Taking The Lead Podcast_Melissa_072522
Christina: [00:00:00] Welcome to the taking the lead podcast, where we empower people to be unstoppable. I'm Christina Hepner with my cohost, Leslie Hoskins and Timothy Cuneio.
Christina: I have a story for you guys. So this past weekend, I went tent camping for like the first time since I was little and almost didn’t make it.
Leslie: This is why you don't go tent camping.
Christina: Um, listen. So we went, um, it's called the rifle river
up in Michigan and we went tubing. Forecast looked great all weekend. We're two hours from our destination on the river starts thundering and lightning. And you know, if lightning hits water, you're all dead or you're all struck by lightning, not necessarily dead, but , I mean, you're injured.
Um, And where we were at, like along this river, there is nowhere to get out. Like there is nowhere to get out. There's nowhere to climb for safety. So we just had to go to the side and [00:01:00] stand like as far as we could out of the water for as long as we could. And then at one point we were just like, we gotta go, we gotta keep going.
Like, if something happens, then I, we don't know what to do. And it was a good life. It was insane. And by the end of it, like my one friend got up and he drug us all. He was like, I'm done. We gotta get out of this. Like, so we're just like all dragging. I like scraped across the bottom. I have, my legs are all beat up.
Like it was. And then that night it wasn't supposed to rain either thundering. And I've not seen lightning like this in a campground. So much lightning that it, I literally had a time it to get out of my tent, to run to my car and sleep. I have never, wow. And my friends were like, I really hope you come camping again because I haven't done.
Leslie: Absolutely not. I think the universe told you not to there.
Christina: Like literally you guys I'm shocked. I'm here today.
Leslie: That sounds it's terrible.
Timothy: Yeah, it happens all the time when I go camping it rains lightning, thunder. [00:02:00] My wife could tell you stories of how terrible the storms have been when we camp. So don't camp, that's the moral of the story.
Leslie: Don't camp. That's terrible. Terrible
Christina: sounds terrible. It's terrible.
Timothy: And I don't, we own a trailer. Yeah, I was in last year, we left for awning during the storm. Really? It was
Christina: terrible. I was roughing it in a tent and then my tent flooded and all my stuff was a mess. It didn't flood that badly, but like my stuff was just wet.
And do you know how much laundry I did yesterday? So much.
Leslie: Here's what I don't understand about camping. You're just taking all of your things and living in a smaller environment. like you have homes you're doing like, and it's more work. you're doing like, and it's more work. You gotta make all your food. Do all the dish there's laundry. It sounds exhausting.
Christina: It was fun until we got caught in the thunderstorm. Like I came back to camp showered and I literally looked at my friends and who were all around the campfire. And I was like, I gotta go lay down. Like I literally went in like, slept.
Leslie: The one time we did that, we went in, um, [00:03:00] Went down the river, same thing.
It rained. It was so cold. I just remember everybody's skin was like purple. And I was like, why are we doing this? Why we could be in a controlled environment. to just having a good time. I just do not understand camping. It is not for me too many bugs wilderness.
Christina: Yeah. See, I didn't mind it until, until the storms until nature kicked it.Yeah. And packing up in the morning. Still storming. So it's like we had to pack up. I was just soaked. And then I had to drive like two and a half hours home. And I was like, this is fun. It's like, you know, when you get outta the pool and you have to like drive from the pool to like your house or whatever, wherever you're at.
And you're just like, oh, it's the most uncomfortable 15 minute drive. This was the most uncomfortable two and a half hour drive. I
Leslie: did the complete. I was at a convention center for a solid four days and only saw the sky. I think once, like the convention center was so huge, we hardly ever left. It was insane.
Yeah. It's gotta be a fine line in the middle somewhere. [00:04:00] Yeah.
Christina: But you know, more, all the
Leslie: story is
Christina: don't. Christina is bad luck in a camping environ.
Timothy: I don't know. Well, we won't ask you to go camping with us and at least Freddy Kruger didn't show up. That's what I gotta say.
Leslie: Timothy, did you have a good weekend?
Timothy: I had a fantastic weekend. I got my new George Foreman came in the mail, put that together. No more fires in the backyard. Got collapsed.
