PPB November 2020

ALYSSA ADRIANSEN Director of Accounts Magellan Promotions Years at this company: 4 A lyssa Adriansen was nominated by her direct supervisor, Michael Wolaver, who is also owner of distributor Magellan Promotions in West Allis, Wisconsin. He hired Adriansen four years ago as account manager from her previous advertising job with a large broadcast television company, and, in that time, has promoted her twice. “Since Alyssa joined our business four years ago, she has been consistently highly complimented and beloved by her clients,” Wolaver says. “The specific feedback we receive is that Alyssa is responsive, helpful, knowledgeable and trustworthy. She is very organized, doesn’t gloss over details and takes her job very seriously. Her retention of clients is extremely high because of the service level she provides. To measure our service level, we conduct a net promoter score and she scored as World Class, which is extremely difficult to achieve.” He adds that when there is an issue with an order, Adriansen is adept at finding a fair resolution with the supplier that also works well for the client. “She is great at minimizing any hassle that the client experiences when orders go awry, absorbing the brunt of that issue with a clear head and making the process seamless for the client.” In addition to handling a full account load, she also takes the lead on additional projects to help further the business, handles the continuous training of all teammembers and helps the team navigate and resolve issues with shipping, pricing, stock and more on a daily basis. “Alyssa is very in- tune with not just how the team is doing on a work level, but on a personal level. She takes the time to check in on how we are all doing, provides positive reinforcement and is an amazing support to all of the team,” Wolaver says. One-On-One With Alyssa Adriansen How the pandemic has affected her approach: The pandemic has made me get more creative in order to deliver stellar customer service. Whether it’s dealing with a dog barking in the background or stock issues and shipping delays, I’ve found the most success by remaining as transparent as possible. Everyone understands what a unique year it has been, and I’ve been able to maintain good customer service as well as grow relationships through honest conversations. Her inspiration to deliver great service: I’m inspired to go above and beyond in order to grow the client relationship. I enjoy working with the same people year after year and I find that an excellent customer service experience will lead to long- running relationships. No. 1 tip to share with others: Put yourself in the shoes of your customer and show empathy. Whether it is a simple quote or a problem order, I always try to make the process as simple as possible for the customer. Best personal customer service experience: In my experience, Gill Studios has some of the best customer service in the industry. Often with UPS issues or other things that come up, they will take responsibility even if it isn’t their fault, and reprint or fix the problem, whatever we need. I find that they prioritize the partnership and ease of service over “being right,” which is appreciated both by me and my customers. It’s something that I strive to do with my clients and enjoy receiving a similar experience from a supplier. Service Superheroes | FEATURE | NOVEMBER 2020 | 17