PPB November 2021

Darlene D’Agostino Customer Service Hit Promotional Products Haddonfield, New Jersey D arlene D’Agostino is known for taking care of the people around her. That includes her clients, of course, but she also takes care of her teammates, and together they make magic happen for the company’s clients. Nominator Taylor Borst, director of marketing, special events and public relations at distributor American Solutions for Business, is one of D’Agostino’s clients and on several occasions, Borst has frantically reached out to D’Agostino to solve problems and expedite orders. “One time, I remember her telling me that our timeline was too tight but that she had just taken one of the teammembers out to get her nails done and she pulled in a favor from that person for me,” says Borst. “It was so funny at the time, but that’s such a good example of how Darlene takes care of the people around her and takes time to invest in relationships. She’s able to ask for favors because she’s well-liked and respected by the people around her.” Borst also likes the way D’Agostino puts her at ease when problems arise and in today’s business environment, it’s a skill that gets plenty of practice, especially with D’Agostino’s workload. On a typical day, she not only handles her own accounts and orders but also supervises a team of 11 other customer service reps helping them troubleshoot problems and manage their workflow and capacity. D’Agostino came to work in the promo industry nine years ago when she joined former supplier Admints and Zagabor as accounting manager. When the company was later acquired by Hit, she moved into her current customer service role. In Darlene’s Words What inspires you to go above and beyond what customers expect? I personally find self-satisfaction and self- value on providing the best customer service to our customers. When they are happy, I am happy. What’s your best advice for others wanting to improve their customer service skills? Try to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and provide them the same level of service and attention to detail you would expect to receive as if it was your own order. What’s an example of the best service you’ve received, why was it impressive and how did it make you feel? I have recently switched over to eating keto. My husband and I went to a restaurant that was able to accommodate our food restrictions by making us a custom keto meal for our wedding anniversary, including dessert. It was so thoughtful, accommodating and delicious. It made us feel very special and appreciated as a customer. We are now loyal customers and feel as if the restaurant truly cared in providing us the best customer experience possible. FEATURE | PPB Service Superheroes 28 | NOVEMBER 2021 |