The Employee: Rodger Morris

Location: Hot Springs

The Customer: Oden Schools

In his career, Rodger Morris has done a little bit of everything. Auto mechanics. Working on C5 cargo planes in the Air Force. Working for the city of Hot Springs doing plumbing and mechanical work.

He’s been mechanically inclined his whole life.

“I’ve always torn something and part and then tried to get it back together,” he says.

He knew nothing about copiers when he jumped on with Datamax four-and-a-half years ago. But just as he’s picked up the intricacies of these digital, network-connected devices, he also understands well the value of earning the trust and respect of a customer.

“A lot of times, customers just want somebody to listen to them,” he says. “So try to get them fixed up and back up as running as fast as possible, and take the right approach to making customers happy.”

The Client's Need

Oden is a small town in Montgomery County, Ark. The school district there is on a tight budget, and a variety of older machines make up the fleet there. When Morris began going out there four and a half years ago, training on newer machines, the older ones often presented a unique challenge – but one he was more than willing to accept.

“I was learning the newer machines, and then running out to a more remote area, I had to learn to work on different manufacturers, some of the older books and manuals aren’t as clear,” he says. “It created a pretty good challenge, but one I was willing to accept to satisfy my customers.”

The Team's Approach

“The first thing you try to be is respectful to your customer. I know that since I’ve taken over the supervisor position, I’ve had the chance to run dispatch and when calls are coming in, customers can get short or angry with the dispatcher. They often just want a technician at their location as soon as possible.

As a technician, you go in and listen to the customer. You understand that whatever they called in might not be the issue. You show them that you’re there to help them, and then you get the machine up and running.”

What Made Them a Raving Fan?

Often times, at Oden, Rodger might find himself frustrated with one of the machines there.

“But when you’ve got a customer (like the Principal at Oden) who is telling you how much they appreciate you, it makes our work all worthwhile.”

“The principal at the school has expressed to me numerous times ‘you’re always here, you always go above and beyond,’” Rodger says. “He says when he goes to (Quachita River School District) Board meetings, I’ll recommend you guys. You are on top of everything and you’re always willing to work with us.”