Three years ago, for our annual Day in the Life feature, I had the privilege of working on Valero’s front lines as a customer service representative in one of the company’s Corner Stores. This week, I returned to San Antonio, and got the chance to see Valero from the other side -- shadowing two employees at the chain’s retail corporate headquarters.
I spent the first part of my day with Director of Retail Maintenance Rodney Watts. He and his team tackle maintenance issues of all kinds for Valero’s 1,000 corporately owned stores. In the afternoon, I partnered up with Barbara Klein, manager of payroll and benefits, who started out with Valero 31 years ago as a payroll clerk and now oversees a staff of five direct reports. Together, they ensure 8,800 retail employees get the right pay and benefits.
When I worked in the store in 2006, I was really surprised at how upbeat the work environment was and how genuinely happy the employees were to be working for Valero. And now, after experiencing the corporate side, I can see why that is the case.
As Barbara told me, she considers every store-level employee “her customer” and customer service is her top priority. “I really enjoy my job, and I tell people that all the time. Every two weeks, when people are paid correctly, I’ve accomplished something,” she said.
Kudos to Valero for fostering a positive environment that permeates from the top down.
-- Linda Lisanti
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