What do 110 pound Scottish Deerhounds, that grow to 32 inches tall and were bred to stalk deer in the highlands- and some of the best coffee in the world drunk by some of the best customers in the world have in common?
Jenya Campbell, our Customer Service Manager can tell you. We are, here in Olympia, a dog people. Each desk seems to have stories about dogs past and present. And no one is prouder of their canine family than Jenya, who not only raises dogs for competition but has worked in dog rescue for nearly 20 years. She came to coffee when a co-worker in the health-care field opened a coffee shop and asked if Jenya wanted to manage it. The new venture was a Batdorf account, and after two years behind the bar, Jenya joined the Batdorf and Bronson® team when her friend closed shop. I told them I would love to come to the team Jenya says, recalling her interview with Batdorf and Bronson®.
There were no positions open on the floor at the shops, so I told them I would take a job scraping gum off of desks. Regardless of how many desks there were with gum actually on them, she was hired for a part-time position in production; assisting the roaster, weighing and portioning coffee for wholesale and retail and shipping our coffees around the country. Nine months after starting with the company, she became the manager of the production team. I am driven, She says, I want to be part of what is moving forward.
She led the production team for 2 years, then was asked to head up the customer service function, a combined role she has been in for the last 3 years. Jenya has been my work life-line since coming onboard 10 months ago. Her experience in both the production world and customer facing role has been a touchstone for me as I navigate my way into the Batdorf family. And not just because she knows the ins and outs, the names and numbers, the dos and donts of working here. When I first came on board, meeting people and making first impressions, what came across more than anything else was each team-members absolute dedication to going the extra mile- to doing things the right way- in every corner of the company.
You should know that our offices here in Olympia are open-format. This means that we all kind of share one big space- no walls or doors. This is great when you want to collaborate with someone, and also to see how the customer service team operates. Sharing an office with Jenya is inspiring because you get to watch her really take care of our customers, every day. She fields calls, steps over and helps her teammates, and has an open chair in front of her desk where you can sit and ask almost any question. She tells me how much she loves people, and it shows not just in how she talks to customers, but also in how she works with all of us. Its something about these beans- the coffee. She says. If it was anything else, I just dont think it would be the same. She reflects on how much she loved making someone that first cup of coffee, and wowing them. And how great it is to know that wholesale customers are getting their orders perfectly- whether when leading the production folks or heading up customer service.
And sharing an office with her means I get affected by her sense of humor- a perfect example of what makes Batdorf such a great place to work. Smart people working hard at something they love, who are not afraid to make horrible puns in the middle of a room full of people. And to share their pride in giant, purebred dogs. Mixed in with the hard work and puns and jokes are exclamations of how well her hounds are doing, and on Facebook a cavalcade of amazing photos of her award winning dogs. Dogs who, all told, have someone caring for them who brings tenacity, attention to detail and passion.
So we return to the question- What do giant Scottish Deerhounds, great coffee and great people have in common? They are all loved by Jenya Campbell.