The Inspired Insider

Weekly Wednesday | 11/08- 11/14

“If not us, who? If not now, when?”

– John F. Kennedy

On Veterans Day and every day, we salute the Americans who are serving or have served in the military.

Thank you for your sacrifice, selflessness, and service to the country.

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News of the Day

If you are available to travel and assist in other markets please email fieldops@penmarcspaces.com
Time Off Request for November are due by Friday, 10/30- any request received after that may not be approved.

Reminders

Please send in pictures to marketing@penmarcspaces.com remember to include the location of the project and employee names
Follow us on Facebook & Instagram

The Holidays🦃🎅🏼🎄 Are Coming!

Time Off request for the Thanksgiving Holiday has closed - any request received after that may not be approved:

Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day are installer holidays installations are not scheduled on these days.
New Year’s Eve is NOT an installer Holiday and installations are scheduled up to 2 PM EST on this day.

CDC UPDATES - Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Black Face Masks: https://stores.customink.com/health-wellness/products/1842#/

White Face Masks: https://stores.customink.com/health-wellness/products/2025#/

Inspired Call Questions:

We want to hear from you!! If you have any questions that you would like to be answered and discussed during our Inspired Call each week please email those to fieldops@penmarcspaces.com

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Updates

The Container Store has added add two new items to the Avera product selection and one new element to the Elfa product selection.

NEW Avera Expanding Valet Rod
NEW Avera Glass Shelf
NEW Elfa Expanding Valet Rod for décor Shelves

These items are now available in the TCS Design Tool and are available for customers to include in their custom closet. It is imperative that you read through each installation guide so that you understand how to install these items correctly.

A couple of important elements to pay special attention to:

NEW Avera & Elfa Expanding Valet Rods: The installation requires the addition of anti-tip clips
NEW Avera Glass Shelf: Do not remove the plastic film until the shelf is in place

PDFs to review:

If you have any questions, reach out to your Market Manager.

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Winter-Proof Your Workplace to Stop Slips and Falls

Cold weather brings a number of hazards: wet floors, black ice, ice on stairs, and unsafe driving conditions. With the cold and wet weather season approaching, here are a few facts to think about:

Slips, trips, and falls account for over one million hospital emergency room visits
Slips, trips, and falls are the primary cause of lost days from work
Fractures are the most serious consequences of falls and occur in 5% of all people who fall

What are Slips, Trips, and Falls:

SLIPS occurs when there is too little traction or friction between the shoe and the walking surface. Most slips cause a person to fall backward.
TRIPS occurs when a person’s foot contacts an object in their way or they drop to a lower level unexpectedly. Most trips cause a person to fall forward.
FALLS occur when a person is too far off-balance.

Wet or Slippery Surfaces

Wet or slippery surfaces are a major cause of slips, trips, and falls. Highly polished floors are extremely slippery when dry and definitely increases the potential for a slip, trip, or fall when moisture (rain, snow, and mud) are present.

Here are some tips to avoid a slip, trip, or fall on slippery floors:

Use anti‐skid adhesive tape in high traffic areas
Use absorbent mats in entranceways during cold and wet weather. Mats may cause hazards themselves, make sure they do not slide on the ground
Display wet floor signs
Clean up wet floors immediately
When entering a building, remove as much snow and water from your shoes as possible.

Employee Spotlight of The Month Coming Soon.

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Inspired Call Summary - 11.03.2020

We are so excited to continue our Fall for Penmarc theme for the month of November with a focus on Grace through Generosity. This month we will discuss the different ways we can incorporate Grace through Generosity. We are so excited to have Lisa Orlando back with us this week as she talks with us more about Harvesting Gratitude and what that looks likes.

Take it away Lisa,

Welcome, everyone!

There has been a lot of big news and world events this past week, couple that with the upcoming holidays, and some of you may be feeling anxious or stressed. First, we want you all to know that we empathize with those emotions and that we are here to support you not only with the information needed for your installs, but if you have other things that are affecting your work, please let us know. We may not be able to provide the help directly, but we may be able to guide you to available resources.

Don’t forget to check your email to look for the Installer Survey sent this past Friday (11/6). We want each of you to provide constructive feedback so that we can all get better together. The survey is thorough, so carve at least 30 minutes so that you can give it your undivided attention.

TOPIC: Harvesting Gratitude

Anytime is a good time to consider gratitude, but we tend to think about gratitude for others more often around Thanksgiving. It’s good to have a specific month to remind us to give thanks seeing as humans we tend to have a bias towards the negative stuff.

