Faces of Roundpeg: Can I Help You? Amy, Annalise and Erica

by Dec 17, 2011Marketing, Roundpeg

If you call Roundpeg, you will notice several things:

  1. During business hours the phone is answered on the first ring
  2. It is answered by a live human being
  3. And the greeting is almost always the same, no matter who answers:  Thanks for calling Roundpeg, this is  (name). Can I help you?

Over the years, we have had a series of talented, young professionals answer that phone. Not only were they the face of Roundpeg, they were the voice. Amy Rowe Dolk, Erica Gardner Dobson and Annalise Corman each spent about a year at Roundpeg.  For them, it was a chance to start their career. For us, it was a chance to figure out what the role of an account executive should be.  The annual turnover of the account executive was part of life at Roundpeg.

Each of these women brought very different skills to the job. Annalise was a strong writer, Erica had a talent for web design (even though that was not what she went to school for) and Amy was gifted as the center of our customer service activities. With each of them, I experimented with the job description, trying to figure out what we needed most.  Working with them I learned about the pros and cons to hiring new college grads.

On the plus side:

  • They brought enthusiasm, energy and new ideas
  • They were willing to start at the bottom and were open to almost any assignment

On the down side:

  • When you are young life changes – Amy followed her fiancee to Omaha. Erica, newly married was ready to buy a house, and needed a job with a bigger future.  Annalise figured out that she didn’t love writing as a career the way she had in school.
  • With each change in their lives, came changes in ours.  Lots of interviewing, training and reorganizing.

We have stayed in touch, danced at their weddings, and watched their careers progress.  I am proud so many talented people have gotten their start at Roundpeg. But the constant turnover was holding us back.  I made a decision to invest in programs which would allow us to retain key employees.  It was a big step, but it was the only way we could  mature and grow.

In recent years, our staff has begun to change.  We still have some new college grads, but we also have team members with more experience.  People still come and go, but they stay longer giving us a chance to grow with them.  I know we will always have turn over. I know we will always be looking for that next great team player, who will bring new skills and new ideas to Roundpeg. And I also know some things won’t change…like how we answer the phone.

Thanks for calling Roundpeg, this is Lorraine.  How can I help you?