I started working in the paper industry way back in 1985. I can vividly remember the astonishment I had upon realising the size of the print industry, here, in Toronto. I couldn't believe how many printers had a presence in Toronto and how competitive the landscape was, but to be honest, the competitive edge is what I like about the industry. I've been a driver for Ariva since 1985, and during my time here I have always strove to differentiate our service in this competitive landscape. Being a delivery driver, I have the distinction of seeing the customer every day, and after many years of servicing these customers I have built a strong bond with them. I have always worked to maintain a good relationship with our customers; I achieve this by being positive, easy to deal with, and delivering on the service expectations that my customers look for. I often think of myself as an extension of the company; whether it's delivery, material handling, sales or customer relationship management I am the most present point of contact with the customer. I believe that it is my duty to continually build positive relationships with Ariva's customers. Building these positive relationships I believe is the key to Ariva's success, although competition is tough out there, by always listening to my customer and relaying information to other departments we are able to adapt and meet our customers' needs in any situation. I always liked to think that at Ariva we don't just sell paper products to our customers; we deliver "peace of mind" too.
Over 30 years of servicing my customers here at Ariva, the relationships I have built are like family to me. The owner of one of the places I deliver to knew I liked to collect vintage guitars and ended up buying one of my guitars, a beautiful Gibson Les Paul. Another customer employee, I actually bumped into at a family function at church, and long behold we are actually related! It has always amazed me how over the years my customers have come to be family to me, both metaphorically and literally!
In this competitive landscape it is hard to build trust and good relationships, although it is not easy to build, my colleagues and myself work every day to bring more than just a package to customer, we bring trust and peace of mind!