Stephanie Shaw’s daily grind used to include a lengthy 70-minute commute for a job that barely covered her family’s needs. However, her career trajectory took a positive turn when she joined DTE. Now, Stephanie enjoys a commute of less than five minutes and a fulfilling career with excellent compensation and benefits as part of the Dte Customer Service team in Cass City. This significant change has brought peace of mind and financial stability to her family, a stark contrast to her previous worries.
To fully appreciate Stephanie’s story, we need to rewind to September 2019. DTE Energy announced ambitious plans to establish the Cass City Contact Center. This strategic initiative aimed to bolster DTE customer service capabilities and cultivate stronger relationships with customers through a dedicated customer care team. The selection of Cass City as the location was a collaborative effort, sparked by a suggestion from Jamykal Badger, Chairman of Local 223 Union, who recognized the potential of the area.
DTE partnered closely with the Cass City community, local officials, and the Michigan Works! team to tap into local talent. Spearheaded by DTE’s customer strategy and recruiting teams, including W. Noble Billingsley and Mia Johnson, a dynamic social media recruitment campaign was launched. This campaign successfully attracted over 400 applicants, demonstrating the strong interest in DTE customer service roles within the community.
From this pool of talented individuals, 34 candidates received job offers following an energetic “interview blitz” held near Cass City in February. This new DTE customer service team officially joined the company in mid-March, just as the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Michigan. Demonstrating remarkable adaptability, DTE leveraged innovative technology to onboard and train the new team virtually. This allowed the new hires to successfully complete their comprehensive 12-week DTE customer service training program.
LaKeshia Sledge expertly led the team’s training efforts. According to LaKeshia, the pandemic unexpectedly accelerated DTE’s long-term objective of transitioning training programs to virtual platforms. The overwhelmingly positive results, evidenced by assessments and surveys, have proven the effectiveness of remote training in developing highly skilled DTE customer service teams. This virtual training model has become a valuable asset, especially considering the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic.
The Cass City team officially took over their responsibilities within DTE customer service on July 6th. For Stephanie Ellicott, her new leadership role as an analyst is more than just a job. It signifies a chance to contribute to her community. Stephanie shared, “I’m proud to be part of launching the Cass City Contact Center, which has brought incredible opportunities to my hometown. We have a strong work ethic here, and now we can use it to serve our neighbors through our roles at DTE.”
DTE extends congratulations to the Cass City team for their outstanding adaptability and resilience in joining the company and completing their training during such unprecedented times. DTE is continuing to expand this team, starting July 1st. If you are interested in a DTE customer service career, learn more and apply.
