Kimberly Russell

I started in customer service back in 1997 when I was in my 20s and in college. A job opportunity came up and I was in that customer service role for maybe about 6 months before the HR manager gave me an opportunity to be in human resources. I learned a lot and was in that role for 6 years until the company closed. I worked my way up from an HR administrator to HR Generalist. After that, I ended up at M&T Bank for about 3 years as a part-time teller, and within about 5 months I became the teller supervisor. I was in that role for about 3 years until I landed at Independent Health, where I currently work. At M&T Bank, I was still servicing customers face-to-face, and I built friendships with them. Customers who would come in with their cell phones to their ear and not speaking would eventually hang up their phones when they got to my window and were more friendly. They would say hi to everyone when they came in. Just having someone nice to approach you can put a smile on your face and change a whole lot. That's what I try to do with my customers at Macy's - even if they come in to do a return, before they leave me, they're gonna smile about something. I approach people by their name instead of just saying 'here you go.' At Independent Health, I've been there 20 years and in provider relations for 17 years. I take inbound phone calls from doctor's offices, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, private practices, and billing companies. I help with claims and billing, benefits, co-pays, coverage questions, and coordination of benefits. I am currently a senior representative and now a mentor to our new associates that come into our department.