I hear from many of you asking for more feedback from our installation customers, and if you and I talked about it, you know that if we get feedback, especially positive feedback from the installation experience, you’re guaranteed to hear about it. I won’t bore you guys with all the psychology stuff, but I do want to bring your attention to one piece of information about customer feedback that you may find useful. Research shows that those who are just starting out at their new job or business venture prefer positive feedback, and those who have been at for a long time, “Professionals,” seek out negative feedback. Why do you think that is?

Naturally, those who are just getting started need more positive information to help them push through the uncertainty and new challenges. At the same time, professionals already know and have heard the good stuff - they need to refine their business or craft, and they know the ‘not so good’ feedback is an area of opportunity and possible growth.

Now I’m not saying that just to pave a way to give you negative feedback, but I know that most of you have been installing for a long time now. My hope is that you will be open to all kinds of feedback because we want each of you to push yourselves to get better at your craft. Also, as you complete your surveys, be mindful of our human “negativity bias” and don’t forget to through in a dash of what’s good and working well.

Speaking of what’s good, I asked our field management team to harvest gratitude and bring me examples of Installers in their area going above and beyond, and that deserves kudos.

Let’s start with Roger Concha’s Southern California Market:

Ali Ebrahimzadeh and Kaveh Mohseni - These two gentlemen are always willing to raise their hand when there is a unique need or a big ask – PR jobs, complicated service orders, scheduling errors, another installer out, or any customer issue, they’re always willing to lend a helping hand. Additionally, we can count on them to deliver a top-notch install and a positive customer experience. Roger says, “I definitely feel lucky to have reliable, trustworthy, and top-notch installers in the SCA Market.”

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Next up is Bryan Smart and the South Texas Area:

Two Installers from STX that deserve kudos for great work and above and beyond performance are:

Charlie Klotz – W2 installer for Penmarc out of Austin TX

Charlie comes to Penmarc with a lot of skills and has proven himself as a team player. He recently traveled for our Sister Company, ProVantage working in Conn’s Stores across Texas – Thank you, Charlie!
Not afraid to take on a challenge, Charlie completes Elfa, Avera, and Laren spaces and gets great reviews from all of his customers. He is courteous, detailed, and a good communicator.

Dale Masters – 1099 installer for Penmarc out of San Antonio TX

Dale is one of the few installers who always arrives early to his installs, completes every job to Penmarc’s standards and expectations, and reports details on Cruxos as well as with the client.
Retired from San Antonio Fire Department, he is a very talented and skilled carpenter and installer that we are very grateful to have to work for Penmarc. Thank you, Dale, for all you do!

Next is Luiz Gusmao’s Washington DC Market

For those of you who are not familiar with the DC market, you should know that they churn out a high volume of Avera and Laren installations each week. We want to recognize both Edo Kabamba and David Benitez for the number of hours and hard work they have put into installing over 18 Avera and Laren systems this past month. In just four weeks these two gentlemen have combined for 500 working hours, which is no small feat. Thank you two for your efforts.

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We currently do not have a Market Manager in the Philadelphia/Pittsburgh market, but I would like to give a shout out to Matt Wightman (1099), who has become a great partner to Penmarc. Matt does a lot of Laren jobs, and he has stepped up his communications efforts since joining Penmarc. Matt also recently attended our Virtual Leadership Live Conference and expressed how valuable it was not only to get the lesson on leadership but to have the opportunity to be a part of the session even as a 1099 installer. I encourage each of you to take part in the learning programs offered through Penmarc and Rosewood, and if you would like more information about these programs, please get with your Market Manager.

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Lastly, we have Josh Silba’s Southeast Market, which includes North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. As many of you know, our Raleigh team does quite of bit of travel to all of our markets across the country to help and support teams for a wide variety of reasons. We’ve had a few “road warriors” over the last couple of months – Kyle Jones, Tygue Brown, and Dale Hundle, and we deeply appreciate your efforts.

Dale Hudnell – W2 installer for Penmarc out of Raleigh, NC

Dale recently traveled to our Memphis market for over two weeks to help provide additional market support and even asked if he could extend his trip so he could help organize our storage locations and update inventory records.
We have a warehouse here at our Raleigh office and Dale utilized his background in carpentry and other construction trades to build entirely new shelving units that were better suited for our products, and that optimized the storage space we have, all on his own and without anyone asking!
Dale consistently shows a genuine commitment to the company, is willing to do whatever is asked, always exceeds our expectations.

