PPB November 2021

PPB Service Superheroes | FEATURE Eric Wiberg Customer Service Manager Crystal D Saint Paul, Minnesota O ne of Eric Wiberg’s seven nominators and a former client, Jeff Ziering, owner of distributor ADvance Promotions, considers the awards segment of the promo industry the most stressful for several reasons. “With awards, everybody needs it yesterday,” he says. “And then, after they receive their proofs for approval, inevitably there is always a change. Eric never panics— he is cool, calm and collected, a stabilizing force. He would assure me that the order would ship on time. His last words to me on most orders were, “I will take care of it.” I knew, when I placed an order with Eric, that I could sleep at night.” Ziering worked directly with Wiberg for five years before he was promoted to customer service manager. “I gained more respect for this guy than any other individual in my 34 years in this industry,” Ziering adds. Wiberg started out in order entry with Crystal D five-and-a-half years ago and was promoted to territory order manager. He’s now in charge of customer service, a role he excelled in before, when he was in the retail and hospitality industries prior to joining Crystal D. “My role as the customer service manager now is to support my team not just in their day-to-day, but also in their own growth,” says Wiberg. “The supply chain challenges have hit the industry hard for sure, but I feel that my team and I have come into any challenges with empathetic hearts and solutions.” Another nominator, Kari Hurtis, VP of operations, says one of Wiberg’s many strengths is his empathy. “Eric has spent countless hours over the past several weeks coming through for a customer who made a mistake and placed the wrong year on over 150 awards. Eric has worked with our artists and production teams to offer solutions at little to no additional cost so that our customer does not lose the order. He understands that mistakes happen, and his only focus has been on making this right for our customer and the end-user.” In Eric’s Words What inspires you to go above and beyond what customers expect? I treat others the way I want to be treated. It’s one of our core values at Crystal D. I treat every customer interaction the way I would want to be treated if the roles were reversed. What’s your best advice for others wanting to improve their customer service skills? Listen! Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and be empathetic to their situation. That will go a long way in customer service. What’s an example of the best service you’ve received, why was it impressive and how did it make you feel? There is a small mom-and-pop grocery store near where I live and it’s all of the little things they do, from a kind and warm greeting, to the recommendations they make and the bagging of groceries. They are a bit more expensive than the big chain stores, but they make me feel like part of the family. All of the little things they do add up to a great customer experience every time and keep me coming back. Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB . | NOVEMBER 2021 | 39