In every industry, but particularly in HOA management, it’s the people who make a difference. That’s why we’re thrilled to spotlight the 2022 winner of the Core Value, CX Champion of the Year award, Laurie Clark.
Laurie is Keystone’s Client Experience Lead and personifies the “moments that matter” for board members and homeowners which involve:
- Responding with urgency
- Making connections
- Checking for quality
- Closing the loop
- Asking for and acting on feedback
- Being a Keystone ambassador
With 25 years of experience in the industry and having just celebrated her four-year anniversary with Keystone, no one is more deserving of this annual award than her.
How a CX Champion Approaches HOA Management
Laurie is in charge of training Keystone’s virtual CX workers. She teaches them about all things HOA management and empowers them to bring their best skills and talents to the forefront. Thanks to her background of managing customer service teams and championing employee engagement, getting everyone actively involved is part of what makes her shine in her current role.
Laurie says, “I want everyone to feel educated and understand what they’re doing. It’s great when I see people capture their “aha” moment because that deeper level of understanding affects the homeowners, and they, too, can receive a better experience.”
In addition to her two-plus decades of HOA management experience, her empathy and use of real-world application allow her to make connections with homeowners and provide personalized solutions. Her passion for mentorship and bringing people together allows her to relate both externally with boards of directors and internally with her fellow teammates.
Also, as a central part of Keystone’s recent Customer Experience project, she helped with the all-hands-on-deck training and was instrumental in closing the loop on inquiries. Because, though she is guided by empathy, she is also driven by the urgency of helping homeowners get what they need as quickly and efficiently as possible. She often uses analogies to relate to others, and her overall approach is to “teach with humor, teach outrageous” to help people remember information and bring a smile to their face at the same time.
Daily Motivation to Consistently Perform on a High Level
Excelling in a CX position requires performance consistency, which Laurie commands. As a self-described optimistic person by nature, she has a deep-rooted tenacity to make things better. With an altruistic view and collaborative spirit, she believes change at even the smallest level makes a difference. Therefore, she focuses on all the extra moments of attention and care she can give, and when she gets a win, it motivates her to do it again and again.
As a people-person, Laurie also simply enjoys listening, which is many times what people want. It is her attitude and action that helps her seek a positive resolution no matter what the situation may be. That’s why Keystone is her ideal fit. She credits the camaraderie of people, and the lead-by-example mentality Keystone embodies that makes her want to perform her best.
What the Future Holds
When not at work, Laurie enjoys travel, usually somewhere tropical, with Tahiti, Jamaica, and the Maldives as the most recent destinations checked off her list. On the other hand, she also appreciates down time with her kids and granddog, sewing and quilting, and soaking up as many experiences as possible.
And as she increases her impact at Keystone, she wants to continue mentorship for co-workers and become more involved with employee engagement. Laurie understands the need and benefits of setting aside time specifically to engage with others and allow different departments to interact. It’s this focus on shared interests and experiences that allow everyone to unite toward a common goal.
She says, “Sometimes it’s the journey, sometimes it’s the destination, but when you have everyone working from the same foundation and a clear direction toward a shared vision, good things will happen in the end.”
Interested in joining Laurie in making an impact in HOA management? Browse Keystone’s current job openings and submit your resume today.