Leslie: we'll take that all as a win. That seems like a much better option.
Timothy: It's a win win. So, yeah. So, uh, I'm happy about that. So yeah, had a good weekend.
Leslie: Good. I'm glad we're all here living today. uh, and excited for today's guest. Today's guest is the manager of client services as she is responsible for managing all aspects of the client services, department, client admissions, and metrics, as well as overseeing the residents and kitchen.
Christina: Melissa Priester joined the leader dog team in [00:05:00] 2016 and prior to leader dog, Melissa was the director of client services at general sports and entertainment, a sports management company that focuses on sponsorship consulting services in the acquisition and management of sports teams. During her 11 years at general sports, she supported all divisions of the company and played an active role in the development of the United chore professional baseball league and the construction of Jimmy Jimmy John's field in Utica, Michigan.
Timothy: Melissa welcome to the podcast. You have had a busy background.
Uh, so. Brought you to leader dog. And how did your background help you while you're at leader dog?
Melissa: Well, thank you so much, Timothy. I am so excited to be here. I'm a huge fan of this podcast, so it's just a wonderful experience to be here today. Um, so yeah, so I came to leader dog by way of the sports industry, which I now sounds kind of funny.
Um, I always wanted to work in sports. I got my, um, bachelor's of business administration from Northwood university and, uh, dual majored in business management, as well as entertainment, sports and promotion management. [00:06:00] So once I graduated from college, I went to work at general sports and entertainment, and it is a multifaceted company it's made up of a lot of different divisions.
So I got to work in our corporate consulting division, where we, um, manage the sponsorship portfolios for our clients for the major sports and entertainment venues in Michigan. I also got to work with, um, sweepstakes management with the Pepsi beverages company. And I can tell you, it is a lot of fun to call somebody up and tell them that they have one tickets to the super bowl.
and I got to do that multiple times. So , that was so great. Um, But yeah, in our team, acquisition and management division, where we owned an operated sports team. So in the 11 years that I was there, we owned, um, the Fort Wayne wizards, which was the class, a affiliate of the San Diego Padres in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
They're actually the Fort Wayne tin caps. Now, um, we owned the Darby county football club, which is a football, or as we say, here in the us soccer team, over in the UK, And then right before I left, I was involved in the, um, [00:07:00] United shore professional baseball league. There's no minor league baseball in Metro Detroit.
So our company basically created a league. They created three teams and built a ballpark in Utica, Michigan for those three teams to play out of. So, um, it was a well rounded experience. I learned a lot, um, but I found. After 11 years, I really wasn't finding fulfillment. Um, and, and realizing that what I did every day at work didn't seem to directly benefit anyone.
And I wanted to make a bit of a change. So of course, being in Rochester, um, I saw leader dog out on the street all the time clients and the instructors, and of course the dogs. And so I had an interest and. I was looking at the website and there's not a lot of turnover at leader dog. no,
Leslie: there's not. You
Melissa: don't.
No, it was so, and now I understand why obviously working there, but, um, uh, yeah. So when I finally found a position that I qualified for, I jumped on it and, and here I am. So. It's been, uh, a whirlwind experience and I absolutely love what I do. That's incredible.
Leslie: How long have you
Melissa: been now at leader dog? [00:08:00] Um, since 2016.
So about six years. Okay. Yeah.
Leslie: Awesome. And so now what would be, uh, kind of your favorite part of your job? What do
Melissa: you love about it? I love, you know, I am the front. Manager for the client services team. And they're the ones that are really on the front lines, communicating with clients. So I don't get to do that all that often, um, which I wish I could do a little more of that.
I love being able to support them and making sure that their time is freed up so that they can have more of those communications with our clients.
Christina: So, you know, you work in client services, people probably don't know exactly what that is. So what does client
Melissa: services do? So client services, we like to joke and say that we're kind of the Alexa or the sir of leader dog for our clients.
We want to be kind of the one stop place, the go-to place for our clients and applicants when they have questions. So we really see the client or the applicant through the entire process of their journey at leader dog. Starts with an inquiry. We're the ones answering the questions and giving information about our [00:09:00] programs to people.
