Derek’s ServiceMaster Experience

My name is Derek VanDunse. I just graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, and will be attending Ole Miss in the fall for graduate school. My experience at ServiceMaster has been one that I will never forget. I was fortunate to get this opportunity because it was not until late in the recruitment process that I was offered a job. I spoke to several accounting firms about working this summer, but I could not do an internship because they typically like to have sophomores and juniors fill those roles. Also, I couldn’t work full time because I have not finished grad school. I didn’t know what I was going to do for work this summer. With luck on my side, I was able to meet Ashley through a contact at school and get an interview set up. After the first interview, I knew that this was a company I wanted to work for. The people orientation and experience employees have at ServiceMaster is unprecedented and I was thankful to be a part of it.

The corporate environment is one that took some getting used to. When I first got here, I treated it as if it was just like previous jobs I have held. I quickly learned that things would be different and I would have to adjust accordingly. I was able to develop a strategy for communicating with my managers that made the process much more effective. I found that in a fast-paced business environment, I had to take the initiative to reach out, schedule meetings, and even prepare agendas for my meetings, which helped me take control and steer these discussions. Because of this, I had much more control over the outcome.

This experience has enlightened me about several important topics in business. Timeliness and initiative helped me to branch out and make the most of this time. Working in a large corporation can cause some people to be overlooked, so getting to know people is essential to success. I was able to participate in several important events and do things that made a difference for ServiceMaster and me as an individual. Our service project allowed us to give back to the community while meeting new people. The individual work I did allowed me to add value to the organization and make other people’s jobs easier. Our group intern project taught us how to better act as a team in a corporate environment. The culture of the company is one that embraces individuality for its employees. I have greatly enjoyed being on a team with associates with different backgrounds and perspectives.

With the end of the internship approaching rapidly, I look back and realize that ServiceMaster has helped to shape me far more than I thought. I have grown professionally by learning greater time management skills, tying corporate experience to what I learned in the classroom, and learning how much having great co-workers matters. I want to work for a company that allows me to connect my beliefs with their values, mission and vision. ServiceMaster is definitely a company like that. It has been a great experience for me and I feel it would be for others, and I hope to come back one day after working in public accounting.

Make-A-Wish

ServiceMaster sponsored the Team Captain Wish Kid Party hosted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The “wish kids” acted as captains for teams of golfers competing in Sean Micheel’s annual Make-A-Wish Golf Classic. This is the classic’s ninth year in existence and it’s obvious that Micheel is very passionate about it. He explained how as a father he knows the concern a parent has for the health and happiness of their child, and he sees the importance of supporting an organization like Make-A-Wish.

Each ServiceMaster volunteer hosted  a child. They talked with the wish kids, helped them do their crafts and made sure they had their pictures taken with their golf teams.

I was one of many staff photographers that day, and though I didn’t host a child, I did have the opportunity to interact with all of them. A couple of them even asked to take pictures of me. I was happy to do so — it was only fair, since I was taking so many of them.

There were plenty of things at the party to keep the kids amused — a magic show, bingo, arts and crafts, face painting, and food. I think some of the adults, including me, were as excited about the activities as the wish kids!

- Taryn Smith

American Home Shield: Customer Experience

My name is Demitri Jerow and I am an Economics and Business major going into my junior year at Rhodes College. Working at ServiceMaster is my first business internship and I have had a great first couple weeks here.  Like the majority of the other interns, my process in choosing to apply to ServiceMaster started several months ago, in a resume panel session that Rhodes hosted, where I met Ashley Pennington. I remained in contact with her throughout the year and, after a couple conversations, decided that it was a great opportunity worth going for.

            I am currently working with American Home Shield on the Customer Experience team, and my own experience thus far has not just been a learning experience, but more so, a learn through experience. Since my first day, my managers and other co-workers have asked me to look at things and give my perspective, while also giving me as little direction as possible. I have thoroughly enjoyed this style and work environment because it has given me the opportunity to be challenged with meaningful work and actually help the team I am a part of. More specifically, I have been doing a lot of analysis in regard to current NPS (Net Promoter Scores) and analyzing their relation to our customers and understanding what factors are more correlated to customer satisfaction. 

Additionally, my managers and other co-workers have taken an interest in my growth as an employee and have scheduled meetings with me to explain their different jobs and responsibilities to give me a better insight to the company as a whole.  My manager, Raj Midha, also helped connect me with some associates in the Strategy and Business Development department, so that I could participate in the training sessions which they held for their interns.  

