Jennifer Duke likes to start every day of work about an hour early.
In the 15 years she’s worked at Datamax, it’s just natural for the Dallas/Fort Worth Senior Collections Specialist to arrive at work at 7 a.m. or so. It’s during this time that she’ll listen to voicemails, get emails out from the day prior, and mentally prepare herself so that when 8 a.m. rolls around, Jennifer’s ready to start making collection calls.
“There’s always plenty do once 8 a.m. hits. The days get busy. It makes me feel better that I’m going to be prepared to get the day started,” Jennifer says.
Jennifer Duke owns the expertise – and the temperament – to achieve what can be a most challenging role. But it’s her consistency, and her “lunch pail” mentality, that makes her stand out.
It’s her ability to execute every day that defines her “extra one percent.”
"In general, Jeni does not like being surprised so I believe that is why she has a very consistent way of following process which is great because it doesn’t leave room for error," Dallas/Fort Worth ClientCONNECT Manager Jacqueline Campos said. "We are very fortunate to have a tenured and very knowledgeable employee in our team in such a complex role."
She performs with Consistency.
To understand Jennifer’s knack for consistency, you have to travel back to her senior year of high school.
Her parents were building a house in Flower Mound while she attended Irving High School. Rather than forcing her to move schools her final year of school, they opted to let her stay home alone.
This sudden freedom taught Jennifer two important things: The key to consistency and the great feeling of accomplishment.
“I learned very early the importance of prioritizing the things that should come first. I kept myself disciplined making sure those assignments were turned in on time, that deadlines were met. I put that pressure on myself that I could graduate without supervision,” she says.
When she did those things, Jennifer says she relished in that feeling of accomplishment. This is something that still applies for her today.
“(One thing that keeps me consistent) is seeing the numbers come in after closing. It’s so satisfying when you meet your goals. It pumps you up for the next period, because you know that those daily tasks I work through are what leads to great (collections) numbers.”
She performs with Compassion.
Compassion is an essential tool for any successful collections agent.
“When I’m calling customers, I want to make them feel comfortable. It’s not about shaming them into payment, or ‘why haven’t you paid?’” Jennifer said. “My approach is just asking them anything we can assist them with, to get payment in a more timely fashion. Maybe they’d rather have invoices emailed. With Jackie’s approval, I like to offer up a payment plan. Compassion is so important.”
Her manager agrees.
"Jeni truly cares about each customer as an individual and makes them feel at ease even though the conversation may not be a comfortable one. Jeni likes to concentrate on her day-to-day duties one customer at a time, which makes her be an effective collector," Jacqueline said.
She performs for her Coworkers.
When COVID-19 hit last year, a lot of people expressed their preference for working from home. Not Jennifer.
“I was so very thankful to come into my routine, my job, and my coworkers. I’m just that kind of person. I want to maintain the relationships that I have here at work. It gives me a great amount of joy.”
Ultimately, Jennifer says, it’s the people who keep her here after 15 years. And it’s the people around her – teammates not just in Dallas Fort Worth, but those in East Texas, Sulphur Springs, and St. Louis – that inspires her to excel.
“I truly love my job, and I am excited to wake up and come to work every single day,” she continues.
