Patricia Thornton, First Financial COBRA Specialist, loves her customers.
Garnering more than 25 five-star Google reviews, plus several email kudos from customers who specifically mentioned her by name, Thornton is raising the bar for what outstanding customer service means at First Financial.
“I’m a firm believer in doing unto others as you would have them do to you. If people are calling me, then they must need my assistance, and it’s my responsibility to help them,” Thornton said.
It’s this philosophy that propelled Thornton to be the inaugural winner of First Financial’s internal Google Review contest – a friendly competition that motivates employees to provide service so great that the customer is inclined to leave an online review.
But Thornton doesn’t provide good service only for a review. She goes above and beyond because it’s the right thing to do, and it’s clear her customers are appreciative.
“Customer service is 100 percent listening and responding. I not only give information but follow up because that’s what really makes people feel like you’re listening,” Thornton said.
To further enhance the client experience, Thornton leaves notes for every call she takes in case the customer calls back and another colleague helps them. This ensures that anyone on the customer service team has details on the request so they can pick up where Thornton left off. Plus, the customer doesn’t have to repeat themselves every time, which helps alleviate common frustrations many people have with calling customer service lines.
“Patricia is a wonderful team member who loves her career. Her knowledge, professionalism and empathy she exudes while assisting our clients shines through and is exemplified by how many outstanding comments we receive directly from our customers. She brings so much value to our clients, our COBRA specialist team and First Financial,” said Melissa Blalock, Client Services Manager and Thornton’s supervisor.
“I love my job. And because I love my job, I make it show when I’m helping my customers,” Thornton said.
