Team Kodak

The switchboard at Kodak’s Dental Systems Group is massive. At any given moment, several calls can come in at once. But Dianne Jenkins handles it like a pro.

“Thanks for calling Kodak’s Dental Systems Group. How may I direct your call?” she says. Upon transferring the caller to the appropriate recipient, Jenkins tends to the next caller.

Jenkins is one of the dedicated and loyal staff members who make up the Kodak team. She is passionate about what she does and always comes to work smiling. It is team members like Jenkins, who come to work, fully dedicated to the company and customer service, that differentiate Kodak in the marketplace and make it stand out from its competitors year after year.

Below, a group of Kodak’s enthusiastic and faithful team members talk about Kodak’s loyalty to clients and product continuity – both staples of this successful company.

Kodak employees being interviewed: Dianne Jenkins, operator; Teena Davidson, customer care director; Bonnie Pugh, dental product line manager; Larry Greenspan, vice president, research & development; Dr. David Gane, vice president of dental imaging; Steve Young, account executive

DT: Dianne, you have been with the company for 16 years. What keeps you going for this long?

Jenkins: I love to interact with people. That’s my passion. I’ve made many friends from daily dealings with customers. I love solving problems and directing clients to the right person. I’m happy to come to work. That’s what keeps me going.

DT: What do you think customers need the most?

Jenkins: I think customers often want to know that they’re being heard, that we are listening to their needs. People like to think that their opinion matters and that their concerns are important. I always assure clients that all their issues will be addressed promptly.

DT: What makes Kodak’s Dental Systems Group different as a company?

Jenkins: We have a fantastic, solid team of people, many of whom have been here for years. Our staff is willing to go the extra mile to handle the client’s issues and correct any problems. Our employees are experts at what they do and always try to be helpful.

DT: What changes have you seen in the company throughout the years? What has remained the same?

Jenkins: In my years here, I have seen fantastic improvements. We have become more efficient and customer-oriented than ever! Our technology has always been leading in the field and that has remained the same.

DT: Steve, as a Sales Account Executive, your job involves 100-percent customer contact. What is your favorite part of working with clients?

Young: I enjoy being able to help customers with their problems, finding a solution that suits their needs. That is my main focus. I have been in Sales and Support for more than seven years, and I have dealt with a wide range of customer issues.

DT: Which territory do you cover and how many clients are you responsible for?

Young: My territory is the Atlanta area and I have around 3,000 clients.

DT: As a member of the Outside Sales team, what is the most challenging aspect of your position?

Young: There are many challenges, but I welcome every one of them. They range from dealing with a wide range of practice sizes and explaining to a doctor why he might benefit from an upgraded system to learning new sales processes. Every day brings something new.

DT: Tell me about the Kodak product set and why it is easy to sell Kodak products to customers.

Young: We have excellent, high quality sensors and pans (digital panoramic system). Our equipment comes integrated with our various software packages. This makes it easy for the customer to just buy the whole package that will blend together seamlessly.

DT: Larry, how often do you speak with customers? What is your favorite part of working with clients?

Greenspan: I speak with clients on a regular basis, via telephone, at trade shows and so on. My favorite part about working with our clients is sitting down to brainstorm. I love calling clients no matter what specialty or part of the country they’re in, to simply chat about how they run their businesses using our products. Whether it is a person who runs the front desk, the doctor, or an office manager, it is extremely enjoyable and interesting to me to discover new ways to meet their needs. Many of our best product ideas have come from our clients.

DT: What does your job entail, day-to-day?

Greenspan: In R&D, we are mainly working on the “next generations” of our software products. I guess you could say we solve the day-to-day issues of our clients by providing solutions in our software updates.

DT: Why do you think Kodak products have survived for such a long time in such a competitive market? What makes you unique?

Greenspan: We stand out for several reasons. First, our products truly are innovative. We lead the market, as we always have, with new features that our competition often tries to imitate. For example, SoftDent software, which has been around for 20 years, introduced PowerCase, Practice Central, and PDA integration; we have also introduced Experts in PracticeWorks software, OrthoTrac software point-of-care module and Patient Flow, and the list goes on. Second, we have a great deal of experience in the dental technology arena. We have many of the individuals who pioneered the profession both in the practice management area and digital imaging.

DT: Talk about the products. What makes them special?

Greenspan: Individually our products stand out, but what makes them even more unique is how they seamlessly integrate with each other. In a busy dental office, the last thing the staff needs to worry about is whether their hardware and software will work together. Kodak provides management and imaging software that perfectly integrate with all the hardware. Whether you choose to use digital radiography, computed radiography, digital cameras, intraoral cameras or all of the above, you can be sure our products and your office will run efficiently. That’s our true stamp of uniqueness.

DT: What would you say to a customer who wants to know more about the Kodak product line?

