Her Story
About Tammy
I started my career right out of high school when I was planning to become an x-ray tech but had to wait until the next semester to start school. My parents said I needed to work in the meantime, so I went on an interview with Exide Batteries and ended up working there full-time. I never went back to school. Instead, I built my career through on-the-job training and overall experience in the industry. I worked for Exide Batteries, then UASa Batteries, and now I've been with Yacht Battery for the last 10 years as a Strategic Account Manager. Over my 30-plus years in the battery industry, I've developed a philosophy that customer service is always first, no matter what your title is. I believe in treating everybody the same and understanding customers as people first, then as customers second. My daily work involves talking to customers, doing line reviews, making sure they have the right battery mix for their individual demands, and helping them navigate challenges like pricing and tariffs. What I'm most proud of is that I've built trust with my customers on both a personal and business level, and I've stayed in touch with many of them over the past 30-plus years, even if we don't do business anymore. I think that speaks volumes.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tammy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it does go back to customer service being the most important thing, no matter what your title is. Treating everybody the same and always looking at customer service first, regardless of what your role is or title is in the industry. That's how every transaction starts. You want to make sure that you understand the customer, that you understand what their individual needs are. You want to understand them as a person first, and then as a customer second, and then what are their demands and how can we help you with all of that. I think that's always been the most important title to have, because that's how every transaction starts.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay strong. Stand up for what you believe in. I mean, it can be a tough industry because it is a male-dominated industry, but there are a lot of females in the industry that are strong, and it is becoming, there are a lot more women that are becoming more influential in the industry. So I would just say stay strong and independent, and just stand up for what you believe in, and don't be afraid to ever speak up. That's one thing that I've never been afraid to do, is speak up for what you believe in and what's right. Don't be afraid to speak up when you know you're right, and don't be afraid to speak up for others.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think by doing volunteer work with homeless encampments in my personal life helps contribute to my work life as well, and it always helps me to stay humble. It just keeps me humble. So with my work life, I would love to continue to grow as an individual, but also to just be able to help my company continue to grow and help them to understand that even though our company has to be first as well, I want the company to also understand that customer service is always first and to have that understanding that we are all people first, and then you have the business second.
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