Build a Better Team. Build a Better Company.

  • January 21, 2025

By Stacey Lombardo, President, Infoshred

The best way to serve your customers is to serve your employees. Team members who see themselves as valued contributors to a company’s success want to exceed expectations routinely, and customers benefit.

We have built this company on a caring, collaborative and cooperative culture.  It starts with caring for our employees, who then pass along that attitude to our customers.  These principles have been a non-negotiable for the 27 years we’ve been in business. They fit with my personal values, and I pass along these ideas to everyone who works here, whether they are in the office, on the phone or on the road.  Upholding those values is my whole job here.  We do a lot to show the employees they’re appreciated, not just a number. They need to know a part of something.

Our employees are encouraged to have a voice and share their opinions. Who knows better how to make the company successful than those who interact with our customers daily? I believe in giving everyone a seat at the table and valuing everyone’s opinions. We all have different ways of thinking and solving problems. The more people we collaborate with, the better we do as a company.

Our team members are active participants in our daily work. I encourage everyone to listen and to consider other perspectives. This collaboration leads to the right solution for the customer.

Customers Feel It

Our drivers are out in the field collecting sensitive documents that need to be securely destroyed.  They work daily with hundreds of our customers.  They are the face of the company with those customers, and we see them as respected team members.  And that respect plays out in how they treat our customers.  Our customers can tell these drivers like being here.  It shows in the care and concern they deliver for every job they handle.

I’m particularly proud of Infoshred’s 4.6 Google Business Review, which is above what Google refers to as the “golden area.” I believe that’s because our drivers take their roles as brand ambassadors seriously. They display genuine interest in helping customers. When a customer has a good experience, they want to tell everyone, which is how our ratings land in that golden area.

I get a lot of customer feedback, complimenting their drivers for going above and beyond.  That feels good because we want team members who are happy to work hard for the customer and the company. Going above and beyond seems natural to them. 

Making Team Members Feel Valued

Infoshred has been in business for 27 years.  We’ve built a team that stays with us.  It’s more than offering pay and benefits that stack up well against large corporations. We offer extremely good health care to our employees and their families.  We provide dental care, a vision program and life insurance. We also help them save for their future with a 401(k) plan.  But it’s more than that.  Holidays here mean turkeys and pies for every employee, holiday parties and December bonuses. These may seem old-fashioned, but they are part of a tradition we’ve maintained for 27 years: to bring everyone together and thank them.

We also reward those who make an extra effort to meet customer demands. When I get a phone call or an email from a customer recognizing the extra care they’ve received from an employee, I ensure that the driver gets a handwritten note and a small token from me thanking them for being a good customer ambassador.

We also have a bonus program for our drivers.  Those drivers who meet their quotas and play their part to help us meet our company goals are recognized and rewarded.  The criteria are based on customer service, attendance and safe driving practices.  Those drivers who meet their goals receive bonus pay and recognition at an event.  There’s always a surprise, too.  This year, we put together a special gift for drivers who achieved 100% of their quotas: a Road Kit to make their days on the road more pleasant.  It included a cooler with goodies inside, like snacks, Gatorade hand sanitizer, and a Stanley 12-in-1 Multi-Tool.  It’s just another thing to let them know that we care. 

Annual Review Process

We are also heavily invested in helping employees grow in their careers. We emphasize feedback through a review process tied to raises. Part of that process is giving them time to talk about their wins that year and a chance to tell us how we can work together in the future. It’s a really consultative format in which we celebrate the wins and examine their goals for the future. We also review the failures, looking for ways to collaborate better to move forward positively. 

A Positive Culture That Attracts and Keeps Employees

We’ve worked hard to build a culture that attracts new employees and makes them want to stay.  We’ve been really fortunate to have employees with us for over 20 years. They feel like an extension of our family.  It’s gratifying to see folks who started with the company years ago, to be a part of how their lives have changed, and to see how they’ve evolved into critical team members.

The best testament to our culture is that our employees constantly refer their friends and relatives to work here.  Those employees enjoy working here. They like the environment, and they tell others.  Next thing you know, we’re referrals from them to their friends and family members.  It’s a great testament to the kind of company we are because we know that they are invested in our company. We have good employees who have worked for us for years, and they might have a son or daughter who wants an opportunity.  We’ll bring them on board, and then their family becomes a part of our work family.

If you respect your employees, put them to work improving the company and listen to what they have to offer, your clients will benefit, and your company will thrive.


Stacey Lombardo is the president and founder of Infoshred, LLC.  A secure on-site and off-site document destruction and document storage company serving Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  Located in East Windsor, they are a State of Connecticut certified Minority/Woman-Owned Business and a Charter Member of the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID). She has been recognized by the Hartford Business Journal as head of the largest women-owned business in the region and as a 40 Under 40 honoree. For more information go to infoshred.com

 

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