RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2021
62
T
here has never been a specific theme for the Most
Professional Servicer Contest, other than the obvious
importance of a good first impression. The theme this year
could have been determination and resiliency. It was a bit
challenging running the contest this year, to say the least. The
pandemic has been the ongoing story creating havoc, and
affecting our lives and businesses, including this event. This
contest takes months of preparation and planning and there was
a strong possibility the United Appliance Servicer's Association
ASTI (Annual Service Training Institute) would be cancelled —
unfortunately, it was. The Contest Committee had no idea if or
how to proceed, or what it could look like if the contest went
forward. Cancelling the contest was briefly discussed as it
seemed the easiest option. There were so many unknowns at the
time, such as what would the response be, how could we have a
presentation, what would a virtual voting look like? Thanks to
some incredibly determined people on the contest committee and
our sponsors, the contest moved forward. Craig Reilly, of Plus
One Solutions, has been a sponsor for several years now and
said it best, "In these times, it would be a great thing to help keep
people engaged!" while he pledged his support of time and
resources to make it happen. UASA would like to thank all of the
companies that entered for your participation, the judges for your
time commitment, and all those that voted and participated in the
event. Kudos to everyone in our industry that made this happen.
We learned from this experience, as should we all.
There was a virtual Happy Hour to introduce the Top 3 finalists in
each category, which was very well received. The finalists sent in
videos talking about their companies, which was the first time we
had done this. These events were such a success, and we will do
this annually. You can view these at www.unitedservicers.com/
most-professional-servicer-award/. Christina Kraker from Servicers
Web was especially helpful putting together the videos and assisting
in navigating the technology.
A virtual awards presentation was held on March 18, 2021 by
UASA. While it did not have the same hoopla and presence as a
live celebration with close to a thousand people, nonetheless it
was a very good event. Stan Kavensky of Airsled donated a top
product this year to help us with the turn out. David Lange from
S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T
THE 2021 MOST PROFESSIONAL SERVICERS
CONTEST WINNERS