Kristin – Behind The Work

Kristin’s mornings start out a little differently than most people’s. She starts her day by walking into about 15 different businesses and talking to a number of people. Most of them she has only been briefly introduced to or hasn’t yet had the pleasure of meeting them at all.  This is CITY’s version of a cold call. At CITY, cold calls are essential to getting to know potential clients and finding out what their needs are.

 

When Kristin walks into a business she is already looking for ways to provide the company with better service. She analyzes every detail of the room. She examines the current mats to see the amount of wear. She notes if any of the employee’s uniforms have holes or stains. She is constantly recognizing how she can add value to a business from the second she walks in the door.

 

ADDING VALUE THE CITY WAY

At CITY, Kristin is always trying to make the clients experience with our services as clean and simple as possible. She does this by making sure that we are always adding value for every party involved: the client, their employees, and CITY. Kristin believes one thing that sets her and CITY apart is the way they sell.

 

“The way I choose to sell and the way other companies choose to sell is a completely different animal,” Kristin said.

 

Kristin knows that anyone can sell uniforms, but not everyone can provide great service along with it. To her, and CITY, it is not about making a sale; It is about building relationships that last. Kristin says her goal is not to just get a client, but to make a friend. This means being transparent and honest.

 

“I’ve seen a lot of ways of doing it right and doing it wrong. It’s nice to see how we can help add value by doing business the right way. I don’t want to over promise to get an account, but actually sell them on what CITY can do,” Kristin said.

 

To Kristin, being the best in the business doesn’t mean being perfect. To her, being the best means that we are the best at fixing mistakes and being responsive. CITY is always working to be very transparent with clients. This is one of the reasons we have a UHF (Ultra High Frequency) tracking system. Garments get lost. It happens, but with the UHF chips, we know exactly when and where they were within our plant so we can hold ourselves accountable.

 

“We don’t need to be perfect. We need to be the most responsive and be that best at fixing problems,” Kristin said.

 

In order to be the most responsive, we need to have great customer service. This is another way that CITY adds value. We have a 1-800 number, but clients are also welcome to call our office directly. This way you don’t have to struggle to find answers. If a problem ever arises, we have people you can talk directly to that will find all the information you need.

 

“When our customers call us, they reach actual people. They would talk to Brandie McCracken, office assistant or Rhonda Kerns, billing specialist, who would get a client any information they would need.” Kristin said.

 

Kristin believes the last thing that CITY does to add value is caring. We are a family owned company and have been for 113 years, but she says the biggest thing that sets CITY apart from the pack is specifically Colin Wetlaufer, CITY’s President.

 

“Colin has passion for the industry. He’s always looking to improve and advance the business and industry. He works to make CITY better for himself, his employees, and the client. Which is huge.”

 

A DIFFERENT CITY – SAME VALUES

At CITY we believe in teamwork. It doesn’t matter whose job it is or whose territory it is; we are always willing to help each other. These values are so ingrained in our company, they extend across states.

 

Kristin loves working with her team and co-workers because they step up and do what is needed to help. They don’t put in the work just to benefit CITY, but to help their customers succeed as well. To them, there is no I in team.

 

Kristin says that the Minnesota team works well together because they are well balanced. Every person has their own personal strengths that help the team as a whole. She thinks of Gary Borchardt, a CITY Sales Representative, as her industry liaison. He has been in the industry for many years and has shared his expertise with his team. Kristin says Gary really helped her learn the industry when she first started. CITY Sales Representative, Josh Pilcher, on the other hand, is very focused and detailed. He helps keep everyone on the same page and makes sure nothing is overlooked.

 

To Kristin, this team mentality is very important. She says if they all know each customers expectations, they can all work to make sure they are met. This is why open communication is so important.  With open communication like this, not only does the sales team know what the client expects, but the Route Service Representatives know as well.

 

“We will step up and do what we need to do even if it’s not our job,” Kristin said.

 

As you can see, Kristin is not only an amazing person and employee, but she embodies the traits that make CITY great. She genuinely cares and wants what is best for the company, customer, and herself.  To learn more about Kristin and the whole Minnesota team, check out the employee directory to read a short biography about each of them. You can also go to the service area map on CITY’s website to see who services your area.