Solutions Current Issues > January/February/March 2007 > COVER STORY
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Our Customer Service Personnel Are Shining Stars
by Jim Morgan
The lights dim. The audience stops twittering. A hush descends. The heavy crimson curtain draws back to the wings. Silently, like stars appearing in the heavens, men and women – all smart, and smartly dressed – are illuminated by spotlights. They are the RL Hudson customer service team, and they stand center stage.
A dramatic image, to be sure, but not as dramatic as the impact that our expert project and account managers have each and every day. The tremendous growth we have experienced over the past few years could easily have stretched us too thin. But it hasn’t, and one reason we’ve been able to stay ahead of our customers’ needs is the expertise of our customer service personnel. They fulfill multiple roles, addressing quoting, and tooling questions, and drawing issues, and lead times, and first articles, and PPAPs, and inventory. That’s a lot to manage! Here’s a who’s who in our cast of project and account managers:
Sheila Lawson (Director of Supply Chain Management) oversees our project and account managers, our buyer/planner organization, links customer service to the supplier networks, manages the business relationships with our supply base, and develops real-time systems links between our customers’ and suppliers’ needs. Sheila joined our “cast” in the fall of 2006. She and her husband, Richard, have a son, Kyle, who is 15.
Mary Ann Schwing (Project Manager) also joined us in 1993. Mary Ann tracks projects from initial customer inquiry through to approved first articles for Territory Manager Becky Burkholder. Away from the office, Mary Ann is an avid gardener and landscaper, plus a proud wife, mother, and grandmother.
Rose Rhodes (Project Manager) came aboard in 2002. Rose works with two of our Territory Managers, Janice Moreau and Craig Wagner. Rose has extensive knowledge of our 49th state; she lived in Alaska for 13 years! In her spare time, Rose loves to design and make custom jewelry.
Dawn Lytal(Account Manager) joined RL Hudson in 2003 and now works with Territory Managers CraigWagner and Janice Moreau. Born and raised in southern California, as a youth Dawn was a slalom racer on the Big Bear ski team, a water skier, and a body surfer. Since then she’s worked for a large business publisher, an oil and gas supplier, an aerospace repair and maintenance center, and RL Hudson.
Michael Butler (Account Manager) signed on in June 2002. In addition to working with Territory Manager Janice Moreau, he also oversees all of our “house accounts” and all the new customer inquiries. A true survivor, Michael received a severe electrical shock of over 13,000 volts back in 1988, subsequently losing use of both arms for over a year. He credits this experience with giving him a much greater appreciation for his family and friends, and for the struggles that everyone faces.
Roger Mistak (Account Manager) joined us in the spring of 2004. He currently works with Territory Manager Craig Wagner. Competing in a mini-boat fishing tournament, Roger and a friend learned the agony of defeat. Having taken their car batteries to run the boat’s electric motor, they flipped the boat and lost all three batteries. Oh yeah, they lost their religion and dignity, too!
Susan Dergoul (Project / Account Manager) joined RL Hudson in 2004. Susan serves as both Project and Account Manager for Territory Manager Jason Hudson. Very active in Tulsa’s theater scene, Susan earned rave reviews for her role in a World War II-era drama last year. She also starred in a comedy that brought together two twentieth century giants, Picasso and Einstein.
Dora Goins (Account Manager) got her big break at RL Hudson in 2005 after living for twenty-three years in Oklahoma City. Dora works with Territory Manager Janice Moreau. “Most of my life has been about my career, my family, and raising my two sons as a single mom,” she reflects. Through the years, Dora has proven to be a loyal pal; she’s had the same best friend since middle school.
Teri Taff (Account Manager) was cast in late 2005, and she works with Territory Manager Craig Wagner. Don’t be fooled by Teri’s soft-spoken demeanor; she has an adventurous side! Two summers ago, while vacationing in the Florida Keys, she flew out over the ocean looking at shark beds in a FIB (flying inflatable boat, like an ultra light, except intended for the water). She admits it was a little scary at first, but she started having fun when she buzzed the Seven Mile Bridge!
Allison Woods (Account Manager) joined us in February 2006 to work with Territory Manager Janice Moreau. Allison and her husband, Ryan, are part of a “dinner rotation”: they and their neighbors take turns hosting dinner parties each week. They also recently welcomed their first child, son Ryson. (In fact, Allison had just delivered Ryson a few days before our cover shoot, which is why she’s not pictured with her Hudson teammates.)
Vickie Blair (Account Manager) joined our cast in April 2006, and she works with Territory Manager Craig Wagner. Vickie once had a brief career in the Air Force. She underwent basic training in San Antonio, then radar technician training at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. Though she was released on a medical discharge after eleven months, she has fond memories of the experience.
And, of course, we have equally talented project and account managers starring at our facilities in Greer, South Carolina and Suzhou, China. We’ll spotlight them in future issues. Until then, please do not hesitate to call on us if we can raise the curtain on high quality parts and outstanding customer service for you.
