Employee Bright Spots
Tom Gill Chevrolet is a business of character.
Every month, the dealership focuses on a Character Quality. Tom Gill Chevrolet staff embody character, and the following bright spots explain how.
August 2014
Brandy Hansen
Accounts Payable Clerk
Say hello to Brandy Hansen – our friendly and talented Accounts Payable clerk. She has been with our company a short 1 ½ years but in that time has made us wonder what we would do without her. From being a Disney team member to helping solve customer handling issues at the Guest Services desk, she takes it all in stride. Brandy’s versatility has recently allowed her to take on yet another role as the Guest Services Supervisor and she has already taken charge of it with her flexible, fun loving yet task-oriented style. We know she will do well in her efforts to improve the customer experience there!
A few things you may not know about Brandy is that her free time is mostly spent with her 3 ½ year old son, Clay. She says the event that has changed her most was the death of her brother a few years ago. It taught her to appreciate life and live it to the fullest. She lives more by the “This too shall pass” motto. She has 7 tattoos and used to sing competitively in high school. Live music is her passion. She loves concerts, fairs, festivals and all things related to 80’s hairbands!
The best thing about working here in her opinion is that she always feels appreciated. She thinks that this helps her have an open attitude toward our customers; making sure she is always willing to help, listen and care about what the customer cares about. Being a team player is taken to the next level with Brandy because she recognizes that it takes all of us to make a great impression and keep a customer coming back. Brandy Hansen, this month we salute you for all the ways you make each of our days here at the dealership better!
July 2014
Joe Krieg
Lot Technician
Joe joined our Tom Gill team 7 months ago and has made himself invaluable to us! Joe is a lot technician at our store which means he keeps our inventory looking great and cleans all sold vehicles for our customers prior to them taking their new ride home. He says he loves making people happy and helping people out. It shows with his attention to detail when he is doing any of his duties. He wants customers to remember how well he took care of their cars and treated them like his own when preparing them for delivery.
Maybe Joe’s family knew that he was destined for the car business because even though he was given numerous 1st Christmas presents, the only one he wanted to play with was a tiny hot wheel car. After being born in Maryland as a Navy brat, he graduated from Lincoln Technical School and his very first job was interning at a Chevy dealership as a technician. So his passion for Chevy runs deep! If you don’t find him working (even on his days off most weeks) you will find him hanging out with friends listening to some Def Leopard or going bass fishing and camping. Surprising for his age, he also knows the lyrics to most any rap or hip hop song you can name from the 80’s or early 90’s!
Joe says the best thing about the car business is that it changes every day because technology changes and there are so many possibilities for the future! His future at Tom Gill sure is bright because he shows pride in what he does and is one of the most respectful, pleasant people we have ever worked with. Thanks Joe for all you continue to do for our customers!
June 2014
Joe Rozell
Sales Manager
Joe Rozell has been part of the sales team at Tom Gill for 2 ½ years. He has earned a leadership position in our store by using a tenacity that he developed pretty early in life. After being diagnosed at 18 years old with a rare nerve disorder that doctors said would land him in a wheel chair by age 23, Joe used his drive and work ethic to achieve wall that he has today. He completed technical school for collision technician and ranked #1 in his class. He met and married his beautiful wife, Kayla and has one son who is 6 years old and will welcome their second child early next year. He has been recognized as one of the top salespeople in Cincinnati region for the last 2 years.
Joe never took “no” for the answer and it shows in his life. He is a bit uncomfortable when talking about himself for this interview but proudly says that he is happy to work at Tom Gill because of the other great people he works with! He is now a team leader in sales and is encouraging and training others to reach his level of sales professionalism.
In his spare time he makes his own beer at home with his own brew kit and enjoys listening to classic rock. He says he is a pretty easy-going guy who just wants to sit back and listen to some Rolling Stones!
Joe loves the car business because “everybody needs a car” and he says that this business has provided a livelihood for his young family that he appreciates. Joe says he thinks he has gotten here because he is friendly and loves to help people find a car they are crazy about! Whatever his reasons for success, we are glad Joe is part of our team and look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next.
Keven Peters
Collision Body Technician
Kevin Peters has been fixing cars since he was a kid. He started his career working out of the toolboxes of his dad and his uncle. They inspired him to get into the business of repairing and restoring older cars. He says the thing he loves best about the car business is taking something broken or old that someone would have scrapped and making it new again! He has a passion for this work and it shows in his pride of workmanship.
Kevin joined our collision team just a short 6 months ago and says his favorite part of working here is because of how well their everyone works together. He is happy to get up and go to work in the morning and he knows that it’s not that way at every job! He says that his best skill is that he is fast at reassembly, but his teammates disagree. They say his best skill is what a genuinely nice guy he is. He was nominated for this award because of the extra hours he worked while we were shorthanded, but if you ask him about it, he will shrug and say that’s what teamwork means.
