Biggest Takeaway

I definitely learned a lot from this internship this past summer. My biggest takeaway by far was working on our intern group project. My group researched the cultural dimensions of the different countries that Dwellworks operates in. Working on the project for a total of ten weeks was an eye opener for everyone that participated. We all came from different cultures, environments, and schools which lead to somewhat of different opinions throughout the research process. Ultimately, we learned to adapt to one another and found out some interesting facts about each other that we wouldn’t have came across otherwise. The fact that milk comes in bags in Canada still is odd to me… J This project shows that we need to adapt to every day situations in the business world and that the world is becoming more global. Working with our international offices and learning about different cultures is something I will certainly takeaway with me for the future.

-Amber

Mobile Walkthrough App

Over the course of the internship, I have helped my department with a lot of different projects. I think the most beneficial to the property managemtn department and most interesting project for me was working on the Mobile Walkthrough App. The app was created by an employee in the IT department and it is the first app released by Dwellworks. The app is to help field agents with their walkthrough reports and photos. Once they are sent in, they are put into a PDF file and sent to the PM and eventually the homeowner.

Before the app, field agents had to do the report by hand and scan or fax it into to us. Along with the report, there needed to be at least 25 photos taken and signatures. It sounds pretty simple, but combing them together is very time consuming. Some field agents wouldn’t sign the report, or date stamp the photos so we had to track them down to obtain this info before processing it. This app is going to eliminate all of the unnecessary work and make it easier for everyone.

I am happy to announce that the app has been completed and is in the testing phase right now with the field agents. I can’t wait to see the future of this app!

-Amber

Favorite Lunch Time Spot

Working in Downtown Cleveland has led me to try numerous restaurants and new food options everyday at lunch. There is a great sushi place a few doors down where you can get two rolls of fresh sushi and a bowl of miso for less than $10. Being an avid pickle lover, I of course tried the sub shop, Cleveland Pickle, as well. The subs were huge and all had names related to the wonderful city of Cleveland. Every Thursday there is a Farmer’s Market right outside our office where you can purchase anything from homemade cheese to bread and fruit and even ice cream! Mitchell’s Ice Cream has a delicious s’mores flavor. But my favorite spot to go to by far is Walnut Wednesdays. There are about 15-20 trucks every week serving anything you can image: tacos, gyros, waffles, pizza. The food trucks are local restaurants serving their most popular dishes on wheels. Make sure to get there early though if you want to avoid standing in line for a long time! J   

-Amber

A Step Ahead

An internship is designed to help college students gain professional experience while also positively contributing to the company’s wellbeing.  I believe the intern program at Dwellworks encompasses the previous statement and exceeds many boundaries set by other internships.

Obtaining an internship while actively pursing a college degree allows interns to set themselves apart from their peers. The development and professional training I have experienced at Dwellworks will allow me to hit the ground running after graduation. Many companies hire interns during the summer months to conduct basic clerical work and preform busy tasks; this is not the case at 1317 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout my past six weeks at Dwellworks, I have never had a dull moment at my desk, from helping develop the new field agent walk through app to processing new authorizations and inspections. I feel that I have positively contributed to the wellbeing of Dwellworks through the work I have conducted.

Steve Freiberg

From Bellhop to Team Lead

For the past five weeks I have worked under Wilson Rodriguez and was unsure of how he made his way onto the Dwellworks team.  I recently conducted an informal interview with Wilson and uncovered many oddities throughout his professional career. Wilson, a team lead at Dwellworks, has not followed the prototypical professional employment path that many of his counterparts have. Wilson has bounced around throughout his career and has work extremely hard to achieve the position he holds.

Wilson’s employment history began as a bellhop in Rhode Island after attending “Some College”. He operated as a full service bellhop, checking in new clients, delivering their bags to their rooms, and even meeting customers at the airport in the hotel courtesy van. At this establishment Wilson learned many valuable customer service skills which he routinely uses here at Dwellworks. 

After leaving the hotel business in hopes of obtaining a more rewarding career, Wilson spent a short time in retail working as a store manager for Blockbuster. After the first week he knew that a career in the field was not a viable option. Wilson exited the retail industry short after and actively searched for a fulfilling profession.

