see picture). We received several other nominations that, while not selected as “official” winners, are still winners in our eyes. These 12 “Honorable Mentions” will receive a thank you and a small gift from GIC. We want to thank each of them for their ongoing commitment to great customer service and thank those that took the time to nominate them. It’s because of you that GIC will continue to make a difference!
Tara Hoover, GM of Greensboro, took the time to nominate a few of her team members saying, “I am proud to have these employees on our team.”
1) Vishone Kennion BR 60 Warehouse Manager – “Vishone shows his commitment to our customers every day. He makes deliveries on his way home, comes in early, stays late, and basically does whatever it takes on a daily basis, continuing to do so even after getting promoted to Warehouse Manager.”
2) Travis Sistruck BR 60 Driver/ Warehouse – “Travis has been with GIC since August and already many customers have complimented him on his service and personality. He has patience when delivering to job sites that are hard to get into and out of, and never gets upset with the customers.”
3) Bailey Strickland BR 60 Warehouse – “Bailey started working at GIC in June of 2018 right after graduating from High School. Bailey is in charge of all MBI orders including keeping machines in good working order. We have had no complaints with materials because he is very conscientious about quality.”
It’s nice when a direct report recognizes the hard work his manager puts in. Joseph Latza, inside sales for Albany, nominated his GM Tony Roy.
4) We all know Tony is in a league of his own and as a GIC veteran of more than 20 years, he now manages two branches. “He has literally been doing the job of two employees for 4 years and he always makes time for anyone that needs him. He even comes in on his vacation days if he needs to. I really don’t know how he does it. It’s like he literally can do 10 things at once, and I know that’s impossible, yet he does.”
Trent Parsons, GM Ft Worth, originally nominated 3 employees, one of which was chosen in the 3 Superstar Winners. Here are the other employees nominated:
5) James Dennis, Warehouse/Driver – “James is our longest tenured driver and never backs down from a delivery. James does an outstanding job with customer service while making deliveries and has the fastest turn-around time out of our drivers. This enables more deliveries and more productivity to take place.”
6) Morgan Sharp, Warehouse Manager – “Morgan has deeply immersed himself with learning the ins and outs of shipping materials via freight companies and it has helped our branch tremendously by drastically decreasing the number of re-classed freight shipments. This avoids expensive charges after booking and shipping materials.”
Michelle Collins, Executive Assistant to President Frank Granara, nominated the entire office support staff team at Corporate.
7) Angelike Triant, Denise Ferdinand, Charlene Hediger, Shirley Thumith, and Diane Robertson – Michelle says, “This is the best group I could work with! They work well together, always have a smile on their face and are willing to help anyone when asked. What many don’t know about them is that each one has undergone or is undergoing a personal tragedy and yet they don’t focus on their personal situation, rather choose to put on a happy face and have a great attitude.
I am proud to work with these ladies and want to recognize and thank each of them for all they do for General Insulation, day in and out.”
8) Stephanie Meegan, GM Hayward, nominated by Jim Ntapalis (GM Phoenix) – We know that Jim has always been a champion for Stephanie and he couldn’t be more proud of her new role in the Bay Area. As part of the West Coast team, Jim’s branch in Phoenix is already feeling the impact Stephanie brings to the group. Jim is grateful for Stephanie’s “consistent support of all positions and requests from our branch. Thank you, Stephanie!”
9) Phil Binkley, Manager of Corporate Operations, nominated by Ellen Sirois (IT Director & Tax Officer) – In his role at Corporate, many people may not realize the extent of what Phil Binkley does to support the branches. From the development and monitoring of multiple weekly reports for the branches and Outside Sales (sales, customer rankings, inventory, new codes, pricing…) he is the backbone of our ERP, Solar. We lean on him as the SOLAR guru and we call him Dr. Phil. No matter what he is in the middle of, you can always count on Phil’s support when needed.
10) Andre Walton, Warehouse Manager Dallas, nominated by Frank Foti (GM Dallas) – “Andre schedules deliveries for us daily and orchestrates customer pick-ups as well. This is a huge undertaking for a branch our size. Over the last year we have had zero complaints about on time deliveries or pick-ups. “No” is not in Andre’s nature. He keeps sales and service a priority and consistently looks for ways to satisfy and accommodate our customers.”
11) Lisa Shadir, CSR Toronto, nominated by Robert DeBoer (GM Toronto) – “Her attitude, disposition and her likability factor give our office definition. It is somewhere a customer can come and feel welcome, have a problem solved, and start their day with a positive experience.
Lisa’s greatest skill set is that she enjoys making this company money. I’ve watched her push back on customers to keep them honest and they actually enjoy the experience. She pushes our sales people and vendors to maximize our buying position and profit margins. She treats people with respect and is respected for it. Lisa is relentlessly giving her all and we are all better for it.
12) Veronica Wolfe, Operations Manager Columbus, nominated by Paul Miller (GM Columbus) – Veronica is no stranger to being recognized for her outstanding work ethic at GIC. Several years ago she was our “Employee of the Year”. Looks like she’s still going strong!
“Veronica is our customer service Superstar in Columbus. She is a tireless worker that will sacrifice anything to make sure customers have what they want, when they want it. From starting the day at 5:30 am for a couple of customers, to coming in on weekends to open the branch for a customer who forgot something, Veronica takes care of the customers as if they are family (some of them are!). It is a rare occasion when a customer would hear “we can’t do that” from her. A few of the outstanding things that Veronica does to ensure customer satisfaction:
- Picks up donuts on way into work for drivers to give to customers on job sites.
- Calls ahead if we are back ordering any materials and offers suggestions on substitutions for those materials.
- Keeps candy tray stocked in office/will call. It’s amazing how many customers come in just for that!
- Makes after hours deliveries in her own mini van. She has had her retired husband make deliveries for customers.
- Customers often tell me that because of the service standards she provides, it makes their job easier and less stressful knowing they can count on her to deliver when we say we will. No one in Columbus can be counted on the way she can.”
We would like to thank these Customer Service Honorable Mentions for all you do day in and day out to ensure the success of GIC. You are the backbone of GIC and we appreciate you. Please take the time to thank each of these coworkers and share their stories with others on your team. We would especially like to thank those who took the time to nominate these customer service stars. Without that nomination, they would not have been recognized company-wide.
