Knowing this was a walk to remember, Janet packed a handful of Kleenex — just in case.

This early March Hot Springs, Ark. afternoon, Janet’s going for a walk – the same one that she’s been on every three months or so since 1980. She’s got the route – navigating from the counselor’s office to the classrooms, through the library and to the Principal’s office – memorized like a first grader’s addition tables.

She greets nearly every face by name. She asks a ton of questions, takes a ton of notes. She takes nothing for granted.

Along the way, Janet visits with teachers and secretaries, and personally checks every Datamax device on the Garland County School campus. Janet even has a wish list on hand for staff members to fill out – more often than not, admittedly,  the request is for color – that she’ll present to administrators when they visit. Sometimes, she bakes cookies to hand out. Other times, she signs up for school charity events.

Whatever (or whomever) it is, Janet makes herself available.

The physical campus walk-through does more than just solidify and personalize the Datamax account manager’s relationship with her client. It gives her peace of mind that, undoubtedly, things – and people - are being taken care of.

What made this particular walk so hard? Knowing it would be her last.

“It’s hard. It’s very emotional for me, telling them goodbye after I’ve taken care of this school district all these years,” Janet said. “For me, it’s more than just being my clients’ ‘Datamax person.’ I always try to have a close-knit relationship with the businesses I serve. I want to literally take care of them all.”

After 15 years with Datamax and nearly 40 years in this industry, Janet Hunter is retiring. Family and friends know Janet as a master of compassion. Arkansas businesses she serves know her as a master of those client relationships. Whomever she meets, wherever she walks: Janet is a master of Creating Raving Fans.^®

A Master of Compassion

Growing up in Hot Springs, Janet grew up in a Christian home where her dad served as a Missionary Baptist Minister for 60+ years. She says she was blessed to have a very loving mom, as well as some “amazing aunts that were like moms to me, and very influential in my life.”

Janet fell in love with the piano at age 10, and has played for churches regularly for more than 50 years. After graduating from Hot Springs High School, Janet went to Cosmetology School and became a hair dresser, only to decide a few years later to work for a local bank. It was at the bank where she met her husband of 45 years, Coy.

“Being in those two previous industries taught me a very valuable lesson: If you take care of your customers, they will take care of you,” Janet said. “When I worked at the salon, I took care of a lot older ladies. Most of them just needed someone to talk to. There was one woman in particular: I would go to work at 5 a.m., because that was the only time she could get someone to drive her to the salon.”

Janet became this client's sounding board. They talked about the woman’s kids and her husband’s health issues, anything that might come up on any given day. Janet’s compassion for her client went well beyond hairstyle.

“I knew I didn’t want to be a counselor. But just listening to her, it helped me learn how I could help others, just by listening. Sometimes, if you listen, and this applies to our business today, they’ll tell you what they need and want without ever having to ask.”

A Master of Client Relationships

Janet was serving as the church pianist and youth sponsor when the youth director’s parents, whom owned a local office supply/office equipment dealership, mentioned a part time opening doing administrative work. Janet hadn’t worked since her first daughter Shadda had been born, but was intrigued with reentering the workplace.

She was working one or two days a week in the office when the building burned to the ground. Janet agreed to work inside the owner’s home for the time being – but she quickly wanted out of that house.

“They didn’t have any outside sales people at the time. So I said, ‘let me work in the office in the morning, get the paper work done, and then I’ll go out and do outside sales the second half of the day. Bobby, the owner, wondered how that would be possible. I just looked at him and said, ‘I can do this.’”

Janet has been in outside sales ever since.

Through her interactions at bid openings and Hot Springs events, Janet came in contact regularly with Louis Massanelli (a competitor at the time and later a Datamax co-worker). After years of pleading from him, Janet eventually came on board with his organization.

It’s been Janet’s professional mission to never make a customer feel like “I sold them equipment, and then walked away only to return when it’s time for an upgrade.” Along the way, she has plenty of solid lessons to pass on to younger account representatives. A few of pieces of advice from Janet:

• Get out of the office as soon as you can every day, with a plan and work for your plan. Lee Wheelington taught me that, and I've taken it on as my own personal motto. I like to be at a customer’s office by 8:30 or 9 every morning.
• If you walk into an office, and you don’t have a clue who someone is, look around. 9 times out of 10, you’ll see a picture of their kids, or a family on the beach or at Disney World. Make a comment about it. Ask them if they had a great time at the beach!
• Draw clients or prospects into talking about them.
• Pay attention the customer. Don’t come across that you’re there for the dollar. You’re there for them. They can tell when you’re sincere. Customers are smarter than we give them credit for.

A Master of Creating Raving Fans^®

Due to her husband’s declining health, Janet felt it was time to retire to spend quality time with him. She looks forward as well to devoting more time to her two daughters, Tara and Shadda, and her three amazing grandchildren.

She reiterates how much she’ll miss her Datamax work family, and her wonderful clients (most of whom she considers friends).

Looking back, it’s no surprise that this customer-oriented Account Manager has long taken the Datamax motto as her own. Her raving fans are everywhere in Hot Springs. The Garland County School District is but one small – yet significant – example.

We can take much from Janet's professional championship path, which includes having compassion for clients, taking time to listen, and taking plenty of walks. When it comes to our company mission statement, Janet Hunter has put her own personal stamp on Creating Fans - the mark of a Datamax champion. 

And as she walks away, we’ll have a few Kleenex on hand. Just in case.