For 20+ years, "customer service excellence" has been my guiding mantra for developing and delivering recruitment and retention strategies—and this is what has enabled healthy cultures and profits to emerge from 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴.To me, providing exceptional customer service means you are giving of yourself. It’s about relationship building via conscious communication; being honest and direct; keeping up to date with your area of expertise; active listening and anticipating your customer’s needs; showing appreciation for their time and trust; and leaving a lasting and favourable impression.At Hyndman Transport Ltd. and Celadon Canada Inc., this approach enabled our team to consistently meet and exceed our 95% capacity requirement while steadily boosting driver retention.To drive meaningful change, I leveraged insights from our drivers to ensure they were part of the solution. Every connection is an opportunity, and whether the outcome is immediately successful or not, the seed must be planted to bear future results.Through focus groups, surveys, pay-it-forward mentorship programs, Friday coffee chats, and an open-door policy, I pinpointed the gaps in our processes and engaged the drivers, staff, and management in gradually turning things around. Known for being very process driven, I also ensured clear frameworks, metrics, and programs were in place to ensure everyone had the structure to thrive and do their best work.The culture we created became a central focus of our talent brand and we developed industry-leading branding and marketing campaigns that resonated with the target audience and cultivated a value-based organisational image that people trusted. This significantly improved our sourcing and made "selling" job opportunities an easy pitch!In my spare time, I love going for trail walks and soaking up the restorative power of nature, practicing yoga, or immersing myself in a good book. These activities are how I rejuvenate myself each week so I’m prepared to take on any project or challenge with a clear and focused mind.