Team Member Spotlight – Don King
Name: Don King
Title: Service Manager for Office Machine Division
Started with AZOR: Jan 2016
Tell us about your work experience. How did you get into this industry? Been in the industry for near 30 years. Came out of Marine Corps. Got electronics degree and majored in computer science. Worked for some independent dealers but got exposure to copier business.
How did you get started with AZOR? I answered a job posting. One of my favorite things about my career is that I have been with small “two man” companies all the way to big corporate firms. This vast range has helped me learn a lot.
Main changes in industry: The technology changed from analog to digital. Don is firmly convinced that his background and interest in electronics and computers is why he succeeded.
Over your career, what philosophies have you developed? Taking care of the customer is the most important thing. Customer acquisition is so difficult in a “maturing” market so it’s much easier to take care of the folks you do have.
What are your strengths? Lead by example. I don’t ask anyone to do anything I wouldn’t or haven’t done myself.
What are your weaknesses? I get easily frustrated. I’m a type A personality and if things don’t go as planned, it can show frustration sometimes.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do? The satisfaction of solving problems for others. When we arrive the customers are usually very happy to see us.They’re even happier to see us leave (because we solved their problems).
What’s your least favorite thing? Not being able to solve a problem for a customer for reasons out of my control.
What advice would you give to all new team members? Take care of the customer. Nothing else is as important in business.
With your current knowledge and wisdom if you could go back in time and speak with a 20 year old you, what advice would you give yourself? In school, I took a hardware“path” instead of a software one. I would have changed that.
Tell us a Don King Story I was with Ikon and everything was based on Key Performance Indicators from the top to the bottom of the company. I told all my team to always focus on taking care of the customers and not to worry about the number sat all. We had a huge company-wide competition and my team won. When I met with the VP of the company he asked me how we won. I told him, “We just focus on the customers”. He was floored and had a hard time understanding it was that simple.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you (special talents,travels, skills, hobbies, etc.)? I have done many Civil War reenactments.