“What’s something most people don’t know about ES&S?”
Jay Rivera, a Field Services Technician in Texas, is quiet before answering. We’re featuring him in this edition of our Employee Spotlight series and managed to catch him for a phone call on his way out to visit a customer.
“You know, I’ve been able to experience this since day one. ES&S not only takes care of their customers, but they take care of their employees, too. Every day I’m thankful I work for a great company. And because we’re taken care of, we can pass that on to our customers.”
It’s this idea of supporting other people in their lives and in their work that is repeated over and over as we talk with Jay and other ES&S team members. At the end of the day, it’s all about relationships – about supporting the people you work with as if they were family.
Paying it forward.
Jay knows this fact firsthand. He hasn’t always been in Texas – he and his wife are from Miami, FL, where Jay grew up. “We started thinking about where we wanted our kids to grow up, and we thought a lot about the kinds of experiences our kids could have outside of the big city,” said Jay.
As a new employee at ES&S, Jay put in an application to move to Texas, never expecting his new company’s generous response. “Only a few months into my new job ES&S gave me the opportunity to move from Florida to Texas to work, and we were able to give our kids the opportunities we wanted for them. I’ll never forget how my company was here for me and my family.”
Jay has made it his mission to continue to support others the way ES&S supported him. Since the move, he has earned a reputation in Texas for above-and-beyond customer service, team spirit and relentless work ethic in one of ES&S’s largest territories.
“Counties sometimes call Jay in the middle of the night and he’ll drop everything to come help them out,” said Chris Moody, director of sales for Texas. “His name always comes up when I talk to our customers.”
“Jay is well respected as a tech, and it’s well known among his peers and our customers that he’ll go above and beyond,” said Al Moraczewski, Vice President of Field Services.
That respect is the result of a volunteer attitude and willingness to help when it’s needed. “He finished supporting the November election in Texas, and when he heard about the recount in Florida he volunteered to fly out immediately to Florida to help. That’s the kind of tech he is,” said Al.
Working together.
Because ES&S uses dedicated technicians rather than a centralized location for maintenance, technicians provide personalized on-site service. Jay and his two teammates cover the San Antonio and South Texas areas.
“It’s a lot of time management,” said Jay, “especially when it comes to parts. We carry the tools and parts we need with us, which makes us faster. But that means our planning has to be pretty perfect while we’re on the road. We work together to make sure we each have what we need.”
“The techs really do rely on each other,” said Stephanie Berry, Field Services office supervisor. “They call each other whenever they need support, be it parts, advice or extra hands. They can check each other’s inventories from the road, too, so that rather than having to wait to order and ship parts, they can pick them up and deliver them to each other out in the field.”
Many techs even create process documents in their downtime, outlining different mechanical situations they’ve encountered in order to help out their colleagues across the country. It’s amazing to see them come together in the fall for the Field Services meeting. They work so well together, even across territories. They go out of their way to help each other succeed.”
Experts in the field.
“Texas is especially challenging for our Field Services team because there is a variety of equipment in use – techs like Jay have to be experts in every type,” said Chris Moody.
At the annual Field Services meeting, technicians receive training on new equipment, are briefed on new products by ES&S engineers and share notes about their experiences in the field – but training goes beyond just one meeting. Technicians also receive security training, as well as general training on the elections process.
For Jay, the right training and a supportive team make all the difference. “My team and I have to know each machine ES&S makes inside and out. The training process is very thorough, and we can pick up the phone and reach another tech or one of the engineers to get their take on the situation. Every day is a new experience, and we have the training and the network of support we need to get the job done.”
Bigger purpose.
At the end of the day, Jay knows that he and his team are doing work that has a real impact.
“When I started, I had no idea what I would end up getting into – in a good way! We’re not just replacing parts and leaving. Working here means understanding the entire elections process, supporting our customers through their election days.
I know that by doing my job, I’m helping someone else do their job – whether it’s a customer or my team member or another tech on the other side of the country. When my job is done right, people are able to vote and democracy can work the way it’s meant to. When we succeed, everyone succeeds.
That’s the most rewarding part.”
Editor’s Note:
We’re excited to announce that as of March 2019, Jay Rivera will continue to serve Texas customers as a Texas Account Manager. His technical experience and customer service skills will be a great asset to the team and will enhance the experience of Texas customers. Congratulations Jay!