Whether behind a desk or in the kitchen, Curtis Popp enjoys creating the perfect recipe – at work, his goal is satisfied customers; at home, it’s a delicious meal for his family. As we celebrate Customer Service Week, October 7-11, read on to learn more about his passion for customer service.
1. How long have you been in your current position and what other jobs have you held at Citizens?I have been in the role of Vice President of Customer Operations for about five years. I’ve worked at Citizens since graduating college, holding various positions in Engineering, Gas Control, Treasury, Shared Field Services, and Customer Operations.
2. What are your primary responsibilities?
My job is to be a champion and advocate for our customers. I oversee everything we do at Citizens that is customer-facing, and I try to create collaboration between employees who work in field operations and customer operations. I review customer satisfaction survey data, check in with department managers, and overall, just try to make myself visible to hear directly from employees.
3. What do you like best about your job?
I really care about our customers. I like hearing about positive customer experiences and seeing employees take customer service seriously and go the extra mile to make it personal. Knowing that we are helping our customers is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I really want to encourage employees to nominate their coworkers for Customer Champion Awards when they hear about a story of going above and beyond to serve our customers.
4. What do you wish people knew about Citizens?
I want the public to know how seriously we take customer satisfaction. Complaints do not fall on deaf ears; we have a process for reviewing and following up on anything negative. We really try to be sympathetic. I want our employees to remember that we exist only for the benefit of our customers. We do not exist to make money for shareholders.
5. What are some of your hobbies and interests?
Cooking is my creative outlet and helps me relax and unwind after work each evening. I enjoy cooking all kinds of cuisines – especially Italian and Cajun – smoking meats, and wine pairing. I also enjoy snow skiing, and typically take two or three trips out west to the Rockies each year.
6. Tell us about your family.
I have been married to my wife, Monica, for 13 years, and we have two girls: Olivia, who is 10, and Molly, who is 8.
