Customer Service Team Celebrates Milestone, Looking Toward The Future THREE DECADES OF SERVICE The Winner’s Circle is one of the keys to who we are as a team. And a focal point of the Winner’s Circle is “Our Customers.” For 30 years now, our Cookeville-based Customer Service team has played an integral role behind the scenes in making sure our customers have the resources and freight visibility they need. This group of more than 180 associates also supports teammates in the field, allowing them to do what they do best – deliver excellence each day. KUDOS FROM CUSTOMERS The commitment our Customer Service team shows is certainly noticed by our customers. Consider these compliments from a wide range of customers in recent years: • “I deal with a lot of carriers, and I believe customer service is the most important part of how your business is perceived. Your customer service team is so helpful, and your response time is awesome.” • “We are grateful for Averitt’s dedication and contributions and look forward to achieving even greater success together in the years to come.” • “I really appreciate the amazing customer service Averitt has. Today, good customer service is hard to find.” Director of Customer Service ELAINE GROSSHOLZ says successes like these are a direct result of our original vision for the Customer Service team, and our culture of teamwork and focus on the future. “When we developed centralized customer service, we wanted to provide world-class service,” says Elaine, who has been with our team for 36 years. “We wanted to provide the most consistent, responsive and convenient service in the industry. We wanted it to be easy to do business with us. We wanted our customers to be speaking with trained customer service specialists who were willing to go above and beyond to meet their needs. I think staying focused on these key things has led to us having such a strong team.” AN EYE ON THE FUTURE At the same time, Elaine says we’ve been focusing on technology trends to adapt to our customers’ needs. “Customers are moving away from the traditional phone call to gain information,” Elaine explains. “Currently, we are processing more than 1,000 customer service emails and more than 100 customer chats per day. And we are using technology with email/chat routing software to help our associates respond to those in a timely manner.” Our forward thinking for the last 30 years has made a profound impact. Today, the Customer Service team is a 24/7 global operation featuring 183 associates on 11 teams. Those teammates have the backing of a leadership group of 13, including nine who have 20-plus years of experience:
Director of Customer Service ELAINE GROSSHOLZ (center), pictured with Vice President of Information Systems TIM SAYLOR (left) and Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing KENT WILLIAMS (right), says the success of our Customer Service team is a result of our culture of teamwork and our focus on the future.
CYNTHIA TAYLOR (30 years), KERI SMITH (28), JANICE FLOYD (27), MARCIE COUNTS (26), NICHOLE NORRIS (26), JESSICA BROCK (25), TIFFANY ANDERSON (22), MARC ROBINSON (22) and BECKY KING (21). OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH Promote From Within is a frequent saying within our team, and Customer Service is a prime example of what’s possible when it comes to Averitt career growth. “There are 198 associates who started their careers in customer service and now work throughout our corporate office and in the service centers,” Elaine says. “These associates are now in director, sales, leadership and other positions throughout the company's service offerings. We are very proud to have worked with these associates and value their contribution to making customer service what it is today.” WHAT’S NEXT? Elaine says the goals for our Customer Service’s team’s future are simple. “We want to continue to provide world-class service to our customers,” she says. “We want to continue to coach up our associates and help them achieve the goals they have set for themselves. And we want to listen to what our customers’ needs are and find the most efficient and effective ways to meet those needs through our associates and technology.” We’re thankful for all the ways our Customer Service team has our team’s back and our customers’ backs. And we look forward to a bright future and continued growth of this vital group! T m
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