We help them through the application process. Um, once they're approved for training, we help to coordinate the logistics of them coming to class. And then once they have graduated, we provide support after that, whether it be for our O and M clients who. Maybe want some additional training or maybe they want to then apply for our leader dog program.
And then of course, with our leader, dog graduates, it's all of the work that goes into when they're out with their dog, any issues that they have, we want them to contact us first. And if we can't give them an answer, we will find somebody who can. And then on the flip side of that in regards to the organization, we're also the keeper of the information.
So we take our clients' privacy very seriously, and we have a lot of information, um, that not everybody in the company has access to. So we, um, in our division we actually provide stats and we report things to people who need that information for their, for their job. Um, as well as really disseminating information for other people who.
To know about our clients who are coming in very specifically the RA and the kitchen staff need to know [00:10:00] for clients coming in. Are there any dietary restrictions, any allergies, any special needs, that sort of thing. And they don't have access to that information. So we make sure that they are informed.
Timothy: It sounds like it's a lot of people involved in the client services then. I mean, it just it's the kitchen and, and the cleaning staff. So is that how much
Melissa: more is. So our client services department, um, specifically consists of myself and four client services coordinators. And really the, um, the culture that we have developed is that we want to make sure the clients understand that when they call any of them can help.
Um, the client, um, however they do have their niche, you know, that they work in, um, their specialty. So we have Danielle ALD and Andrea who goes by Andy Hernandez and the two of them process all of our applications for all of our programs, as well as helping with, uh, coordination of class details. We have Alison Jones and she primarily focuses on our guide dog graduate issues.
Um, and she also works very closely with our field services team, which is a [00:11:00] group of guide dog mobility instructors that travel the country, helping out our graduates, as well as our applicants, um, complete their application videos. and then rounding out, our team is Juliana witted and she is just a Jack of all trades.
She can do anything in our office and is such a wonderful ambassador for leader dogs for the blind. She just is such a pleasure to talk to. So, um, it is kind of a small team actually for the, the majority of, of work that we do.
Leslie: Small, but mighty, and also just a great time. I love stopping in the client services office and hearing who's up to what and what's going on.
Um, and you're right. They can do absolutely anything. If I have a question, I also usually go to client service
Melissa: safe and it helps to have all the dogs. We have a lot of our pet dogs that come to work. So there's quite a pack in there sometimes. ,
Leslie: that's true. It is an experience going into that office all around.
Melissa: Nice.
Christina: And, you know, For people listening, who are thinking about applying or wanna apply, what is that application process like, if you could walk us through kind of the first steps that someone would have to go through if [00:12:00] they wanted to apply.
Melissa: Yeah, sure. So for our own MNR guide dog programs, which is our, our two major programs at leader dog, The process is pretty similar.
Um, there is an application form, um, that they fill out it's different for each program, but an, you know, asks a lot of the same questions. Really. That's a lot of information given so that our instructors have a better idea of where they currently stand with their mobility, what goals they have, um, what their home environment is like, what their health is like, that sort of thing.
Um, there is a medical form and a vision form that's filled out by a medical professional. We ask for some personal references for each one. And then there's also the video. And the video is really where, um, you find the difference between guide dog and ONM applications for our O and M program. The, um, the training is very tailored to the individual.
So we find that people come to leader dog who have never picked up a white cane before all the way through to people who just want some advanced skills. So the video for the O and M application is really just a baseline for our instructors to know. [00:13:00] Where the client's current mobility skills are.
What's their travel environment look like what's their health that sort of. As we get into our guide dog application, it's a bit more complicated. Um, there's a few more requirements. The video really serves to demonstrate a client's ability to travel independently. We wanna make sure that they have routes, um, that they know that they can problem solve that they are physically, uh, capable of going through training.
And so. Once the guide dog applicant is approved for training our instructors, then use that video to help match them with the perfect dog for them. Um, so once all of those forms are completed and the video's completed, then our admissions committee reviews all of our completed files. And it's a, basically a committee of instructors that determine whether or not that person is going to benefit from our program and, and that they qualify for our program.
