How did you first hear about the Arise® Platform?
I was looking for a change, so I stepped out of corporate America. I had worked in the mortgage, auto, and finance industries, and the last job I had was working as a branch finance manager in the banking industry. But I have grandbabies now, and I wanted to spend more time with them.
A friend of mine was already using the Arise® Platform, and she is the one who told me about it. She actually lives next door to me, so I went down to her house, and she helped me get registered and enrolled.
I started using the Arise® Platform in August of last year, and I have been using it ever since.
What do you like most about the Arise® Platform?
I love being able to work from home, and I love the flexibility! We are getting our home built right now, so I’m living with my daughter and her husband until our home is built just right across the street. That’s what’s more important to me at the moment.
I can work from home and see my grandbabies.
How has the Arise® Platform impacted your personal life?
It’s actually taken a lot of stress off of me after leaving corporate America, having meetings, and beating traffic. I don’t have that anymore.
What program do you service now, and what do you like most about it?
I service the home improvement supplier. My next store neighbor serviced the client first, and she recommended it to me.
But I love talking, and I like working from home, and putting out fires for people.
When we lived in Tampa, I worked in litigation and mitigation. To be honest, I just loved investigating and talking to people. When people call and if they’re upset, I can find out what’s wrong, answer their questions, and calm them down. That makes me happy.
How does it make you feel when you are able to calm someone down and help them?
It makes me feel accomplished—that I have actually done something nice or helpful for someone. It makes me feel better as a person because I get to put myself in their shoes. First, I listen to them, and second, I provide resolutions.
I have great energy, and I love putting that forward to help other people who are upset. It’s nice to hear them laugh before they hang up with me.
Has there ever been a time in which you feel you positively impacted someone’s life by providing customer service?
I have two.
The first one was when I had an 87-year-old man call—he was living in a snowy state—and he didn’t have heat.
I called the home improvement supplier store near him, and the lady I talked to was superb. I got her to pull the last propane heater off the shelf and save it for the man, and as far as I know, he was able to go get it so that he could have heat.
My heart goes out to the elderly and that’s my calling: helping the elderly and children.
The second one was when a young lady called after finding out that her father just had a stroke, and she called me to try to resolve an issue because her father was in the hospital.
I had lost my father recently too, and when she was trying to explain everything, she immediately started crying. I am not an emotional person at all, but it brought back so many memories for me.
The young lady was trying to handle so much, and there were some issues that she was trying to explain to me but was having a hard time doing it. I told her, “You know, just breathe through your nose and out through your mouth for a minute. Calm down. We’re going to get through this together.”
I was trying to keep it together too, and it had a huge impact on me and her.
People are put in your path for a reason. It was one of those days. She needed me and I needed her.
I just love making an impact on people, and I love it when good comes out of a bad situation.
How has the Arise® Platform improved your professional life?
I’ve learned new verbiage and how to communicate better.
I’m a southern girl from Alabama. I like to hunt, I like to fish, I like to ride Razors, I like to go mud riding, and I am very blunt, especially because of my prior experience in collections. But I have had to learn how to communicate in a different manner.
I am actually glad to step out of that collections mindset and be able to help people. Providing customer service takes somebody with personality instead of someone who sounds like a transaction.
What do you think has made you so successful on the Arise® Platform?
Listening to the customer, letting their voice be heard, and being able to do that when they’re upset—and being able to control the situation.
Sometimes you have to let customers vent first, and then provide them with the information they need. It helps them feel like their voice is being heard.
Do you have any advice for those who are new to the Arise® Platform?
As a grandmother and a mother, the flexibility of the Arise® Platform is important. If I need to go and pick up one of the kids from school, I can schedule myself when I want to work and go to pick up my grandchildren.
The reason I like working from home is because I can start servicing and then stop so I can start my supper, put it on the crockpot, and sweep and mop. Then I can come back to service so when I stop in the evening, I can just relax.
Is there anything else you would like others to know about the platform?
It is awesome to use the Arise® Platform due to its flexibility.
Once you start servicing, you get addicted. First and foremost, just listen to what your instructor says in certification. Once you go live, just listen to the customer.
