Driving Efficiency: Women at GreatWest Kenworth 

By Alexis Kozan, Marketing Strategist, GreatWest Kenworth

GreatWest Kenworth (GWKW) has been around for over 50 years, and in that time – we’ve seen a lot! One of the areas our team is excited to see continue to grow is the number of strong women in the industry. From our team members to customers, the women keep our journey headed forward. 

One of the amazing highlights of our organization is that our service advising team is over 70% women on those front lines. As a team, about 18.6% across all departments are women. This is about 4.6% more than industry average and something we are extremely proud of. We also have some amazing and strong women in our network, and we would like to feature one here! 

Meet Krista, our parts tech in Red Deer, who is a Jill of all trades when it comes to the hand she lends in the office. Below, we dived into a day in the life of Krista, and received some insight related to her outlook for the industry. 

What got you into a life in parts? 

I needed a job. My friend was a mechanic at an automotive place, and he said, “we need someone to do parts and service. Come on in.” I said OK. It was just outside of Lacombe, and I was there for two and a half years before I came to GreatWest Kenworth, and I’ve been here almost ever since!

Now, what has kept you engaged and motivated to stay? 

I really like people; anything to do with people. I used to waitress for years and I absolutely loved it. If you could make better money, I would probably have stayed in the hospitality industry. But I liked parts, so I started getting my ticket at Red Deer College and I just went for it. As for the motivation part… Coffee. Haha, always coffee. In addition to being able to vent to a co-worker or see my customers. It keeps your head in the game.

Her typical day: Come in, get into the computer. Usually, phones are already ringing or there are call-backs. So, we are very go, go, go here. I have a lot of my own customers, so they really keep me busy and yeah, it’s just a very busy day, unless you have spring break up or the odd, weird slump day. We’re just on the move. It’s nice to be busy!

What’s something you love most about working with GreatWest Kenworth? 

I mean, I left for three months and seeing how things are done elsewhere makes you realize the grass isn’t always better on the other side. Our management is great, my coworkers… I mean, I’ve known them now for five years, but still, we just mesh better than I have experienced anywhere else. The customer base – I absolutely love them. For example, I missed my customers every single day I was gone. My customers are a really big thing; they’re the main reason why I just couldn’t even think about leaving… Again. (Lol) 

What is the biggest piece of advice you could offer to someone trying to get into the industry? 

Well, there are two pieces. First – Make sure you like working with people. If you don’t like a customer facing role, don’t even bother if you’re going to be just a jerk like it’s not worth it. Oh… and be somewhat proficient on a computer, that is huge. However, people are the biggest thing. If you don’t like people, this is not the industry for you. Secondly, if you’re in Alberta or want to move to Alberta – apply with us! It has been a great place for me to learn, grow, and stay! 

Lastly: What is something you’re proud of at the office every day? 

Being able to maintain my customer base, especially being a younger woman in the industry, I know there’s always that double standard. I’ve created a reputation for myself with the community in central Alberta at least, like the word has spread about how I know what I’m doing. I mean, I’m not perfect. I don’t know everything, and I’m happy to still be learning every day, but my customers know that I know my stuff, and if I don’t, I’ll figure it out at least, and that’s huge for me… and my sales. As weird as it is, people don’t like to talk about it, I’m proud of myself and how I do and my performance.

I’m very proud of the work I do here.

We’re also very proud of Krista and the work she puts in for our teams every single day. We’re always on the hunt for more people like her to join our amazing staff. These folks come in and get work done and we are so appreciative of all the strong, hard-working women in our network. 

If you’d like to have a chat with any of our hiring managers, please reach out! We have seven locations in Alberta (Balzac, Calgary, Clairmont/Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Fox Creek – TRP Parts Store, Red Deer, and Redcliff/ Medicine Hat) and are always looking to bring in a positive addition to the GWKW family. 

You can find more information on our benefits, and relocation package here! 

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