In 2000 Wilson landed a job in downtown New York with DJ Knight residential services as a quality assurance coordinator. In this role Wilson facilitated many large scale expo shows and the temporary housing associated with the shows. He enjoyed his time with DJ Knight, but when SIRVA Relocation bought the company he was unsure of his future and decided to leave on good terms. After dabbling in day trading for two years Wilson came across an opportunity at Dwellworks. A career at Dwellworks offered Wilson a fresh start to his professional career along with a relocation from Denver to Cleveland. Wilson began his new chapter in life at Dwellworks is 2011 and has not looked back since.

Steve Freiberg

M.A.G.I.C.

Last week we got to experience MAGIC training. It was an all day event teaching us the importance of customer service and how to apply it to our customers. One of the first things I learned that day is that everyone has customers that this training can apply to. Customers don’t necessarily   have to be external either. Something we learned that day was also the difference between empathy and sympathy. We want to make sure we show empathy or to show an understanding of the situation not sympathy when we haven’t gone through the situation. The difference between these two feelings can make or break a relationship. The biggest thing I took away was not to use filler words just as unfortunately or ASAP. I found myself saying these words a lot but Matt and Jess made a point when they said the sentence will still have the same contents without them. MAGIC training has made me aware and I will try not to use those words when talking to customers.

Dwellworks along with hundreds of other companies use the MAGIC program. I believe Dwellworks uses the program not because they don’t trust our ability to communicate (most people have had past customer service experience), but because they want everyone to be at the same level of customer experience. Dwellworks wants the customer to get the same service no matter who they talk to. Going through the program was also good because it went through the basic dos and don’ts of everyday communication. Sometimes this everyday communication is looked over and forgotten about but is a fundamental in the relationship between the provider and customer.

-Amber

Client Interaction Must be MAGIC

Customer service representatives are some of the most important members of a business. They act as the front lines against problems which may arise and troubleshoot to find a solution. Customer service reps act as problem solvers to prevent congestion and to improve efficiency. At Dwellworks, it is essential for employees to possess above par customer service skills when interacting with clients, RMCs and Transferees.

                The MAGIC program opened my eyes to many behaviors and actions which will allow me to make a great impression on the customer.  My biggest take away from the customer service training was a stress on oral communication skills. I was surprised to find that the tone of your voice plays such a key role while engaging in face-to-face interaction. The tone of your voice delivers approx. 35% of the message you are attempting to convey. In order to make a good impression on your client, you must speak in a confident, friendly voice, to invite conversation.

                I believe the MAGIC customer service training is a valuable tool that I will use on a day to day basis. Interaction with others in the business world is ongoing and in order to produce results, communication must be informative and fluent.

Steve Freiberg

College Life vs. Work Life

Since my first day at Dwellworks, I have noticed more and more things that make college and work life so different. 

1.       Waking up early is not easy. I make sure to get plenty of sleep the night before work. Unlike college where I can wake up 10 minutes before class, put on sweats, and walk across campus, I actually have to wake up early enough to give myself enough time to make my self look presentable and make the half hour commute downtown. Not being a morning person, this is extremely difficult some days.

2.       You won’t always have set deadlines. I am use to getting due dates of when projects and assignments are due while at school. Knowing these dates ahead gives me the opportunity to plan my day and schedule accordingly. At work, I might have an unexpected meeting or project to work on. Or I might have the opposite where I have free time and need to find something to do until the day is over. Managing my time is different without specific dates.

3.       Having a set meal time through the day takes time to adjust too. Waking up, I have breakfast to start my day. Around noon I have lunch and after work around 6 I have dinner. The problem with this is I cannot find the perfect amount to satisfy my hunger throughout the day. I tend to have a light breakfast which in return leads me to have a large lunch and then a light dinner again. At school, I am free to eat anytime I want and can go anywhere anytime I want. I am still getting use to this change.

I could go on and one about the difference between the two, but I am glad to be intern at this point in my life because it will give me experience before I start in the real world next year.

-Amber

Location, Location, Location

The location of a company can either make or break the business. Here at Dwellworks’ headquarters located in the beautiful Cleveland, Ohio, we do not have that problem. We are located right in the middle of Downtown Cleveland in Playhouse Square. Playhouse Square is the second largest theater district behind New York City. Around the area you can find numerous restaurants, businesses, and more recently the world’s largest permanent, outdoor chandelier. Also not too far away are parks, apartments, various sporting arenas, and more dining options. I could try a new place every day this summer and never repeat the same restaurant twice.

