The Customer Service Manager At Yara North America

Michelle Kitzmiller is the Customer Service Manager at Yara North America. Yara North America is a division of Yara International and is a fertilizer and industrial chemical company. Her team consists of 11 employees in varying roles. The goal of the customer service team is to ensure the sales order process goes smoothly for everyone from order placement to delivery of product. Michelle’s task is to lead her direct reports in a way that allows them to accomplish this goal in the most effective way possible. As a manager who is responsible for scheduling, facilitating, training, and supervision, she would be considered a First-line Manager; however, much of her role as manager also includes responsibilities of a Middle Manager such as strategy implementation and coordination. The skills she utilizes in her job testify to how she is able to accomplish all that her role entails. When Michelle joined Yara, she was hired as a Customer Service Representative. She used her knowledge of the customer service roll to work her way up to a Regional Sales Manager. When the CS Manager position became available, it was a natural transition for her. She knew the customer base as well as how the order process was supposed to flow. Most of all, she had the motivation to manage. Checklists and task managers are the techniques that help keep Michelle on track. She uses these tools efficiently to schedule her time so all obligations can be met. As a manager of 11 employees in a highly