PPB November 2017

Lindsey Whitney, MAS National Sales Representative Raining Rose Windsor, Colorado Years at Raining Rose: 1 Nominators: Stacey McIntire, account executive, Brown Dog Marketing; Terrie Richardson, owner/operator, Colorado Creative Services What Makes Lindsey A Service Superhero Whenher family-ownedcompanywas acquired in2016, LindseyWhitney transitioned from her six-year role as president of supplier Solar Advertising tonational sales representative at RainingRose. She grewup in the industry (her parents owned the company, which soldpersonal carepromotional products), and she joined themfull-time in2009, but itwas her first jobas amarket researchcoordinator that exposedWhitney to the critical skills of creativeproblem solving. She also learnedhowtoexcel incustomer servicebywatchinghowher parents handled situations in their company. “Mymomused to say, ‘Treat everyorder the same, whether it’s for 250pieces or 250,000.’They alwayswanted tobe thebest, especially in service.” Now at Raining Rose, Whitney has become the go-to person for many of her clients, including nominator StaceyMcIntire, account executive at BrownDogMarketing. “Lindsey keeps us informed about new and existing products and specials,” saysMcIntire. “She is extremely knowledgeable about all of Raining Rose’s products, formulas, etc. Most importantly, Lindsey has a wonderfully creative knack for finding the perfect product solution tomatch upwith our clients’ events and themes.” As an example, McIntire recalls one of her largest clients in the financial services industry whowas looking for unique gift ideas for a women-in-business awards program. She immediately contactedWhitney. “Withinminutes, Lindsey had a list of her top three product recommendations, ideas of how to tie the products into the theme, photos and pricing, and she was ready to send samples to our client.This is just one example of themany ways she is our service superhero,” saysMcIntire. Nominator Terrie Richardson, owner/operator at Colorado Creative Services, has worked withWhitney not only as a client but as amember volunteer within the RockyMountain Region Promotional Products Association. Whitney currently serves as president, and Richardson is on the board of directors.The pair have also joined together to assist a local crisis center with donations of lip balm, first fromSolar Advertising and then fromRaining Rose. “Lindsey was instrumental inmaking this happen,” says Richardson, “and has even provided recommendations for other suppliers when shemay not be able to help with a product. She is always willing to go the extramile by creating unique artwork as well.” How Lindsey Saved The Day “I received a large order with an extremely tight in-hands date that I never thought we would be able tomeet and our client thought it was nearly impossible as well,” saysMcIntire. “Lindseyworked hermagic for us andwas able to turn it around and get it out the door in just a fewdays. She even got the items out a bit sooner than I expected, so they arrived three days early. Our clients thinkwe are rock stars nowandwe owe it all to Lindsey.” In Her Own Words Best Part Of The Job: This sounds like a cliché, but the part of my job I enjoy the most is the people. This industry feels like a big crazy family, and my favorite part of my job is the everyday interactions I have with my customers. After years in the industry, I am lucky to call many of them friends. Biggest Challenge: My biggest challenge is managing my own unrealistic expectations. I always want to make things happen and am disappointed if there isn’t a solution. Most Valuable Customer Service Lesson Learned: In every interaction, find a way to genuinely care. Your customer may not be able to tell when you don’t care, but they certainly can when you do. I learned this while talking with customers about why they use us. It is an immense differentiator, and it is free. No. 1 Tip For Great Customer Service: Be honest when things go wrong and come prepared with at least one solution. Most-Wanted Superhero Power: The power of flight, so that I could make those impossible rush orders happen. Best Personal Customer Service Experience: I recently took my first trip to Disney World as an adult. We were hoping to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from across the lake at the Grand Floridian Resort but got lost finding the recommended spot. When I asked for directions, the concierge not only recommended a better place but walked us over personally and asked if perhaps we’d prefer to watch from a boat on the water. At no charge, he took us out on the lake for the most amazing fireworks display I’ve ever seen. It truly blew me away! I’ve read that Disney’s customer service statement is “We Create Happiness,” and they certainly did. Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB . FEATURE | Service Superheroes 34 | NOVEMBER 2017 |