Customer Service Excellence: Leif Welhaven
Chasing Perfection: Billings Chamber of Commerce 2017 Business Excellence Awards By BRENDA MAAS “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” -Vince Lombardi
T
he great football coach, Vince Lombardi, was known as an incredibly demanding leader who continually pushed his athletes in their quest to win. That is not to say that the team never lost. But it was Lombardi’s drive to constantly improve, to continually be better than before that defines his legacy. By definition, excellence is “the quality of being outstanding or commonly good.” One may logically conclude then that the Billings Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Excellence Award recipients stand above others in their respective fields. Interestingly enough, all four award winners in 2017 followed a common theme: People make the difference. In an era when technology changes seemingly at the speed of light, many businesses may feel the need to keep pace, emphasizing digital techniques and online presence to increase revenue. However, these award winners prove that the person behind the device remains the differentiating factor.
2
2017 Billings Chamber Business Excellence Awards
With 15 years in the restaurant business and another 15 in the rapidly-changing mobile communication industry, Leif Welhaven knows that networking and customer service cannot be overrated. In his current position as director of business development with EEC, Welhaven brings that extensive experience to the design-build construction industry. “Obviously, customer service follows the old adage: Treat people the way you want to be treated,” Welhaven said. But he takes it a step further. Welhaven models that behavior at every venue as he networks, from Chamber events to the Home Builders Association, to the Billings Area Association of Realtors to Big Sky Economic Development. He also contributes his leadership skills to community organizations like the Family Tree Center, the Montana chapter of the American Diabetes Association and the Exchange Clubs of Montana and Idaho.
Being “plugged in” as Welh showing up—it’s being mentally event—and the resulting relation that can lead to business. Quentin Eggart, president a the value of Welhaven’s relation “Leif always has a smile on hi 300 hours a day,” said Eggart. His humble but happy person place to do business, Eggart add “I think in order to be good a you have to be a giver and server have to give without expecting a will then happen.”
Supervisor/Manager of the Year: DeDe Ston
DeDe Stoner started working as a lending officer in 2008—the said Stoner of managing, “inst compassionate.” year the housing market crashed. Alexis Williams, an employe “That year taught me a lot—about how to be a true sales person, about how to live while working on commission, about how the first one to tell you that you ar to build relationships and, ultimately, about myself,” said the work is appreciated. Because of h portant.” First Federal Bank and Trust loan officer. “It’s important to be able to r Stoner believes that demonstrating trust and projecting confidence are important leadership traits. She points to the recent er said. “It’s not about I’m the b Chamber of Commerce’s leadership class, NextGEN and other about ‘we are in this together.’” sales-based seminars as making a difference in her managing Like many great leaders, Ston style. In addition, Stoner credits personal and professional coach liefs, making it part of her lifest Emily Petroff, along with the book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Habitat for Humanity in almost Leadership, as sources of instruction and inspiration. from building a house, to mento “Emily taught me to step outside of a situation and look at it recently, serving on its board. for what it is, look at it from the perspective of the other person,” “It’s important to me that I, a
Employer of the Year: Billings Federal Credi Billings Federal Credit Union’s charter dates back to 1935. That sort of longevity creates its own track record, including a service attitude that extends beyond the nearly 9,300 members to the more than 40 employees. “One of the biggest perks of working here,” noted Debbie Strever, vice president of human resources, “is that we as a leadership team truly appreciate and respect our employees—we work for them. They are the face of our business.” Strever goes on to note that most open positions at the credit union are entry-level because the high positions are almost always filled from within. When we hire, she explained, we look at a person’s potential, not that he or she will always be a teller. “Being small, we are able to have that personal touch with our employees; it is face-to-face, look them in the eye and ask what do you expect from us?” Another effective strategy, job shadowing, allows an employee to take time from regular duties to “shadow” someone in a different position—rather like trying it on. The result of that trial
gives the employee direction and “We empower our employees to help our members,” Strever s this reg and that reg, we demons helping the member to think big save for college or consolidate y person and not the procedure.” Nicole Brown, a BFCU emplo ments her employer. “They truly care about their e managerial and social experience me, training me in that side of the b While BFCU employment in features atypical ones, too, such miums and a 401(k) in which BF ployee does not. The list goes on ties for online classes during bus to attend local training such as