Tygue Brown – W2 installer for Penmarc out of Raleigh NC

Tygue has always proven to be an exceptional member of our team, especially with his ability to train all types of installers on Avera installation, even across state lines, and sometimes travels for weeks at a time.
Tygue uses a seamless blend of his own demonstrations and a hands-off approach that prompts trainees to learn, ask questions, practice, and apply their new knowledge. While also documenting and reporting their progress, Tygue ensures office staff is always involved in the status and progress of his training.
Tygue continuously thinks two steps ahead to ensure success, and his knowledgeable, dedicated, and thoughtful approach to all he does makes him an extraordinary asset to our team.

Finally, I’d like to end with two quotes:

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you’ll never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” —Henri Frederic Amiel

Be kind to one another and make an effort to show gratitude more often!

Lisa Orlando

General Housekeeping Items:

Measure twice, Cut Once! Always, Always review the design and measure the space before placing tracks for Elfa and Avera. Regardless of the system type, take a few measurements before getting started with the install to catch design issues from the beginning.
There is a high volume of installations, which means you may experience longer wait times to connect with TCS Installation Services. Leave your number for a call back rather than waiting on hold. If time is of the essence, connect with your market manager.
If you have any reason to call TCS Installation Services, a summary of your call reason should be placed in the General Section of Cruxos. Be sure to add the name of the person you spoke to. In the case that you were unable to reach someone, still, add that you attempted to contact and the reason for the call. Connect with your Market Manager if you are unable to reach someone at TCS within a reasonable amount of time.
For ISV/Measures – If you observe that space is still under heavy construction, don’t rely on the photos alone to tell the story. Be sure to highlight that the space is incomplete and may need an additional visit in the Special Considerations section of the Space Notes on the Measure/ISV Coversheet.
The holidays are coming! Time Off Request for November are due ASAP
We expect time off request as far in advance as possible. A minimum of two weeks and three weeks is preferred.
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are installer holidays
Review your schedule twice a day – In the current climate, job schedules are changing more frequently. It’s best to check your schedule in the morning before 8 am and in the evening after 6 pm. Call/email coordinators with any questions regarding your schedule.
Photos: We need all installers to be more mindful of taking quality photos and taking all the photos that Cruxos asks for.
ISV/Measure photos, pre and post demo photos, and completion photos should show all walls, including the floor and the ceiling
Completion photos should be taken once the job is entirely complete, and you have installed all accessories (including Standard Covers which should be installed 100% of the time) and you have cleaned the space trash, debris, and dust.

References: https://outcry.io/2019/05/26/negative-feedback/

We have a special guest speaker next week, so make sure to tune in!

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Missed the Inspired Zoom Call?

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Join us every Tuesday at 4 PM EST

The Inspired Call will be switching to Zoom

Dial-in: +1 646 876 9923
US Conference ID: 568 448 1426
Press # to join the call without a participant ID

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How to Contact Coordinators

Penmarc Phone Number : (984) 500-1015

Phone Tree Options:

Press:

1 for Coordinators
7 for California
6 for Texas
5 for Pennsylvania, Delaware or New Jersey
4 for Washington DC, MD or VA
3 for Florida
2 for Georgia
1 for NC/TN

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Measurement and ISV

Download the Measurement and ISV here --> DOWNLOAD NOW

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Happy Workiversary to:

Week 11/08 - 11/14

Nov 13 - Jorge Rodriguez Del Ray, 1 Yr

Nov 14 - Rachel Dedmon, 1 Yr

Happy Birthday to:

Week 11/08 - 11/14

Nov 8 - Taj Waldon

Nov 12 - James King

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Recognition

From: The Container Store- Atlanta Market Customer

To: Clarence Demmery- Atlanta Market Installer

“We had Clarence come out to our home to measure our space and was very impressed with how respectful he was of our home and the extra safety precautions he took, we are so excited to have him return back to do the install of our closet as well!”

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Shout Out

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Go to our Facebook right now!

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Penmarc Inspired Spaces and The Container Store partnered up to provide consultation, design services, hardware, and installation of a Career Closet to Campbell University’s Office of Career Services. Located on campus at the Student Services building, the new Career Closet allows students to start building their professional wardrobe free of charge.

Read the full article by Campbell University --> https://lnkd.in/eqVNR9a

A huge thanks to Rosewood Family of Companies Group President, Matthew Epps, Campbell MBA '09, for organizing this project and bringing it to fruition.

To see the live action of the install, watch the video below!