PPB November 2018

Service Superheroes | FEATURE with creative solutions for our clients. We strive to make the impossible possible and the excitement/ gratitude that our clients show when we come through for them is the best reward for all our hard work. Biggest Challenge: Sometimes I feel like I don’t have enough time in the day. Motivation To Deliver World-Class Service: I want our clients to know we care and value them. Even if it is small, I like to think I’m making a difference to that client and maybe making their day a bit brighter. I’m also building a level of trust with our clients that can’t be matched. No. 1 Tip For Great Customer Service: Listen to your clients—not just the words they are speaking, but listen to their tone of voice and inflections. You can pick up a lot of information that way and adjust your response so the client feels confident about your interaction. We rely on email/texting so heavily these days that you can’t be afraid to pick up the phone, because so many things can be missed when you don’t have that connection. Speaking directly to clients and truly listening to them will show that you understand, care and, most importantly, want to build trust. Best Personal Customer Service Experience: I had a client who wanted about 200 of a specific retail shirt. The clerk who helped me not only took the time to call all local stores for me to find out what stock they had, she even had them all brought to one location so I didn’t have to drive around to pick them up. She then organized them by size so when I picked them up they were easy to count to make sure I had everything. The fact that she took the time to do this one small thing to make my day easier was incredible to me at the time. It reduced my stress level and made me feel important. She’s always remembered me when I’ve stopped in again and made sure I’ve received the same level of service whether I’m spending $10 or $100 (and no, she wasn’t commission-based). TOMMY GRIZZAFFI Inside Sales Partner Hit Promotional Products Years At The Company: 5 T ommy Grizzaffi, better known in the industry as “TommyG,” developed his first taste for customer service early in his career by working in restaurants and retail sales before landing at Hit. Once in the promotional products industry, he began as an inbound call rep and inside account manager before taking on his current job supporting six outside sales reps representing the West Coast territory. With 13 nominations for Service Superhero from clients and teammates, it seems Grizzaffi has found his calling. Known as someone who always goes above and beyond what his customers are expecting, he’s quick and responsive, takes time to explain and answer questions, provides exceptional service and makes every customer feel they are special. “He’s kind and respectful and you get the feeling he genuinely cares about you, your order, your project and even your problem if you’re not satisfied. He’s always willing to go the extra mile,” says nominator and coworker Amanda Baughman. Nominator and customer Hanna Pooler of Sutter’s Mill Specialties says, “You have to love what you do to provide the best service and TommyG fits the bill.” Best Part Of The Job: I enjoy the feeling that I get when clients reach out to me when they can go to any rep in any company in this industry, yet they choose me. It’s truly inspiring and that is what makes the job enjoyable. No day is like the previous; every day brings new projects, new challenges, new clients and new experiences. Biggest Challenge: You would not be able to recognize the person I was five years ago. Thanks to Hit, I have grown and learned how to manage my ability to evolve, change and adapt to the various challenges and circumstances we meet each day in the promotional products industry. Motivation To Deliver World-Class Service: Hit has given me purpose and challenges me to leave no stone unturned. Overall, I get the most joy out of making my distributor partners happy. It’s a connection. A feeling. A relationship. No. 1 Tip For Great Customer Service: I feel that being genuine and nice benefits any customer service rep. Paying attention, being patient | NOVEMBER 2018 | 29