It’s been almost 8 months now since I joined PeopleService even though, like everyone else, I suspect the last month alone feels like a year! It certainly is a strange time, but it also proves to me that I joined an organization that really makes a difference.
When Chad Meyer asked me to come on as the director of sales, I did so because I could see his authentic commitment to serving the people of the Midwest in a unique, much-needed way. And, when I met the office staff and region managers, I could tell that the everyone in the company feels the same way. And, here’s the coolest part: they all serve with expertise and care and truly don’t want many accolades for it.
I was also fortunate to spend time with Al Meyer before he passed in March. What an inspiring leader. I will never forget what he said to me. “If we are doing our job well, nobody notices.” Until this COVID-19 experience, I would have said that’s 100% true. Now, things are slightly different in that our team members in the field who manage, operate and maintain water and wastewater systems in communities throughout the Midwest are considered (finally acknowledged as) essential workers. (Duh!) Maybe this will put what we do every day in the front of peoples’ minds. It matters to us we know the function of keeping water and wastewater safe and clean is essential. We can’t risk it not being so.
Acknowledging our team members in the field as essential also means that they must be on the job 24/7 (as always) putting themselves on the front line in the face of this virus and taking the risk to do the right thing for our valued customers.
I know our customers appreciate this dedication. I’ve met quite a few and in our conversations, this has been made clear. And, on stormy nights, last year at this time battling the results of the 100-year floods, and even in the day-to-day, what customers told me is how much they appreciate being able to trust PeopleService with this critical health, safety and economic-development asset. Al Meyer said this best, too. “One time a customer told me, ‘last night was the first time a thunderstorm woke me up and instead of getting up to go check the wastewater station, I rolled over and went back to sleep because I know your guys were doing that for me.’” Yup. That’s what we do – and why we give away pillow stress toys at our booth during conferences. (We also give away popular poop and water stress toys, too!)
While I can’t be at conferences this spring and maybe well into summer, I am becoming proficient at Zoom video conferencing and I’ve always been good on that thing called a telephone. Happy to talk with you anytime about your water and wastewater needs for your community and how, with PeopleService on deck 24/7, you too can roll over and go back to sleep at night with less worry about how things are going. Contact me.
It’s a new way to look at control – trusting caring, experienced, licensed and certified professionals who are part of your community – to take care of you. We call it the Power of PeopleService – and it works.