It could be said that people often come to Equilibar for the technology, but they stay for the customer service.
Jenna Heaton is a great example of this concept. With more than 22 years of customer care experience, including time as the owner of an automotive service company, she has taken the art of customer service to the ultimate level.
“When I worked in automotive service, especially as an owner, I came to realize that top notch customer care is extremely important for the health of any company,” she said. “For me, that means understanding the customer’s point of view and taking the time to actively listen to their problems and learn what they need. Fortunately, I’m a people person by nature—I enjoy talking to people and I’m interested in learning about all different types of people.”
Jenna first came to Equilibar as a part-time receptionist in May of 2021. She became returns coordinator in the fall when her family responsibilities allowed her to devote more time to her career.
After accepting her new role, Jenna developed and wrote a revamped returns process to better streamline the system, communicate across departments and create a much faster turn-around to minimize the time a unit may be out of action.
“It’s been nice seeing the new system come together so quickly,” she said. “The whole Equilibar team worked together to get it up and running in a month! This has given me the chance to get to know people in other departments much better and I now have more of an understanding of all the different ways Equilibar devices are used.
“Mainly, though, I’ve enjoyed finding solutions for people. When a customer has to return a product, the one thing they need is to get their system back and running as soon as possible. I like helping with that. I guess most people don’t especially enjoy dealing with returns because it means something somewhere didn’t go as planned, but I like it. I like having a problem to solve and taking care of it as quickly as possible. When you’re empathetic with a customer working through a problem, that will lead to a repeat customer. Everyone makes mistakes but not everyone views a mistake as a chance to make things better. I want to make things the best they can be. That’s always my goal.”
Jenna has deep roots in the Carolinas. Her father had a cattle farm, and she grew up loving horses. As an adult, she enjoys riding motorcycles on charity runs and even organizing events. “I’m a cancer survivor, so I feel that I know what it is like to go through hard times, and I want to pay it forward for other people.”
In addition to having experience in customer service, Jenna graduated from a law enforcement program, completed continuing education in managing hazardous material, went through first responder training, and served as a title clerk. “When you own a small business, you end up doing a little bit of everything, so I have a pretty broad base of experience.”
At Equilibar, Jenna says she enjoys the broad spectrum of individuals on the team. “Everyone has unique strengths. I love the ever-changing nature of the work and I love seeing the company’s growth. The fact that we have the freedom to make professional decisions to improve processes makes our work rewarding. My job is never boring.”
