Renae Martin has worked with Guardian since 2019 and leads her team with empathy and grace. Always being a team player and learning new skills to help out where needed this month's spotlight is on Renae and her contributions to Guardian and Onpoint!
When did you start at OnPoint?
I started with Guardian Oct 2019.
How would you summarize what you do?
As a Team Lead, my primary responsibilities are mentoring inbound and production agents by answering questions in real time and doing observations to help improve key metrics. I also talk to escalated customers, complete QAs, and monitor the queues as needed.
Can you tell us a few details about your favorite part of the job?
Throughout my time at Guardian, I've had the opportunity to learn multiple roles. I've assisted with new hire training, created the foundation for multiple resource guides, as well as handled BBB, DRT, and retailer inquiries. My favorite part has been having the opportunity to learn the various roles and 
be a support person to those who need me, whether it’s answering a question about coverage, taking over and resolving a claim for an escalated customer because the original agent is out, processing a refund, or helping to create additional reference materials for my agents to help boost their confidence and allow them to handle difficult callers themselves.
Please share any recent accomplishments or a particularly fulfilling aspect of your work.
One of my inbound agents has consistently struggled with including empathy statements on their calls and shared they struggle with empathy in their personal life, also. We’ve tried multiple coaching methods with little success, until recently. After allowing them to listen to their call and self-reflect, we reconvened, created a solid plan, lead by them, and now they’re consistently giving a specific and relevant empathy statement nearly every call.
What aspects of our company culture or opportunities for growth inspire and motivate you to continue your journey with OnPoint?
I'm excited to be a part of the OnPoint family because the growth opportunities here are amazing and endless. Knowing we have teams constantly putting themselves out there to learn about the newest technology and secure new partners with offering different products is exciting.
What do you like most about OnPoint's company culture? Share an example or your experience with us:
I love how everyone here is so supportive and inclusive. I was nervous during the merger because of all the uncertainty but quickly felt like part of the family. Upper management really does want everyone to be successful in their work life as well as their personal life.
Tell us the most significant project you’ve handled and how it has impacted our company?
I feel like my most significant project was training a group of agents straight off the street to send work orders. Typically, agents on the Guardian side receive training on how to file claims, learn the coverages of the plans to adjudicate them, then learn how to resolve them. By bringing in a few agents trained solely on sending work orders, we were able to fast track the training without sacrificing quality and drastically reduce the inventory. This training also lead to the creation of resource guides for the resolution department.
Who inspires you the most within our organization & share some examples of their leadership qualities or specific actions that are inspiring?
I'm most inspired by Megan Wood. She’s one of the most dedicated, determined, and professional people I’ve met. A few months ago, I was feeling overwhelmed trying to keep up with my responsibilities as a Team Lead while simultaneously providing support to another department. I knew all responsibilities were important but felt unable to complete them satisfactorily during an 8hr shift and didn’t want my agents to suffer with me being available for days at a time. Megan scheduled time to meet with me within days, despite having a full schedule, listened and validated my concerns, and immediately began discussing/finalizing changes to allow me to excel in my current role mentoring agents while securing additional support for the other department.
Where are you from?
Hickory, NC
Where did you go to high school/college?
St. Stephens High School, Catawba Valley Community College, Everest University
Tell us what you do for fun - include hobbies, interests, or extracurricular activities.
Over the last year, I've become very interested in home improvements thanks to the influx of DIY content on social media. Soon, I’ll be spending weekends at high school football games and competitions supporting my daughter in the marching band.
What is your favorite show on Netflix (or other streaming service)?
The last show I actually watched was The Blacklist. Usually, my TV is on the ID channel with some crime show playing for background noise.
Rapid Fire round:
• Coffee or tea? Neither
• Pancakes or waffles? Pancakes
• Reading a book or watching a movie? Watching a movie
• Fiction or non-fiction? Fiction
• Road trip or flying? Road trip
• Sunrise or sunset? Sunset
• Movie theater or streaming at home? Home
