IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT

MAURICE RUTHERFORD, CSR P06, SPRINGFIELD, MO

How long have you been a CSR with AmeriPride?

I’ve worked for AmeriPride for 2 ½ years. I started as a temp for about a year before being hired as an AmeriPride employee.

What areas/cities do you cover?

I cover the southern Tulsa, Oklahoma area and its outskirts, which include Broken Arrow and Okmulgee.

On average, how many miles do you drive in a day?

I only drive about 100 miles per day.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I would say I enjoy the customer service aspect of my job the most. It has been great to build relationships with customers that I started out not knowing at all. Some people I even hang out with outside of work even though I didn’t know them before this job.

What’s your biggest accomplishment with AmeriPride?

There are multiple accomplishments that I’m proud of. With that being said, I’m most proud of being a first time Emerald Eagle Quarterly National qualifier. It has been so great to see all of my hard work pay off and receive this type of recognition. I’ve come a long way in 2 ½ years and I’m excited to see where AmeriPride will take me in the future!

What is your favorite customer story or interaction?

Although it’s hard to pick one because I have a lot of great customers and experiences, I would have to say my favorite story is with Inverness Village, a local retirement home. The account originally began as just chefware rental for the kitchen, but then expanded as my relationship with the director, Paul, developed. He loved AmeriPride’s customer service and the items we offered. The account now has floorcare services and mats along with catalog purchases. They even purchased shirts from us for all their attendees of their First Annual Golf Tournament. Furthermore, they recommended us to their other departments which we now service. It’s overall just an awesome feeling to know that my efforts directly improved a customer's experience!  

Do you have any pet peeves related to your truck?

My biggest pet peeve related to my truck would have to be when someone else drives it and gets it dirty. I always work really hard to keep the inside of my truck clean.

Do you have a system for organizing your truck?

Since we load our trucks using carts, I wouldn’t say there’s a specific organization system that I use. It’s nice to be able to throw the carts in the truck and then hit the road. 

Since we’re in the business of laundering, do you iron your own clothes?

Yes, I still do! I usually will iron my church clothes or if I’m going somewhere nice.

When you’re not in the truck, what are your favorite hobbies?

I really enjoy playing with my kids. They are ages 1 and 5 so they’re really fun right now! I also love to play basketball. I played in college for Rogers State and it is still something I enjoy doing in my free time. Along with that, I like to work out.