Customer service representatives were encouraged to ponder the impact positivity could have on their lives at the 2017 CSR meeting at Old Kinderhook in Camdenton, Mo. on April 5-6. More than 100 CSRs attended the meeting, participated in educational training sessions and heard from a variety of speakers.
Kenny Steeves, vice president of BP/LP operations, began the meeting by asking the CSRs to think about how their thoughts, feelings and attitudes can affect their performance. He challenged the CSRs to think on “The Power of Yes”, the event’s theme, throughout the meeting.
Cooperative consultant Jeff Schindele spoke next about the value cooperatives offer to members. He discussed the different ways competing cooperatives might structure their patronage and how those models compared with MFA Oil. Schindele told the CSRs they play a pivotal role in educating members and customers.
“I’ve worked with many cooperatives and I can tell you no one is paying more in patronage than MFA Oil,” Schindele said. “We need to make sure our customers understand how much has been paid back to the membership last year and how they can benefit from doing more business with MFA Oil.”
The educational training sessions covered a wide range of topics, including: logistics, propane safety, personal behavioral assessments, OKTA, E1 trivia and a new tiered pricing system the company is working to bring to the field.
Service awards were handed out at the end of day one and the retirement of Phyllis Humphrey, a CSR at the Stanberry plant, was announced. Humphrey was commended for her 12 years of service to the company. Big Show Dueling Pianos took the stage following the award presentations for the evening’s entertainment.
The next day, keynote speaker Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, who is an expert in the field of performance psychology, spoke to attendees about how to develop a high-performance mindset to maximize their potential. She outlined four traits she believes are crucial to becoming a high performer.
- Have a clear purpose: Know what you want and keep the reason why you are working toward your goals front and center. This will keep you motivated and hungry when the going gets tough.
- Control the Controllables: Focus on what you can control (attitude, preparation, effort) and learn to make the best of what you cannot (boss, coworkers, environment).
- Master Your Thinking: Everything starts with your thoughts and thoughts only have power if you believe them. Optimists are more likely to be successful than negative thinkers.
- Dominate the Now: High performers are focused on seizing opportunities in the present. They recognize they can’t control the past.
Steeves closed the meeting with a motivational video which featured advice from pastor Joel Osteen.
“Just as the farmer expects a crop from the seeds he sows, we can expect a harvest from the seeds we’ve sown, good or bad,” Osteen said. “That’s why we have to be deliberate about the seeds we are sowing…we have to constantly evaluate our actions to make sure we are depositing good seeds so we can reap a good harvest in the future.”
Steeves thanked the CSRs for their hard work and encouraged them to keep striving for personal growth professionally.
“When you become a better you, we become a better team,” Steeves said.
Service Award and Retirement Recognition
Margaret Alexander, Stroud, Okla. – 5 years of service
Amanda Bowness, Mound City, Mo. – 5 years of service
Denise Hazelwood, Marked Tree, Ark. – 5 years of service
Sue Qualls, Mexico, Mo. – 5 years of service
Rosemary Risse, Hermann, Mo. – 5 years of service
Audrey Cannon, Butler, Mo. – 10 years of service
Michell Farar, Skiatook, Okla. – 10 years of service
Joan Bennet, Mansfield, Mo. – 20 years of service
Phyllis Humphrey, Stanberry, Mo. – retirement (12 years)