Greenspan: What would I say? We have been here for a long time. I think that speaks for itself. For years and years, we have been helping customers with their photo and imaging needs. What I tell customers is to make sure they understand exactly what their needs are. If they’re not sure, we can help determine what is best for their practice.

DT: Bonnie, explain your job please. What do you do every day?

Pugh: I am a product line manager for our dental division and I’ve been with the company for 18 years. I’m responsible for all the products in the dental line. As a part of my job, I spend a good portion of my day working with and understanding the needs of our customers to continue to deliver innovative and quality products and services to further meet their needs. That’s what I love about the job.

DT: What’s your favorite part about working with customers?

Pugh: It is always a learning experience on both ends. I have been a part of the dental profession for 20 years and I’m still learning. In addition, it is rewarding to deliver products to customers that help them maintain a productive, financially sound and clinically advanced experience to their patients. I feel like I have a small part to play in their ability to deliver excellent dental care. Finally, the friends I have met along the way will stay with me always. In working with our clients, I have come to know some truly remarkable people that make this industry a better place.

DT: You are a Kodak product expert. How do you explain the benefits of Kodak products to customers?

Pugh: Our products are built on years of experience in the dental profession. Our practice management systems offer proactive methods of communications for key practice success indicators. Furthermore, the digital products offer the gold standard of digital radiography. I explain to clients that choosing a partner in technology is a long-term commitment. Our name may have changed, but the people and the commitment have not. We are solely focused on dental technology and will continue to grow as technology changes to provide our offices with the best in class products and services. We are continuously updating and bringing new products to our customers to meet the ever changing needs of a dental office.

DT: Teena, as director of customer care, half of your job involves direct customer contact. How do you find a connection with doctors? What do you talk about?

Davidson: Normally, I receive calls from doctors who need assistance with services or products they have purchased from us. After I have addressed their issues, I review their product portfolio, keeping their future needs in mind. People simply want to be heard and understood. It’s very exciting when you have the chance to spend time talking about the latest technology and what it can do for the customer’s practice.

DT: When it comes to solving customer issues, what is your philosophy?

Davidson: My philosophy in problem solving is to listen to what the customers are saying. I put myself in their places and try to understand their concerns. Once I have a handle on the problem, I involve the necessary team players in order to resolve the issue. You can always turn a situation around to make it a very positive experience for the customer.

DT: Describe a difficult issue that you recently resolved.

Davidson: A customer called with problems with his SoftDent software. He had several issues with the scheduling module and reconciling at the end of every day. By asking the right questions, I discovered that he had lost his office manager and the staff in the office had not been formally trained on the product. I pulled in the support team to help resolve his immediate issues so he could continue to process his day-to-day work. Furthermore, I explained to the doctor that the root cause of his problems was the need for additional training. With our new interactive Web training, he could receive the additional training at a time that was convenient for him and his staff. They could review the training modules as often as necessary. Some of the classes are with a live trainer, which gives the staff the opportunity to ask questions. I worked with the training department to create a package of training that would help get him on the right foot going forward. The doctor was very pleased with the training he and his team received.

DT: Teena, how long have you been with the company? What has motivated you throughout the years?

Davidson: I have been here for 17 years, and in that time I’ve worked in all areas of the software division, from a training representative to a support professional to support manager and now director of customer care. I am motivated by knowing that our products provide a total solution and will take our customers into the future.

DT: Fill in the blank. Kodak stands out from the competition because _________.

Gane: Kodak stands out because of its dedicated people, innovative products and the support and care we show our customers. We are always striving to be the best we can be and are never satisfied with anything but being the market leader in product innovation and customer satisfaction.

DT: What is the one thing you try NOT to do when dealing with customers’ problems?

Gane: Talk before I listen. Every customer is special in the way they practice and every situation is unique. I try to make sure I don’t jump to conclusions based on my personal prior experience of dentistry and my understanding of dental imaging. Listening to the customer is critical.

DT: Explain your vision and understanding of Kodak’s products.

Gane: Most dental professionals know that Kodak’s dental product offerings have a long history of quality and innovation in the dental profession and associated specialties. But what really makes us distinctive is that we have an unparallel range of technology choices, in practice management, dental radiography and photography to compliment each type and style of practice. Our products and the customer response to what we offer are always rated at or near the top. Our products represent great value and come with some of the best implementation, training, support and warranty programs available. My vision is to continue the legacy of Kodak being the visible leader, in dental and cranio facial imaging.

Clearly, with a progressive, long-standing product line and a dedicated team of employees, Kodak is paving the way in innovation and top-notch customer service. However, Kodak is more than just a dental technology leader. Its loyal team members, who come to work smiling and seek to satisfy the customer at all times, make the company a trusted guide for the dental profession.