Kevin has been very quiet since coming to work here, but lights up and shows a different side of himself when you ask about his kids. He has daughters ages 15 and 12 that he could not be more proud of. When asked what his greatest accomplishment is-he doesn’t even hesitate to say that it is raising 2 beautiful, smart and loving girls. Well Kevin, we think those apples didn’t fall far from the tree and we are proud that you chose Tom Gill Chevrolet to be your work-home. Keep up the great work!
May 2014
Chester Girdler
Collision Body Technician
Chester likes to lead by example. He likes to take an active part in things when they need done and set a good example for hard work to those newer members to the department. Chester (or Chewy as he is called around here) was nominated because his teammates noticed that he assists people quickly and helps get the job done effectively. They wanted to make sure that he was recognized for the extra effort that he does in all his tasks.
He has a lot of experience leading by example. Chewy has been a member of the Army Reserves for 17 years, 15 of which has been spent in the military police. He has been deployed to Iraq 2 times. He served as the person responsible to make sure that the equipment used to jam the signals to the explosive devices aimed at our troops was working properly-so he’s used to working in high pressure situations. He uses this experience with pressure to make sure he keeps it light and fun here in our Collision department.
These days he is enjoying a slower pace with his wife and 4 children ages 14, 12, 7, and 6. He grows, harvests and preserves all of his own vegetables and fruits. He spends all of his free time in his 3 gardens or trying to keep the deer out of his prize gardens. All of his gardening is done organically and he may even be expanding into the vineyard business soon.
Chewy, we appreciate all you have done in the 10 ½ years you have been here at Tom Gill to help move our business forward. Keep up the great teamwork and the attitude of service to the customer!
Sherry McPeake
Warranty Administrator
Treat the business like it’s your own and never forget to put the customer first. These are the two rules that Sherry lives by and have made her so successful here for the last 4 ½ years. Sherry is known as our go-to person for all things about service scheduling and warranty in the dealership. She never loses sight of the fact that not everyone has the same level of knowledge that she does. She has spent most of her life in the car business. In fact, she began as a cashier when she was only 19 years old, living in her hometown Pittsburgh. Sherry cheerfully takes on all the challenges the dealership has to offer her and has helped train nearly 1/3 of the people in our dealership in some capacity.
When she isn’t spending time fishing or playing video games with her son, she loves to bake new creations and do arts and crafts projects. She says her dream day would be spent surrounded by those she loves ,mainly her nieces, fiancé, son, brother, sister-in-law and aunt .
The thing she enjoys most about being part of the Tom Gill team is working with her great coworkers. She says that she feels like they are her extended family and that makes coming to work everyday worthwhile. Well, I speak for the employees here when I say that we feel the same way about Sherry. Thanks for making everyone you speak to feel important!
April 2014
Lou Teleky
Body Technician
Lou Teleky has been employed here in our Collision Center for 30 years and in that time he says that he learned many lessons, but the most important one of all is learning how to deal with change. From different makes and models, to a changing way of doing business, to customer expectations, Lou has dealt with it all. He thinks that his excellent home life full of good friends and family have certainly helped keep him grounded. His number one goal while at work is to do the right thing. Lou knows that there are many body shops out there that take short cuts just to get the work out the door, but he says that his pride in his work and commitment to our customers has never let him do that. He knows that if you do the right thing for the customer and make them happy with the repairs, they will come back again and again. This philosophy has produced numerous repeat customers for Lou in those 30 years.
When he is not working, he typically hangs out with those friends and family that are so important to him. He was born and raised for the first years of his life in the Cleveland area and has always been a Browns fan. He gets excited about football season because to him it means fun, friends and laughter-even if his team doesn’t win as much as he would like.
Lou is a great teammate and has mentored many up and comers in his field . He prides himself on his work ethic and efficiency. Maybe that has been what has made him so successful here at Tom Gill Chevrolet. Thanks for all you do Lou!
Sarah Storer
Inventory Supervisor
Sarah was nominated by her coworkers because she always tries to find solutions to problems without becoming negative! So I put the following questions to Sarah to let her tell us about herself in her words
Q. What’s one thing you have learned in your experience here?
A. Keep on doing the right thing for the customer. Don’t be afraid to run through the fire or fight the good fight if you know the end result is worth it for the customer.
Q. What’s one thing people may not know about you?
A. I am a boy band super-fan. I still have my collection of N-Sync memorabilia and I was the first one in line to get tickets to the New Kids on the Block reunion tour.
