What makes a business successful is not the Directors, the Boss or even the Product that it is selling, but the person selling the product or service. Here is an example of what Quality of Service is all about. It was a regular routine morning, I dropped my son off at his school, I then decided to take the hills of Cerro Gordo and head down Echo Park Ave. I was a bit lazy and chose to wait for the DASH shuttle bus (heading southbound). I could hear the rumbling of the bus coming up Echo Park Ave as a bus made his last stop -going northbound on his route- he dropped off his last passengers. I was left incredibly impressed when I heard a cheerful voice and truly a down to earth bus driver. He was thanking his passengers as they boarded off the bus and greeting his new ones. His cordial ability to interact with others was astonishing. It is an underuse technique that it is almost not available to the public anymore, let along being used in the privacy of our home. This gift he was offering is called "Excellent Customer Service", simply sharing a "Good-morning", "Thank you for riding with us" and with that particular honest smile, the one that says I am happy to have you using our bus services. Let me introduce you to Bill Garcia. A man who brings this forgotten graceful kindness of making our day extra special and taking it to the next level of making you feel appreciated. Here is a powerful learning experience on how the past does not equal our present, but how our past challenges are simply a new chapter in our lives, on how to become a better person. Bill Garcia shares the reasons why he enjoys passsing along his love towards life with others... Brought to you by Rosie Betanzos
I was a bakery worker for 18 yrs for Millbrook - Webbers Bread Company. In the year 2007 Interstate Brand Corporation which owns many bakeries across the states, closed four bakeries in Southern California.
Sales were low and after so many years I was gone, it was a blow to me. Long and behold I was relieved because my body had taken a beating I was working in the main plant and it was a lot of hard work. I decided I wasn't going back to the bakery business. I thought of taking a little vacation but after being out of work for over a year just selling items on eBay and collecting state unemployment checks the vacation lasted a lot longer
then expected. I had to make a decision what my new career was going to be. In December 2008 I got a tip from a friend to check out a work source program in Sun Valley the first day I was there they gave me information about a company that needed bus drivers with a clean record and able to pass the drugs test. The next day I went and applied, I was hired by MV transportation to start training and by February 2009 I was driving for Commuter Express in Van Nuys. Unfortunentlly two weeks later because there were too many drivers and since I was at the bottom of barrel I was let go.
I was recruited and transfer to Los Angeles Division 64 by Operations Manager Myron Broadnax even though it was a little farther drive from Burbank and traffic conditions on the Golden State are unpredictable, I'm really glad this move was made. I’m really enjoying my time as driver I knew I had the knack to be a good driver. I am also a people person and greet people with kindness and with compliments to make them feel welcomed. Sometimes I use sense of humor, at times when people enter my bus I make comments like : "Welcome join the party everybody’s been waiting for you " - "Come on in !! My house is your house... just don't sell it.” When I call off the bus stops, for example when I make a stop at Laguna & Echo Park Ave., I refer to it as "Beautiful Echo Park" and I say it because I think it's important that people know that Echo Park has great history and to be proud of their community, I can hear the passengers giggle and even question why I would make announcement like that ? But overall I think most like to hear that.
I really like the little kids riding on my bus they tell me their life story, they’re so funny and I get a big kick out of them. I know it's real important to them to say good bye when they get off the bus so it shows me they enjoy me as a friendly bus driver .
I consider myself friendly there's just too much hate in this world. I get good hard working people and people that have no transportation that struggle, that can't afford much and for only 25 cents a trip you just can't beat it.
I was once a bus rider myself for many years, I remember as a kid I use to catch the three buses to visit my family member when I was living in Boyle Heights and she lived in Glendale. As a young father I use to visit my older son from Burbank to Cudahy that took a few hours. So I know how my passengers feel when they are in hurry to get somewhere or just getting off from work and just wanting to get home to relax I've done it all ; So I do my best to get them the their destination as fast and safe as possible, all while looking out for other drivers and dealing with traffic and getting cut off a lot plus many other things that go on, so it can frustrating at times but I have to take in stride and move on .
Today I'm also a recovering Alcoholic & Addict and have been clean and sober for over 18 years and what I learned from the 12 step program is the people & tools there's no way I would be where I'm at today ; And today I am at peace and forever grateful of having a job as a bus driver and the gift of sobriety. Brought to you by Bill Garcia |