We're excited to present another department in our Meet the Team series. In this edition, we’re shining a spotlight on the Service department. Get to know the people behind the scenes, learn about their roles and discover what makes their department unique.
John Sieminski, Vice President, Service Operations; Jenn Anderson, Assistant Service Manager/Dispatcher; Madison Moran, Dispatcher
Get to know Assistant Service Manager/Dispatcher, Jenn Anderson
Can you introduce yourself and describe your role in the department? I am the Assistant Service Manager and Dispatcher. I manage day-to-day scheduling of 20 Service Technicians and coordinate customer requests via phone and email. I assist John, the Vice President of Service Operations, with quoting and billing reports. I’m also in the process of training our new Dispatcher, Madison Moran, to help alleviate my workload.
How long have you been with the company? I've been with The Wilkinson Companies for 5 years.
What attracted you to work in this field? Coming from the corporate high-tech world, I appreciated the 14 years of experience but found that the work/life balance wasn’t working for me there. I wanted to work for a company that was family-oriented and passionate about what they do. I’ve always believed that it’s important to find a career that is needed. Everyone needs heat and hot water. What better place to work than helping people out when they need to keep a building/apartment buildings warm and safe.
Top Row: Duy L., Technician; Mark M., Technician; Stephen K., Technician; Mike G., Technician; Josh S., Technician; Mike P., Technician; Jason H., Technician; Alex D., Technician; Brian McGraw, Senior Technician; Jeff T., Technician; Bottom Row: Fran Z., Technician; Riz M., Technician; Ethan S., Technician; Ralph C., Technician; Bryant H., Technician; Stephen M., Senior Technician; Alex S., Technician; Sam M., Technician; Austin F., Technician; Chris P., Technician
Department Details
What are the main responsibilities of your department? We handle all incoming service calls for boiler room issues (no heat/hot water/leaks), coordinate with our installation team to start up new boilers/burners, and we also work with our Wilkinson Mobile Boiler division when mobiles are ready to be started up or connected.
Can you describe a typical day in your department? It is extremely fast-paced and the day flies by. We handle all incoming calls and emails from our customers and must keep our Technicians busy on a daily basis, which is no problem with the amount of business that comes in - especially this time of year.
What projects or tasks is your department currently focused on? Our focus right now is to make sure all our customers are ready for the heating season. Our Service Technicians are on multiple calls a day, starting up heating systems before it gets cold.
How does your department contribute to the overall success of the company? Our Service Technicians work hard, day in and day out. It’s rewarding to hear how they make our customers happy with the work they do.
What are some challenges your department faces, and how do you overcome them? Time – we have a lot of work and not enough time in the day, but I always say its better to have lots of work than none! Our Technicians do an amazing job at getting things done.
"I am proud of all of the Service department associates; we have a very demanding job of keeping the heat on for our customers and do an excellent job in doing so."
- John Sieminski, Vice President, Service
Personal Insight from Technician, Mike P.:
What do you enjoy most about your job? I enjoy the relationships I have built over the years with several of our customers. By building confidence with them, no matter what the situation, they know we will remedy the issue.-1.jpg?width=443&height=443&name=Quotes%20(3)-1.jpg)
Can you share a memorable experience or achievement during your time here? Bob W. and I were connecting a mobile boiler at a school in New Bedford. It was January and the school was without heat. By the time the mobile was connected and ready to fire, the fuel oil congealed in all the fuel oil piping. It took us several hours to heat the oil lines up in order to get the fuel oil to flow. At the end of the night heat was finally restored to the school.
What skills or qualities are essential for success in your department? Being able to stand back and diagnose a situation without having tunnel vision. No two boiler rooms are the same. Not every service call has a text book procedure to fix it.
How do you stay motivated and inspired in your role? I stay motivated by having pride in my work and striving to be the best I can be, which translates into becoming a well-rounded Service Technician. This results in serving the customer to the best of my ability, which is the goal of the Wilkinson Service department.