Q. What’s the one thing you ultimately want from your career?
A. To learn as much as I can and eventually to move through the dealership and possible be a General Motors rep.
Q. What’s one thing customers should know about you?
A. That even if I make a mistake, I will always put them first. I believe in our company that if we mess up, we will make it right and that helps me know that I can’t see myself doing what I do anywhere but here.
March 2014
Ken Campbell
Sales Consultant
“It doesn’t feel like a job because it’s fun!” that’s Ken Campbell’s response when I asked him why he thinks he has been successful as a Sales Consultant at Tom Gill. Ken started here in 2013 after purchasing a car from us and experiencing what he thought was the greatest customer service of his life. His salesperson convinced him to apply and promised to help train him. He says that until he came here to buy his car, he had always had a negative perception of car salespeople, but that all changed when he saw how professionally we treated him during the purchase.
Coming to us with 3 years of Army National Guard duty and the experience of owning his own computer repair business, he easily adapted to our systems and processes. He thinks the greatest lesson he has learned is how to tailor the customer’s experience to their individual needs. Ken was nominated by a service consultant due to his very thorough service introduction techniques. The advisors agree that when you meet one of Ken’s customers, they are well prepared for the info they are getting. Also, Ken’s attitude and constant smile has gone a long way to let employees know that he is concerned with more than selling cars; he is making the day of everyone he comes in contact with.
Keep up the great work, Ken!
Nate Zeigler
Lot Tech
Meet Nate Zeigler, one of our amazing lot techs. Nate is a young guy who is full of energy and smiles for everyone he meets. He is nominated this month because he stayed late to teach new employees how to follow our delivery processes. He is extremely dedicated to get things done the right way each time. He says that he is a “people person” and loves to cut up and have a good time but thinks it’s more important to get the job done right!
In his free time, you can find him on the dance floor learning the latest line dance. (Or doing the “worm dance” at our company Christmas parties) He says he’s a pretty simple guy who doesn’t need a lot to be happy but does want to learn more of the business. His ultimate goal is to learn the processes for the Used Car side of the business and grow with the company.
Congratulations being our Bright Spot Nate!
January 2014
Sarah Rickey
Accounts Receivable Clerk
Beginning with the company as a service cashier in 2010 helped prepare Sarah for her current adventure as our accounts receivable clerk in our accounting office. Being detail oriented and focused is her number one agenda. Sarah has a laid back type attitude and mostly her philosophy has been to roll with the punches and not lose her patience. She is somehow able to maintain that and still be diligent enough to get her job done. Sarah was nominated by her teammates for this award because of her constant availability. She always takes time to help those around her when they need something.
Sarah says her immediate goal is to finish her degree in Medical Information Tech and to buy a home of her own soon. The things she loves about the job here is the atmosphere of teamwork. She loves the people she works with and knows it makes her day interesting to have personal interactions with them. She says that helping people gets her out of bed in the morning. We are glad to have you as a member of our team here at Tom Gill, Sarah and look forward to working with you for years to come!
Stephanie Dreisbach
Guest Services Representative
The warm smile that greets you when you approach the Guest Services desk probably belongs to our awesome Stephanie Dreisbach. Stephanie has been with our company for 1 1/2 years and is looking forward to assisting our customers for many years to come. Her goal is to always be in a state of learning something new to help out other departments. As she laughs and tries to make the day less stressful for everyone she comes in contact with, Stephanie says her number one goal is to be a good role model for her family. She has 2 children and spends most of her free time with them. She also loves spending time with friends or watching the Bengals play. She is very active in her church, Seven Hills, and says that since she began attending her outlook in life has been much improved. She was baptized in November and so were her children, which she is very proud of.
Stephanie definitely goes above and beyond her job duties list on a daily basis. Recently she even helped cover in Gilly’s Cafe when they were short staffed due to illness. Thanks Stephanie for being flexible enough to give your best every day and give our customers an excellent experience!
November 2013
Tony Humbert
Service Advisor
When coming in to our Service Department, you will most likely see the smiling face of Tony Humbert. Tony has been chosen for this award by his coworkers because of his dedication to the exceptional customer experience. He is cheerful and helpful toward everyone he meets. Tony says his goal is to be there for whatever the customer needs and also go the extra mile to get the job done. Before he came to us almost 2 years ago, he got his start in the Marine Corps. Tony has a complete allegiance to family and country before anything else. He has a wonderful wife and 3 great kids. He was very proud to tell me that his oldest child graduated this year from basic training in the Marine Corps and is following in his footsteps. When he is not taking excellent care of our employees and customers, you will find him on the golf course working on his swing or spending time with his family.
Tony, we thank you for embodying our culture by demonstrating “Tom Gill Chevrolet, where employees are treated like customers and customers are treated like family!”
