January 13,2012
How long have you worked for Sprint?
Angie: Well it will be 10 ½ yrs, 11 yrs come July 1st of this year.
Wow, so if you had to give three words to sum up your 11 years what would you say?
Angie: Challenging... Stable ( I have been here a long time)… Comfortable (not only in my job but with the people I work with).
Speaking of “comfortable” what do you like the most with where you are at now?
Angie: Um, the fact of what I have learned in the past (being in customer service, sales, and tech), I feel comfortable with what I have brought from each position that’s been able to bring me to this one; and I that this one will bring me to the next step. You know what I mean? It also comes to play in the challenging part, because I am challenged at in each one of them.
So where are you going, what are you aspiring to?
Angie: As of right now to move from this [LTC] to Back Office Manager. I don’t have any initiative to go anywhere else because I have been here [Sprint] that I know what I am doing, plus I like the challenge of the new things that come about.
Out of all the experiences that you have had in the workforce, how would you rank Sprint?
Angie: This [Sprint] would definitely be the highest one.
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You’re a natural blonde, how well do you take to the “blonde” jokes?
Angie: Oh, I think they are hilarious…because some of them do fit me quite well! I’ve been known to walk into doors, can’t chew gum and do something different at the same time…
Do you have a favorite blonde joke?
Angie: You know I have heard so many I can’t even remember them. I am just amused by them all, and they never offend me. I just think they are hilarious.
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[The conversation transitioned into the discussion of nicknames…]
Angie: At home they call me Angie“New Place”. I am always moving things around in the house and it frustrates everyone because they don’t know where to find anything. My boyfriend is always saying, “OK, Angie“New Place” where did you put it?” Well that has trickled down into the tech room because I do the same thing.
I was going to ask if that had an effect. You are the only lady in the tech room.
Angie: Yeah it is kind of my motherly instinct, because I want to always clean up after the guys and make sure they have what they need, but I move it where I think is the easiest spot. Hank says it all the time, “Ok, ‘NewPlace’ where did you put such and such part?” You know I am always trying to make things easier on everyone and a little less clustered. You know, guys can be dirty! That’s all I am sayin’…
Now that you’re an LTC, how do you feel that you have “become” the LTC position?
Angie: Initially it was a struggle because I was the only girl, and because I came from another store that I spent so many years at. That was a struggle because I felt a little resistance from them, and to be honest 50% of that was more of the way I perceived it… because where I saw resistance, it was more of a communication gap. You know Nate needs to be communicated differently to than Ben does, and I kind of had to figure that out first. I struggled with it initially, I didn’t feel like I was fitting in and I didn’t want to change everybody I just wanted to make their job easier and make a better flow towards someone they could depend on; not to micro-manage, not to boss anybody around. That’s not really what I was after. I just wanted us to find our niche and for us to be more solid instead of everyone working on their own goals individually, let’s put it all together and figure out a way to do it so that we can work better with the front office.
So from a general leadership perspective, what makes a good leader?
Angie: I have always thought of it this way: to lead by example. I try to lead by example in everything I do, whether at home (so my kids can see, things such as going out of your way to help others and how you treat one another) or at work. If I come in and I am having a bad week or a bad day, they do to because it trickles down. It I come in and ask, “Hey how was your night or what did you do last night” and I have interest and a positive outlook to the day, it trickles down. It [attitude] is very contagious.
I try to lead by example with customers and ensure that the needs they have are met and when they leave they feel, “Wow, someone was actually listening to me.” That’s where I get satisfaction…and that [positive attitude] is what I mean by “lead by example.” I learned that from the managers I had at Hurstbourne. I learned it from Eric, I learned it from Justin, I learned it from Andy, it kind of trickled down to me.
So speaking of leadership, since you have become an LTC, have there been any new leadership skills you have been able to hone outside of “leading by example?”
Angie: I have learned to listen more to the needs and wants of them [speaking of the tech staff] and incorporate it into my vision. I try to have discussion and get peoples point of view. I take that and incorporate it into my leadership to that they are a part of of the process. I don’t want it to be, “Well I am the lead and I am going to make all of the decisions.” I think it develops them too and it lets them know they are included and their voices are being heard. I mean, they teach me to. It’s not about what I always think is right. I’ve been here [Sprint] a long time and it was a struggle at first but I have kind of eased back and listened more to them [TC staff].
Speaking of TC’s, in your years of experience, what makes the best tech?
Angie: I think what makes the best tech is to stay involved with what is going on…to read and use what we have access to. To stay ahead of the curve. Use downtime to read stuff that you can’t get to on a busy day. Always be involved. Reach out to other techs, find out what they think. To really dig deep and be on the lookout… Listen to the customer, and work well with the front office reps. Be proactive in helping them understand what the techs need. It helps the reps learn new tricks for triage that could save the customer from waiting an hour just for a swollen battery. Just little things like that but the best techs work well with the front end…you know back in the day we used to have two different sides (it was two different worlds[tech vs reps]) and I hated it! But if we have clear communication up front and work together to share little tricks (Ben has a good habit of doing that, you know. He will tell us things he learned while taking apart a phone and I will be like, “huh…I didn’t know that…I have been swapping out everyone one of them!”). So, yeah, just staying involved with one another and reading the information that’s out there because there is some really good stuff…and to contribute back to it… it all comes around and in the end the best tech is a huge benefit to the customer.
If you had a message for the techs (ASC and Co-Owned) in KySoIn what would it be?
Angie: I would say take your job/ take each customer…and own it. Help each other out and own what you do. Be proud of what you do and like what you do. I know the techs I work with now, like what they do and they own what they do. So, you have to be passionate about what you do and you have to like working with customers and you have to work to get along with your team mates. Take pride in your job…
Any closing thoughts for the team?
Angie: Enjoy coming to work. Retail is tough. We spend more time here together in a small room, behind a window, for long hours than with our families. So we have to work together and find our niche to make it a good day every day.
Angie’s experience in life and at Sprint can be felt in the words she spoke during our interview. I want to say thanks to Angie for sitting down with me for the 20 minute interview and for sharing some of her best practices and combined life experience. We look forward to an awesome 2012 with Angie at the helm of service and repair at Sprint Store 857.