And then as far as our summer camp, it's got a few more requirements. We are licensed by the state of Michigan. So there's some additional requirements for that. And then we also have a couple of virtual programs, which is [00:14:00] our Tom talks, which is technology and O and M as well as our virtual summer camp.
And of course those applications are much shorter cuz they're not actually physically coming to campus for training. So I
Leslie: would imagine that I know you talked about, uh, calling people, able to tell them they won super bowl tickets. Mm-hmm , it's gotta be kind of the same feeling to call and say, oh my gosh, you've been approved
Melissa: for a guide dog.
Oh, for sure. for sure. And even as an extenuation of that calling to say, we found your dog and you're coming to class's time. Unfortunately, I don't get to make those phone calls. So those do go to our client services coordinators, but I can't tell you how many times I hear them get off the phone. And, and the first thing that they say is he was crying or.
Screaming on the phone. They were so excited. you should at least get to
Leslie: do like a one a week is just like a little pick me up. I should. Yeah. Mm-hmm your job's stressful. That would be a nice Friday afternoon. Like just call and give somebody some excellent, amazing news. That sounds wonderful. Yes, I know.
On the flip end, it's not always nice. But yeah, what a great way to start your Monday too. That would be awesome. [00:15:00] um, what is your team and how do they handle kind of those, the, the more difficult conversations. So those conversations when it's not you've been accepted, or we need a little bit more information or we've decided, unfortunately, uh, you know, this is the best fit for you.
How do those conversations go? And what kind of training does your team have to support those conversations?
Melissa: I think that in general, our client services coordinators are just some of. Genuine and kind and empathetic people that you will ever meet. So it is very difficult to have those conversations. Um, I think that as we're having those talks with our clients, we wanna stress that.
We just wanna make sure that they're going to be safe and we wanna make sure they're gonna be successful. So what we try and do as much as possible is to provide them with some sort of an avenue to either improve or to get some more services or whatever it might be to get to the point where they can be approved for, um, for a guide Doug or for om, Um, really kind of the main reasons why we would deny for, um, guide dog training is, um, whether or not that person is physically capable of handling a large breed dog.[00:16:00]
Um, because at the end of the day, they are still dogs and there is a possibility that they're going to pull, or they're gonna take you someplace where you're not gonna wanna go. Our clients have to be able to, to handle that. And then we also have, um, some concerns sometimes of people's O and M skills. Um, they have to be able to direct their dog.
And the one of the metaphors that I really like that someone told me one time is that traveling with a guide dog is very similar to driving you. Dog is going to get you to where you want to go, but you are still responsible for knowing where you're going and how to get there. So you can direct the dog.
So the on and M skills are so very important. And then I think with the, um, both on and M and guide dog, you know, denials sometimes are based off of a person's physical ability. They need to be able to handle our training. And that really entails 30 minutes of walking at a time without experiencing any health issues.
Um, they have to be able to come to campus and be responsible for themselves self care, you know, that involves daily hygiene that involves being able to manage their own medications, things like that. So those are kind [00:17:00] of some of the things that you might find a denial. Um, but like I said, we'd like to really try and give them solutions as much as possible and, and tell them exactly the reason why we have concerns and what they can do to maybe remedy those.
Leslie: I love that. I think that's wonderful. I imagine
Timothy: there's a lot of applications coming in from future clients. So what are the most frequent asked questions from them?
Melissa: Oh, well, hands down, I think the most frequently asked question that we get is how long is the wait . Yeah. Um, for O and M that's an easier question to answer, um, because really it's a first come first serve basis.
Our on M training is one on one and it's completely tailored to that individual. So. As soon as we have spots available, we will fill those spots in. Um, so typically that's about at this point about three or four months, wait, um, our, the pandemic did send us, set us back a little bit. We do have a longer waiting list for guide dog.
It's a bit trickier cuz there's so many variables that go into it. Like I said, the instructors do an amazing job [00:18:00] of matching a dog to a client. And there's actually a really great, um, resource on our website, a webinar that talks about that matching process. And so it's really a matter of waiting for that perfect dog.
