In spring of 2012, Kiara started her career with the company working as part of the Marine team at Martin Motor Sports. For the next 3 summers she worked part-time as a detailer while attending college. As she was getting close to graduating, she started looking for a job in her field of Business Management. As fate would have it, there was an opening on the Martin Deerline side of the business on the Accounting team and once she graduated, she transitioned right into her new role of Accounts Receivable Clerk and has been here ever since.
What does a typical workday look like for Kiara? “It's always a little bit different. It's definitely not cookie cutter whatsoever, so I never fully know what to expect each day!” Kiara is the main point of contact for any questions that customers have about their accounts. She enjoys helping people and values building those relationships with clients. One of her most memorable moments happened fairly recently when a client called in looking for some paperwork on a piece of equipment she had purchased from us almost 8 years ago. Kiara managed to dig up the paperwork and provide her with everything that she needed - the customer was so grateful that she sent Kiara flowers the following day. “It was such an unexpected and nice gesture! I just really enjoy helping out clients!”
She is also the main point of contact in our Accounting team for our rural locations so she spends a lot of time training new employees. When asked what advice she would give to a new employee Kiara says: “always work hard - it's always noticed. And never be afraid to ask questions!” The other piece of advice she gave is to be a team player. “The Accounting department is a pretty tight-knit team and we're always willing to step up and help one another. Because the company is so seasonal, if one of us is really busy and someone else on the team has the capacity to help that person, everyone is always willing to offer a helping hand.”
The biggest change that Kiara has seen over her 7 years with the company is definitely the advancement in technology and how we reach our customers. “When I first started, I used to process 50-70 cheques a day. Today it's probably closer to 3 cheques/day because the majority of payments are processed online. There are so many options to communicate with our clients whether that is online or through texting. We're so much more accessible.”
Coworkers would describe Kiara as outspoken, honest and having a positive attitude. When someone asks for help, she will try her best to help out in any way possible even if it is outside of her scope. When Kiara is not at work, you'll usually find her participating in some sort of sport, whether it's indoor soccer in the winter or slo-pitch in the summer. “I'm super competitive!” Kiara spends most weekends in the summer camping with her friends and family, and says if she had an hour of free time outside of work: “I would definitely be puzzling! It's a great way to decompress and unwind.”
Thank you Kiara, for showing up to work every day with a positive attitude, smile and lots of energy. We're so lucky to have you as part of the Martin Deerline team!