Kathy | Agent since 2015
A resource agent in the consumer services industry, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Here to Serve
Kathy is an agent success advocate with Working Solutions. She motivates agents to be the very best, on every call, every day.
Before coming here, Kathy earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and spent time as a professional nanny. She worked closely with children of all ages, helping them to meet and exceed their physical, emotional and educational goals.
From Super Nanny to Star Agent
Kathy heard about Working Solutions from a friend who told her to check out this “amazing company.” She did and loved what she saw. She went directly to the company website and applied on the agent link.
In March 2015, Kathy joined the team as an independent contractor. From the beginning, she served as an agent for a senior living placement company.
Recalling that time, Program Success Manager Brandon Molina said: “When she joined the company, she immediately knew her heart was home. She loves coming to work every day, loves the challenges and joys that come with each new day, and especially loves working closely with the agents to help them learn and grow.”
Serving Fellow Agents and Customers
A year later, Kathy became a resource agent, assisting other agents with their issues while fielding her own calls from customers.
She sums up her job this way: “I focus on what’s important to my customers and do everything I can to show them I care.” That includes internal and external customers.
In Kathy’s current role, most of her time is spent serving other agents. “I help all agents learn and grow and exceed program expectations.”
Being a virtual operation, she mostly coaches agents through email. For more personalized attention, she talks with them over the phone. And sometimes, she will shadow agents, sharing their computer screens as they assist customers, as well as listen to recorded calls.
A Cycle of Care
When asked what she likes about the company, she had this to say: “I don’t know if I could say enough about Working Solutions. I knew right away the day I started my first project as an independent contractor that it was the place I was meant to be.
“The people are amazing. The management team is amazing. They’re always accessible, always approachable, and they’re always positive and encouraging.
“You might be having a rough day, and they will come to you and say: ‘Here’s what we can do to turn it around.’ No matter how busy they are. And every representative of each department is just a testament to that.”
When she’s not working—and that’s not often—Kathy loves to travel, especially to Walt Disney World and the Caribbean.
She lives in Southeast Michigan with her significant other, Joe, and their two yellow labs, Daisy and Lily. She also is training to run her first half marathon in the fall of 2018.
The Careful Listener
Working with the elderly and their families to find the right senior living community takes a special, empathetic ear. One that Kathy has and uses to great effect.
Kathy says what strikes her most when talking to families is a customer’s frame of mind and what she can do to ease any emotional tension.
Often times, she hears in the very first words a customer’s heart breaking on the other end of the line. She hears a loved one’s turmoil, not knowing what to do or where to turn for help.
Emotional Shock Absorber
“Being able to help alleviate some of that stress and worry is the best thing I do. That’s when I feel I help families the most.
“When these families reach out and are absolutely distraught and don’t know where to turn, I’m there to tell them: ‘You’ve reached the right place. We can help.’
“And to hear the sadness in their voices relax when they realize they’ve found someone who can truly help makes me know I’m doing exactly what I should be doing.”
Not all of her customers are in desperate or urgent situations. Some have been searching for senior communities for several weeks when Kathy connects with them.
She says advising families is fulfilling. It’s those situations, though, when people feel they have nowhere to turn or know what to do that are most rewarding.
Once, while transferring a call over to a senior living advisor, a woman who was at her wit’s end told her: “You’ve made such a difference in my journey.”
For Kathy, “That really speaks to me.”
“I focus on what’s important to my customers and do everything I can to show them I care.”
