2020 CSR All-Stars: Tracy Godley, Brand Advantage Group, a Safeguard Company

TRACY GODLEY
Account Manager
Brand Advantage Group, a Safeguard Company, Minneapolis

Tracy Godley makes things happen, never flinching from asking the tough questions that lead to creating a better product and experience for all involved parties. She supports several top accounts, working with a mix of different salespeople. She has been instrumental in the transition of moving customers to a new online storefront—over 50 live sites. She is also a company trailblazer, in that she was the first staffer to work remotely, a policy now employed throughout Brand Advantage Group.

As her nominator tells it, years ago, when the distributorship was known as Quality Business Forms, Godley gave her notice, citing her husband’s job transfer. A key account insisted management find a way to keep her. The company listened to the input and created a virtual workspace for Godley.

“Tracy ... makes it all appear seamless, as if she’s in multiple places at once, even though the reality is that she works remotely and is out of state 100 percent of the time,” her nominator said. “Clients rave about her and are shocked to hear that she lives and works remotely out of state.”

Her Approach to Customer Service
The client is our focus. Clients have choices and we need to make sure they want to partner with Brand Advantage Group. My goal is to ensure they are satisfied and make the interaction personal and positive every time.

How She Keeps Calm and Stays Inspired
Consistency is the key. I try and stay positive and try my best to make the client satisfied with every interaction. We are all human and are subject to having a bad day, but customers want answers and resolution to their problems. I get satisfaction knowing that I have made a difference and that helps keep me focused and positive each day.

How COVID-19 Has Changed Her Job
When COVID-19 hit, no one knew what to expect, or how it would impact us. The one thing that we knew for sure was that our organization was ready. As a company, we adopted a remote work atmosphere over eight years ago. For this reason, we were able to continue with our daily activities and provide support to our clients without any interruption. However, we quickly found that the nature of our products would change. Overnight, we had to learn about PPE products and how to source them.

Why She Loves Her Job and the Industry
In an ever-changing industry, we are always trying to stay on the cutting edge with technology and products to deliver the best experience and value to our clients. This keeps things interesting and challenging at times.

Her Proudest Career Achievement
I am most proud of the relationships that I have built within Brand Advantage Group, as well as with clients and suppliers. Knowing that I have gained their trust as someone they can lean on or call on for help makes me proud of what I do every day.

Her Best Advice
Stay positive, stay consistent and realize that you are, many times, the last interaction a client has with the company. Remember that your job is customer retention, sales and issue resolution, and many times, this requires you to go above and beyond.

What She Does for Fun
I enjoy staying busy, so when I am not working you can find me tending to my flower garden, on a walk, playing with my dog, working on a home improvement project or in a Pilates class.

Additional Thoughts
From the time I started with Brand Advantage Group, our CFO, Tom Lyngdal, would say, “The only thing that’s constant is change.” Over my 15 years, both personally and professionally, I have seen a lot of change. We experienced a recession, three business name changes and now COVID-19. During this time, we have remained strong, adaptable and resilient—all due to a strong leadership team and a tenured staff that pulls together during challenging times. Brand Advantage Group has become my extended family.

Read the complete CSR profiles here.