This was the first year all the Job Site Supervisors (JSS’s) attended this annual conference, letting them see for themselves the magnitude of powerful thinkers and leaders. It was no coincidence that, this year, there was a focus on the relationships with their painters. It is they who help make CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana look as good as they do.
“In Northwest Indiana, we consider our painters family,” exclaimed Jessica Shilling, the Commercial Marketing Associate for CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana. “Our family is in the top five for customer satisfaction (NPS) in all of CertaPro Painters (North America).”
Schilling and her team are also pleased to announce nearly all of the Job Site Supervisors have earned recognition as 5-star Job Site Supervisors within the CertaPro Painters brand. It is an accreditation which is earned through focus on brand experience using the Certainty Service System (explained later in this article), and directly translates into the management of the job site.
The Production Manager, Mark Powers, works closely with JSS’s to ensure each step of the 5-star certification program is met with skill and quality. Juan Espinoza, one of the 5-star JSS’s, received the award for both JSS of the year for the Midwest and overall National.
“We were truly honored to stand so proudly amongst our entire group of JSS’s at all the events throughout the week,” stated Shilling.
In addition to the JSS awards, the CertaPro Production Manager, Mark Powers, also earned Production Associate of the year award for the Midwest, as well as being nominated for the overall National Production Associate of the year. His dedication to the success of every project helps make the team one of the best in the nation. In addition to his awards, he participated in a panel of experts that included Dan Howell, a 5-star JSS who answered questions on stage from those hoping to gain a better perspective on internal success, particularly painter retention.
There was a reoccurring theme Mark touched upon: Get to know your painters, treat them like family. Dan gave some great advice as well.
“Look for guys that work like I do. They’re hard to come by, and when you find them, hold onto them!”
John, franchise owner of CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana, and the Northwest Indiana team, also won the “Gold Club” award. Only 10 franchisees in the entire company received it. To qualify, each franchise must have completed over 1 million dollars in sales, grown at least 10% from the previous year, and have a customer rating score (NPS) above 65. The NWI franchise sits well above the company standard of 65. They finished 2017 with a score of 88.1 and completed 2.5 million in sales.
Even though the team spent many hours of each day learning new processes and sharing best practices, there was still time to get to know their peers more outside the work environment. Poolside lunches, cocktail hours, and appeasing the DJ were all activities they certainly could not miss. Considering this is Tampa, why miss out on the fun? It is often during these hours that one learns the most from their peers. The takeaways are priceless.
Commercial Marketing Associate, Jessica Shilling, and JSS, Alex Perez, both participated in the “Painter’s Pursuit,” a CertaPro sponsored 5K around the Saddlebrook golf course. Jessica was the female 2nd place finisher, and Alex finished just minutes after her. Who doesn’t like a little friendly active competition? They both were met at the finish line with lively congratulations, high fives, and posters made by their fellow NWI office and painting staff.
Perhaps the most notable recognition taken away from the conference included franchise owner John Jordan’s election to the CPFOA (CertaPro Franchise Owners Association) as secretary for 2018. The board represents all franchise owners and works directly with CertaPro corporate to develop strategy and initiatives for the next 2-5 years.
The team returned to Northwest Indiana geared up and well equipped to have a successful 2018.
“We are fortunate to have such an immense amount of support through our corporate leaders, franchise owners, fellow peers and painters across North America,” stated Shilling.
Similar to how Dan shared his strategy on hiring great painters, (look for people like him) Certa looks for people who live by their Golden Rule: Treat those how you want to be treated. CertaPro prepares, inspires, and delivers exceptional value to their customers every single day. They treat each other with respect and live up to their mistakes. They practice continuous improvement, which is why they take a week every January to become better leaders. They are a culture of Certainty. They are CERTAIN their painters’ hard work and dedication in every stroke of the brush reassures both them and the customer that the job is getting done with pride.
CertaPro is in the business of CERTAINTY. And, they just so happen to paint.