            One aspect of the intern program that I really like as a whole is that we, as interns, have been divided into four different groups to collaborate on a problem given to us by the Human Resources department. The objective is to work within our groups to prepare a presentation that we believe best answers the problem that we have been given. I think this does a great job of creating a community environment for the interns in a creative way. As interns we have also participated in several events with the Leadership Academy, which have included a service day at Shelby Farms, a Memphis Redbirds game, and several other networking activities. All in all, this internship has done a really good job of focusing on personal growth, while also maintaining a community environment. I think this is really cool because it is a legitimate example of ServiceMaster’s commitment to maintain the standards and values it has laid out for itself.

FP&A Internship

My story starts last summer when I got a text from a friend, and even though the text was a simple question of how I was doing, it somehow led to this summer’s experience at ServiceMaster.  At that time, I was currently interning at a global company in the NYC, and it was great, so great that I thought that I would return to the city after I graduated.  However, my friend’s text led me to lunch with him, and during lunch, we talked about my future, what I was looking in a job/ company, and his job.  As it turns out, he actually works at ServiceMaster, and long story short, I rethought about my future after graduation and decided to try ServiceMaster. I was able to get some interviews at ServiceMaster in late March.  I met with several different departments, and since I was about to be a college graduate, I was hoping for a full-time position.  However, all I got was a summer internship in the FP&A department, and I was a little disappointed at that time.

Today, I can say that I’m happy for the internship. Even though it would be nice to be full-time, the internship is allowing me to network and learn more about mergers and acquisitions, valuing companies, and excel.  As to the other interns, everyone has his and her own unique personality.  It has been fun going to lunch and all the events with them, and we even set up a golf event. But the real treat is what Ashley has planned for us. She is doing an amazing job with the interns. She has planned many events, ranging from the Leadership Academy to a service project to dinner events to the Standout assessment, and it is great.  She is just one of the many people here that really care about your growth as a person and as a business professional.  I think that is one reason of how ServiceMaster sets itself apart from other companies; the people within the company want to help others.

Evan’s Experience

Name: Evan Hawthorne

College: Rider University

Major: Global Supply Chain Management

Hometown: Collierville, TN

Title: Fleet Intern

We have completed our third week of the ServiceMaster Summer Intern program and I’m having a great experience so far.  It has been a smooth transition into the company and the background information during our orientation really helped.  The people here are great; they are friendly, customer oriented and fun to work with.  The work load has been steadily increasing along with independence but everyone is always willing to help when you need it.  I’m happy to be part of improvement projects being undertaken in order to improve the customer experience and grow the business.  It’s a fast-paced work environment and I’m never doing the same thing for very long.  I was able to ride along with a technician for Terminix Commercial and it was a great chance to learn about the in’s and out’s of the Terminix business.  He was very knowledgeable, did his job thoroughly and was always friendly with customers; he even took the time to help an elderly woman with directions when she asked.  I would recommend for anyone to participate in a ride-along if given the opportunity.  Overall, it has been a great internship experience so far and I look forward to being challenged with new tasks throughout the remainder of the summer that will play a role in improving customers’ lives and the ServiceMaster reputation.

Orientation Week – by Kirbi Tucker

Tuesday, May 29, 2012:

Most of the interns patiently waited to meet Ashley Pennington. Around ten minutes to eight o’ clock she came down and introduced herself to everyone. We then took the stairs to the second floor where we were greeted to a nice bag of goodies. After we introduced ourselves by stating our name, the college we attend or graduated from along with an interesting fact about ourselves, we went to take our picture for badges. I was fascinated when listening to the different colleges the selected interns attended along with the diverse variety of majors. We have a very diverse group of interns. After being photographed for badges we returned to the room on the second floor where we watched a tutorial and spoke with various ServiceMaster employees. I thought the bag was a nice gesture and I thought to myself that I am sure I will love working for ServiceMaster because it seems to be a company that cares about their employees. I enjoyed the first day of orientation, I learned so much about ServiceMaster. I was filled with knowledge and information about the company that I’m sure I’ll grow to love, respect, and appreciate.

