Now That's Service

In Jean A. Wolfe’s role as student services training manager for Davenport University (Mich.), she travels regularly to many of the institution’s 14 locations. “The facilities personnel are professional, courteous, helpful and eager to assist me with everything from ensuring I have meetings rooms and that they are set up for presentations, to tracking down supplies, equipment, conference phones and more,” she says, adding that every team member she has encountered “is a delight to work with.” Here, in her own words, is how one facilities staffer when above and beyond to provide great service.

It’s 5 o’clock on a bitterly cold, snowy, and windy Friday. I’m headed out after a long week and eager to get started on my 2-1/2 hour commute home. It will be good to get on the road and get started on the weekend. Or so I think.

Walking up to my car, I find a completely FLAT, FLAT, FLAT tire. Knowing there would be few folks left after 5 p.m., I called and asked for security. Within minutes of my call, the security officer on duty came out to the parking lot, bringing with him Travis Novak from Facilities and Maintenance. I was in hopes of a recommendation for a towing company … or at most, let me borrow an air compressor to get enough air in the tire to get me to a repair shop. That’s all I expected.

My expectations were soon to be forgotten, as Travis took care of my car as if it were his own. And he took care of me. First, he made sure I was ok and let me stay inside where it was warm. From there, he continued to meet every crazy obstacle that could possibly arise.

He accessed the tire and recommended that he could try to change it, as adding air simply wasn’t safe and most likely wouldn’t hold to get me very far.

He called around to find a tire store that would be open late on a Friday night and made an appointment for me.

Once he found Firestone to be open until 8, he then asked, “Do you have a spare?” Well, yes, but we will have to unload the trunk first—and it was PACKED as full as it possibly could be and still close.

Boxes of training materials for work had to be removed before he could get to the spare “donut” tire.  Only to find out the “donut” was flat, too!

Travis took the “donut” up to the service area and pumped it up. He then suggested that he put the donut on the back so I would be able to steer better, and put the back tire on the front. Until he then found that the back tire was in terrible shape. Too bad to drive on, as the belts were showing through. His thorough assessment of the entire situation saved me from (another) tire disaster waiting to happen!

On top of that, the wheels were stuck on … he wasn’t able to get them off the car.

Now faced with a situation in which I wouldn’t be able to get to the Firestone store, he helped me reach a towing company, called Firestone back to let them know I would be late, and repacked all the boxes back into my car.

All the while, Travis also took care of all maintenance issues (his “regular” duties) that came up on campus, everything from a leaking sink in the kitchen area to a faulty smoke alarm in the residence hall, all with professionalism, composure, compassion, and a genuine sense of caring and “calmness” that made me feel as if all would be ok. I could tell he extends that same sense of “all will be ok” to everyone and every situation he encounters, large or small.

He allowed me to stay in a warm area until the tow driver arrived, drove me out to the parking lot in the “maintenance cart” so I would stay warm and made sure I was safe and “on my way” to getting my car back to a drivable state.

Travis seemed to shrug it off as “I just did what I felt was needed at the time” and “I just try to help all I can.” He may think it was all part of “doing his job”—to me it meant the difference between being stranded and being warm, safe and hopeful! To my husband, it meant a sense of “it will be okay” instead of helpless to assist me from 2 1/5 hours away. Travis may have thought it was “all part of the job,” but to anyone who has experienced car troubles miles from home, we know how much the kindness of people like Travis means.

He could have easily given me a phone number and went about the rest of his evening, and I would have appreciated that ... his genuine concern AND actions to ensure the best, safest outcome for me mean more than I can ever begin to repay him. He could have simply responded to my request, but his thoroughness and knowledge helped to avoid an even more dangerous situation for me … a likely blowout on the highway in the middle of nowhere! His actions are a true demonstration of EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS and a stellar example of caring and compassion. Travis is an example for all of us to follow—I only hope I can give my work the same kind of 150 percent that Travis demonstrates in his.

For more on what college and university facilities departments are doing to provide stellar service and the trend toward a service focus, see “Fast, Friendly Fix-Its,” a May issue feature.