And then you have to also look at the, the clients, um, the training model that we're going to train the clients. Our classes on campus are three weeks long and some people just. Leave their daily life for three weeks, they have work or they have, um, their, the personal caregivers to a family member. So we do offer own, um, excuse me, home delivery training as well, which is shorter.
It's about 10 to 14 days and it's in someone's home environment. Really what we're looking for for people to qualify for that program is. Normally they've already had a dog, so they kind of know the basics already. And then, like I said, they just can't actually come to campus, but unfortunately we don't have as many resources in the field as we do on campus.
So the weight can be a little longer. And then the final piece of that is really the client's preference. You know, sometimes clients just want a golden or they just want a German shepherd or they just want a female and they're willing [00:19:00] to wait. Um, so. With all those variables in place, we kind of give a general five to six month.
Wait, that's an average. I've seen it go much faster. And I've also seen people wait for two years for their German shepherd. So, um, but yeah, that's probably one of the most asked questions. And then the second question is, do you train poodles? really? Yeah. Yeah. Wow. I, I would not
Christina: have imagined that that would be one.
I
Leslie: wonder why poodles the hypoallergenic? Oh yeah. Makes
Christina: sense. I didn't even think about that.
Leslie: Yeah. And not a lot of organ guide organizations are using poodles anymore. So it is kind of a hard thing to find. Um, we do get a lot of frequently asked questions. You guys get a ton of questions all the time. So thinking about all the phone calls that you guys are taking in one good place, um, to go, if you are thinking.
Maybe my question is frequently asked is on that virtual learning resources page, there is a frequently asked questions, video that Melissa was a part of, because again, she [00:20:00] is used to getting all of those questions. Usually when a phone call comes into kind of our main line, it's almost automatically going to client services, cuz again, they're that catch all.
They know all of the answers and can cover a lot of the client questions. So it's a very, very important, uh, role that you guys are.
Christina: Yeah, I know, uh, any, uh, Facebook message we get, I don't know the answer to, I'm always emailing your team. Like, could someone ask this about their application or this? So if you Facebook message us, it's still going to client services most the time
Leslie: so they're not allowed to take vacation days,
Christina: no
Melissa: time off.
Leslie: That's too funny. And your team half of 'em are fairly new, which is amazing. So you guys went through a big transition within the last couple years of kind of team members moving and taking different places and within the organization. Um, and you're new two, two team members, I mean, picked up right where they left off.
They jumped in head first and are amazing the whole client services team. We [00:21:00] absolutely love them and appreciate all that you guys
Melissa: do. Thank you.
Leslie: so any, uh, I guess let's see. What? Oh gosh, we talked about your favorite part of your job. What then I guess would be like your least favorite part of your job.
Melissa: I think the least PA favorite part is probably having those difficult conversations with people. It is very hard to tell somebody that, that we have concerns about their ability to train, um, whether it be with leader dog or on M um, I think very particularly graduate clients are the hardest ones.
They've had dogs from us in the past. Um, and it's hard to hear that maybe they don't qualify this time around. So. Those can be very difficult conversations to have, but again, I really want to make sure that we are providing the most support that we can and really making sure that they understand the concerns that we have and why we have those concerns and what they can do to then potentially be able to come back and train again.
and what
Leslie: other resources are available. I mean, that's one thing we understand that leader dog is one piece of the puzzle and there are so many [00:22:00] additional resources out there for people and we might just not be the best fit. Right. Um, another thing that I think we talk about a lot too, is we do refer to other guide dog organizations.
People are always blown away to hear that, but I was just at a conference with a bunch of other guy, dog organizations, and he would not believe the camaraderie and the teamwork and. We all go out to dinner and we, you know, share ideas. What are you guys working on? What do you have going on? And we talk about, you know, why would we refer a client to their organization versus ours?
Um, and there's many different reasons. You know, we all have kind of our specialty that we do and, or location is sometimes better. There's so many things that go into it. So. Also remembering that we do sometimes say, Hey, this might be a better fit. Check them out, call ask some questions.
Melissa: Yeah, for sure.