Sarah Storer
Inventory Supervisor
If you ask anyone who the go-to person in our sales department is, they will most likely answer Sarah Storer. Since starting here as a salesperson in 2009, Sarah has excelled in learning every task quickly and doing whatever was assigned to her in a very thorough way. Sarah has been utilized in 3 different areas of our store, but has found her niche heading up the inventory department. When asked why she has been so successful in her current position, she quickly replies that she feels great about what she does because she gets to order all the vehicles that our customers purchase. She is part of our store staying in touch with features that will excite those same buyers. Never settling for the norm, Sarah is always willing to lend a helping hand.
You may see Sarah at Gilly’s lunch counter reading on her e-reader and she does enjoy a good book, but another passion you may not know about is that she loves to sing. Before coming to us, she was a karaoke DJ for 3 years. These days, her life is all about her family. She juggles a career, being a wife, mom to 2 boys and team mom to a peewee football team all with grace.
Sarah, your coworkers want to say thanks and want you to know that we appreciate your dedication. Keep up the great work!!
October 2013
Tony Storer
Lot Technician
A joke and a smile will greet you when you say hello to Tony Storer. Tony joined our team at Tom Gill over a year ago and has impacted us greatly. His cheerful spirit and go get ’em attitude has proven a winning combination to his success. Tony shows his creativity outside of work by coaching football for his son’s PeeWee league. He enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 boys at night after a productive day at work, but on the weekends his passion is softball. Tony helped organize and played on our first ever softball team made up of Tom Gill employees this year. He also plays for another team in our area that has had great success named Infamous Softball. With Tony’s help, they became 2 time State Champions and were 5th in the world in 2011!
Tony continues to be an added asset to our company by showing his resourcefulness and taking the initiative to accomplish store goals. The employees who work with Tony always talk about his enthusiasm for what he does. When asked what he likes about his job, Tony says that the best part is his teammates and the fact that Mr. Gill treats everyone the same, no matter what their title or job description. He feels important to the organization. Thanks Tony for the great work ethic you show on a daily basis. Way to go!
Jane Ellerbusch
Title Clerk
With Jane Ellerbusch, diligence and attention to detail are her calling cards. Jane joined our team 8 years ago at Tom Gill and brought with her 17 years of experience as a title clerk. Jane is originally from Northern Ohio, but had traveled extensively for her husband’s job. She has lived in 6 states and settled in our area because she wanted to be near family. Jane has 2 children and 3 grandchildren and a sister that keep her hopping in her free time. She is an avid reader and says that its one of her favorite things to do because it is so relaxing.
When asked what she likes best about her job here, she answers without hesitation that it is the people she works with that make this job great. Well, Jane we can say the same about you! This month the dealership employees will be honoring Jane by naming her as our team mascot in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. We walk in her honor as a breast cancer survivor and warrior!
Jane’s thoroughness and determination are an inspiration to all employees around her. We appreciate all the hard work and loyalty that Jane has shown through the years and know that our team has been and will be more successful because of the difference she makes every day!
September 2013
Becky Ratliff
Collision Service Representative
With Becky Ratliff, attitude is front and center and is the difference maker in every task she does. Becky originally was employed at Tom Gill in 1999. After beginning as a service cashier, she also worked in the sales department until the birth of her children, when she took some time off. She returned to work for the company in 2008 as head service cashier. Her attention to detail and excellent customer service skills make her a great asset to our company. She was promoted to Collision Service Representative in 2012 and remains vital to the success of that department.
Her “ownership attitude” insures that everything is done to the best of her ability — first time and every time. It’s further expressed by a willingness to learn, to get better and not settle for the get-by. Becky often displays the trait that special employees have where “just do it” doesn’t make the grade but “just do it right” becomes their calling card. Not letting things fall through the cracks, extra effort, volunteering for difficult assignments has become her standard operating procedure. We are proud to say that she is part of our Collision team and our dealership. Keep up the great work, Becky!
Jacob Mullins
Lot Technician
If you step into our car detail area any time after 1pm, you will findJacob Mullins hard at work. Jake has been with Tom Gill only a few months, but has found his niche quite easily. Jake has been applauded for taking pride in the work he produces every day. He has a quiet demeanor, but has a lot to say when it comes to his family. He recently got married and has 2 beautiful children. He says that he is a country boy at heart and the schedule here at Tom Gill affords him the opportunity to spend more time with his wife and children. After being in the jewelry sales business, he welcomes the less stressful atmosphere that has come with his new position as a lot technician and detailer.
We chose Jake as our very first Employee Spotlight because he embodies a great work ethic and dedication to get the job done correctly. Recently, he found some money in a car that a customer had been driving and placed it in the cup holder. He alerted management to the whereabouts of the money in case someone claimed it. The customer was notified, purchased the car from us and was overly impressed with his integrity. Way to go Jake-that’s what being an Employee of Character is all about!