 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012: Wednesday, May 30, 2012

            Before the Departure:

Every day here at ServiceMaster Headquarters is an interesting day for the interns. However today was rather exciting due to the commuting from various locations. Andrea Hough was the initial speaker for today. She discussed various topics. She discussed how she gained the position she holds today and the path she took along with the challenges she faced. She also stated how she could relate to the interns not solely because of personal experience, but also because she has a son who attends Ole Miss University. She describes some edgy interview questions such as “Tell me about that time you had one person at work you couldn’t get along with, how did you handled the situation?”   And “Tell me about a time where you believe you could have made a better decision regarding a situation?”  She stated how vital it is to set yourself apart from everyone else. She explained that one of the ways an individual can set themselves apart is by creating interview moments and answers, she also stated one should take notes of some of the things you have accomplished that are extraordinary. Ms. Hough revealed the statistical information regarding students seeking employment post-graduation. Ms. Hough also expressed that employers are seeking the best storytellers, one should pay attention to those individuals who desire to invest in you by exposing you to people who could take you to the next level. I believe Ms. Hough was extremely helpful because she was able to give an insider’s point of view.

Terminix Branch Visit:

We met Jimmy at Terminix where he discussed bed bugs and their impact on used furniture. He also discussed termites. He explained the evolution of the Terminix products over the years. We also were able to see where they store the products as well. There were several informative answers to inquisitive questions asked by the interns. I believe we learned so much by just this one visit.

American Home Shield Call Center:

As a section of orientation, we went to visit American Home Shield call center. During the visit we met several employees from various departments such as the sales department, customer services, and authorization. The managers explained the important roles of each department. Lief Dyer is an associate who is responsible for the department that addresses issues regarding customer relations. Customer Relations are often called Customer Resolutions. They often say “create an experience where the customer would want to renew.” It is important to proactively create positive customer experiences. Managers desire to be aware of issues therefore that can be corrected immediately. The associates/managers explained that they are always looking for good talent. Erika Stokes is an associate who is responsible for the authorization department which is the department that is considered to be the checkbook.  The associates/managers authorize payment for the contracts. They explained that there are three contact centers, Memphis being the biggest of the three. In order to work in a call center one must be able to work in a very fast pace setting and be able to handle change without notice. Currently, there are about six hundred employees. They also receive about ten million calls annually.

Return to Headquarters:

We returned to headquarters to finish our paperwork and meet with our group to discuss the project. I believe the project is a great idea. We are able to think critically and also we’re able to assist ServiceMaster with an issue they are currently faced with. Everyone seems to have great idea so it will be interesting to hear what they all are.  I was eager to leave and see what was in store for us at the next location.

Service Master Clean/Merry Maids:

The last visit was to Service Master Clean/ Merry Maids, Forest Hill Irene location which was extremely interesting and by far my favorite because there was a special guest from the UK who was just delightful. We met Pete Duncanson, who has been with ServiceMaster for 27 years. He bought a franchise in Chicago, which is where the original part of the company started. The building is referred to as “the Hill” – ServiceMaster Clean has several employees who specialize in various areas. ServiceMaster Clean also has a floor product that other companies do not have which is one of the things that makes them unique.  

Debra Johnson was the next speaker. She has been with ServiceMaster for 15 years in November. She discussed how Merry Maid started because Dalan Peterson did not want to move his children any longer and decided to start cleaning house. He put an ad in the newspaper someone called inquiring about his service. He was unsure of the purchase he should charge. He finally decided he would charge sixty-six dollars, eventually franchised the business, and it grew from there.

Thursday, May 31, 2012:

Today I reviewed the “Leadership Development for Operations Mangers Wage and Hour” to gain a sense of understanding for Wage and Hour Compliance. Afterwards, I spoke with my boss Donna Hiltenbrand regarding what I read. I also asked her opinion on affirmative action because I noticed that several employees in our department deal with affirmative action laws.  After our meeting, I began one of my assignments which was to find the requirements on overtime in each different state and write the requirements in a chart along with the any whether there was a cap on any overtime hours, other information, and the citation of the statuses and regulations. One may notice that some issues have not been addressed by law in certain states thus they follow under federal law for that particular issue.

Friday, June 01, 2012:

I arrived at my office in the gold building on the third floor around 8:00 o clock. I began working on my assignment for today which was finding the citation for the requirements on overtime in each state in the United States. It took about two hours to complete the assignment, and then I started on my current assignment which is finding out which states can we make deductions for uniforms, and listing the citation for each law or statutes.

 

My day was also filled with Service Master Employees being considerably nice to me coming by my desk to greet me, I love the environment here. Today was an amazing day.

Summer Internship 2012

Our 2012 internship is almost underway, and we are very excited to have 20 talented students / graduates coming on board next week!

Joining us are students from:

• The University of Memphis
• Rider University
• Vanderbilt University
• University of Tennessee – Knoxville
• Rhodes College
• Ole Miss
• Mississippi State
• University of Southern California
• Michigan State University
• Purdue University

Welcome, ServiceMaster Interns!