People I think are blown away by that, that we do have such a great working relationship with other guide dog schools. And we do tell our clients when they apply to us, feel free to apply to other schools. We want you to be able to be served as quickly as possible or in the best way as possible. And maybe we're not the best fit for you.
So. It's not a mark on your record. If you [00:23:00] are going to apply somewhere else too, please. . Well, and
Christina: yeah, I think people think of that in general. Like everyone's competing, but like really we're not competing. We just wanna help as many people as possible. And if we can't
Melissa: help them, somebody else is gonna help them.
Yeah. The need is far greater than, than the supply that we have. So. Yes. You know, wherever they, wherever people can get help from, that's what we encourage. Yes. And we're all
Leslie: working towards the same mission. We want everybody, like you said, Melissa, to get services as fast as they can and the best services for them.
You know, this is a very, very unique and individualized process. Mm-hmm um, so it's important when thinking about getting a guide dog to do your research and figure out what organization you think is going to be the best fit for you. Mm-hmm um, again, this weekend I was with some. People from other guide dog organizations.
And I just find it so interesting. First of all, I'm not a guide dog mobility instructor. So, you know, a lot of the conversation I couldn't contribute to, there's a lot of the, the stories of dogs having accidents in different environments. And I mean, honestly, people, dog, people can talk all day all along about dogs and it is [00:24:00] so entertaining, uh, to sit there and be a part of, but I absolutely love the comradery.
I've talked to some of our other guide dog mobility instructors who have come back from conferences recently. Loved networking and hearing about the other organizations and all the things that they do. Um, but Melissa, your team is continuously, uh, blowing my mind at all the things that you guys do, and you do such a great job.
I appreciate the hard work you put into it. I know not every day is easy and fun, uh, but the teams, um, and the clients certainly appreciate
Melissa: it. Now we take our responsibility very seriously. A lot of times client services is the first point of contact for anybody who is coming to the organization. And so.
For us, we wanna answer the phone live as much as we possibly can. I think that if you are somebody who has a visual impairment, it probably takes a lot of courage to pick up that phone and call and ask about our services. So we wanna make sure we're on the other end of the line. When you call, we don't want you to be treated like a number, um, Saying that I also wanted to also point out how big of a [00:25:00] scope our client base is.
We have over 1200 active guide dog teams across the world. Um, we served just over 200 clients this last fiscal year on campus, as well as home delivery. We processed over 500 applications last year and. Took about 300 inquiries. So that's a lot of phone calls. That's a lot of emails. So if you do call and you get our voicemail, please know that we, we want to help you.
And so leave us a voicemail, send us an email. It goes to our whole team and we will get back to you as soon as possible. And remember
Leslie: to call. I think that's one thing we hear from clients sometimes, uh, when you happen to run into 'em or you're in another meeting with them, and then they casually bring up, oh, well, I have been having some difficulty with this type of situation.
Yeah. Call, call, call, call. Cause the sooner we can provide support, even if it's just over the phone and connecting you with your guide dog mobility and starter the better off we'll be in the long run. So please never feel like it's a, a nuisance or you're worried about anything. We want those phone calls.
We wanna be able to assist [00:26:00] as much as we possibly can. Um, any outgoing words or. Statements. Nothing. Thank you so much for joining us. I mean, that was a lot of content. Yeah. Um, the, the, the client services team does a lot, so thank you to the client services team. If you guys are listening. Um, but now, now Melissa
Timothy: can help me get some Atlanta Braves tickets.
That would be good.
Melissa: I can hook you up. Timothy, email me later. She knows me.
Timothy: I'll contact you later on .
Melissa: Well,
Leslie: thank you so much. Uh, for listening to the, taking the lead podcast. I'm Leslie Haskins with host Timothy CUO and Christina ner. We hope you enjoyed learning about Melissa in the important role that the client services department plays in our organization.
Please join us next week. As we continue to dive into the world of blindness. And
Christina: if you'd like to learn more about applying to leader dog, you can head to leader, dog.org, or like we said, call us at (888) 777-5332. And don't forget, you can reach us at taking the lead at leader, dog.org [00:27:00] with any questions or ideas, if you like today's podcast, make sure to hit subscribe and check us out wherever podcast street.