In This Issue


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18th Annual Texas811 Golf Tournament
We were able to donate $15,000  to The Turning Point! 
  click here to see pics! 
   
He's Back!!! 

 

Our irrepressible Texas811 ambassador   

has returned!

 

Digby is back to

throw dirt and educate kids and adults about the need to call 811 before you dig.  

 
The Portal
Important Links

April 2015 Newsletter
Mike's Message

Spring is truly upon us in Texas - and while Texas is an "all weather state" when it comes to excavation, it really takes off in March and April.   We had our largest volume day in history on March 30th, and you'll read more about that later in this newsletter.

Spring is a time for re-birth and commitment - and we showed our commitment to our communities by hosting our annual charity golf tournament. We were able to raise $15,000 for a North Texas non-profit rape crisis center, The Turning Point.

If you haven't tried them yet, more and more people are turning to the ease and convenience of using our mobile apps.

Finally, we are continuing our Hispanic initiative. We are now members of the Hispanic Contractor's Association in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

Until next time, thanks for your dedication and support for damage prevention in Texas.

 

Mike Losawyer

President, Texas811

  At the Contact Center

Please congratulate Cindy Graham, who is our new Facility Manager as Rick Pollard becomes more and more involved in his duties as "Wagon Hoss."

Cindy began working for TESS in 2008 as a CSR, following 18 years in the underground CATV and telephone industry filing and working with locate requests. In February 2010 she moved into the Administration Dept., first working at the front desk and then shifting into Accounts Receivable as well as becoming Texas811 President Mike Losawyer's assistant. She's excited to be adding the role of Facility Manager while still maintaining her position as Mike's Executive Assistant.

Enrollment for the Texas811 University began in early March. Classes will run from May through November. The program is designed to build skills for success at work and home. All DPAs are encourage to enroll. Classes are open to all employees.

On that note, the first class for the Texas811 University will be Friday, May 1.  Keidre Trammell will teach "Creating a Personal Development Plan."  Since the Contact Center has been so busy, scheduling will only be published the week of classes.

  Human Resources

HR will be hosting an Interview Workshop at North Garland High School on April 30th. We will be sharing helpful information on resume preparation and tips for successful interviews for students.

Texas811 is hosting the Garland Independent School District's Marketing Advisory Team Meeting on May 6th.

We are hiring for Full Time Damage Prevention Agents. Please have resumes emailed to Resume@Texas811.org.  

Credit Union of Texas (CUTX) will be visiting on May 8th & May 29th to offer membership to employees.
Help Us Help You  

Most people have a natural tendency to shy away from conflict and confrontation, and that's completely understandable. Whether it's a negative critique about something, or dealing with someone who just wants to vent, we all try to avoid it. Some things, however, deserve confrontation. It is our job as a damage prevention company to confront our short-comings, and to address the areas that we feel do not live up to our exceptionally high expectations. In an industry as serious as ours, where mistakes can mean life or death, it is imperative that we are constantly improving and finding new ways to not only keep our member's lines safe, but to keep excavators safe as well.

As a member of our Ombudsmen Team, I have the opportunity to address these issues on a daily basis along with the other two members of the department. We are the first point of contact for our members that experience problems, or that want to "critique" our service.

I understand that no company is perfect, but it's when our imperfections are presented to us that we are given a chance to grow and become better. I like to compare that to how a muscle in your body grows after a strenuous work out. You must first break down the muscle fibers, then the reparative process allows it to grow bigger than before so that it can operate under a higher stress level. If no one ever "broke us down" or if we never knew what we needed to improve on, then we would never get the opportunity of becoming greater. One of the things I like best about this company is that everyone here makes a genuine effort to address anything that's important to our members or stakeholders in the damage prevention community. Simply put, if it's important to y'all, it's important to us. We take all concerns seriously from the smallest issue to the biggest problems. We count on those outside of the company to help us refine our process so that we are operating at a level that continues to exceed expectations. It's always a breath of fresh air to hear what we do great here at Texas811, but as Bill Gates once said, "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."

Kyle VanLandingham

Ombudsman



 In the Media
 

The Communications Team continues to get the Texas811 name out into the public. The big event in April was the 18th Annual Texas811 Golf Tournament. This year's tourney benefited The Turning Point, a rape crisis agency. Texas811 President Mike Losawyer was able to present the non-profit with a check for $15,000 following the tournament.   Nearly 200 golfers played this year, among them was local movie and tv actor Burton Gilliam, famous for his role in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" among many other movies and productions.  Mason Mingus and his NASCAR truck were also on hand for picture opportunities! In other news, Texas811 is making giant inroads in spreading the safe digging 811 message to homeowners in Texas.   We are listed with Community Associations Institute on their Austin chapter.

Click here to read.

 

We will also be part of their next magazine issue.  

 

Texas811 is also listed on the RE/MAX intranet for RE/MAX realtors in Texas.   We have provided an informative article, as well as two downloadable documents, one in PDF and the other in Word, that individual RE/MAX realtors can customize with their own name and office information but which also list Texas811 and give guidelines for new homeowners about safe digging.

Texas811 is continuing its partnership with Roto-Rooter?, the national number one name in plumbing and drain services. Roto-Rooter? featured our second guest blog on their national website: Click here to read.

 

We are continuing to provide support for our Spanish Initiative, heading to Dallas' Fair Park on Sunday, May 3rd for "Day of the Construction Worker" with the "swag'n" and also appearing at a Damage Prevention Workshop in Plano in April and then heading for San Antonio in May for another DPW.

Finally, shooting is completed on Texas811's first ever Public Service Announcement thirty second TV spot.   It features Damage Prevention Supervisor JimBob Sims and Wagon Hoss Rick Pollard as two not- so-bright gangsters trying to get rid of - well - a body. Editing is underway and we hope to premier it for you soon!

 

We hope you enjoyed this month's newsletter. Thank you for being a part of Texas811!

Sincerely,

Texas811