One thing I was worried about this summer was driving Downtown everyday in traffic. To my surprise coming from the suburbs to the city everyday isn’t that bad. You get use to the traffic, I am getting more familiar with traveling within Cleveland, and improving my driving skills all at the same time. I truly love working in this city; I am experiencing Cleveland like I never had before!

Amber

                                                         

First impressions

When I first arrived at Dwellworks I was taken back by how friendly and open the employees were. Before my arrival, I knew Dwellworks was voted a top workplace in Cleveland but was unsure what set this company apart. Walking through the door you are greeted with the five core values of integrity, teamwork, performance, innovation, and fun; I was unsure how this young company could uphold such abstract corporate values. Throughout the past two weeks working as an intern, I have truly experienced a corporate culture that allows for fun and new ideas while still providing top notch relocation support services. From the snacks hosted by the fun and wellness committee, to the professional conference calls delivered by our property management team; Dwellworks truly incorporates an open and fun work environment conducive to producing results.

Steven Freiberg
PM Intern

My Desk and Workplace

Upon arriving at Dwellworks, I was surprised to see the open work environment and the accessibility of all members of the team. The open door policy at Dwellworks is conducive to producing quality results and promoting efficiency in the relocation industry. Allowing the interns to work alongside team leads increases equality in the workplace and allows the interns to positively contribute to the daily operations at Dwellworks.

  My desk is located in the back of the office near the kitchen. I sit across from my leader, Wilson Rodriguez, who answers any questions I may have and guides me through day to day operations. Wilson is an extremely knowledgeable and accessible property manager who is an excellent leader and mentor.

Currently, my desk is a mess! I have papers and notes scattered throughout and I am going through the process of organizing and filing all loose documents. As my time at Dwellworks increases, I am sure I will develop new organizational patterns to better suite my work environment.

Steven Freiberg
John Carroll University 2016

My Desk!

On the first day of my internship I did not know what exactly to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that we as interns received our own desks.  I was even more surprised that we had our own computer, phone, and office supplies too (the sunglasses and silly putty were a nice touch as wellJ). My desk is organized right now, but that might change once we are given more projects and responsibilities in the future. My desk is located near the back of the office on the first floor along with the rest of the Property Managers and the kitchen.  I like that we are given our own space to work and it was very generous of Dwellworks to give us office supplies too.

Amber Kappele

First Impression at Dwellworks

First impressions are always lasting impressions in my opinion. They can either make or break your attitude about the person, thing, or experience. From the beginning of the interviewing process, Dwellworks has made a great first impression on me. I researched the company and read past blogs that said nothing but good things about the company and people. In both my phone and in person interview I felt welcome and comfortable. It was easy to talk to Rob and Tim. I could tell immediately that the atmosphere of the company is one where I would like to work at.

On my first day everyone was very eager that the interns were there. They truly wanted to learn more about us. I am continuously meeting more new people as the days go by. Everyone I have met is incredibly nice as well. On the first day we had an activity to meet everyone by asking a few questions. One of the questions was what is the best part about working at Dwellworks?  Practically everyone I asked said the people and I couldn’t agree more. I am very excited to be working here and in Cleveland this summer!

Amber Kappele

Intern, Property Management

Adjusting to Corporate America

Biggest Adjustment from College-life to Work-life.

After my few short days here at Dwellworks I am beginning to notice some profound differences between the professional work setting and “college-life”. The biggest difference I have noticed is the timeframe and schedule the workplace operates on. A typical college course load requires a student to spend approximately 15-18 hours a week behind a desk, while an average employee will devote over 40 hours a week to the business setting. This large change is workload can be difficult adjusting to for many college students. Keeping your mind occupied and engaged is the key to enjoying your internship and gaining the most out of the experience.

Steven Freiberg

Property Management Intern

Cleveland, Ohio

Amber Kappele

Name: Amber Kappele
Department: Property Management Intern
School: The University of Mount Union
Majors: International Business and Management

Steven Freiberg, 2014 Intern

Steven Freiberg
Property Management Intern
John Carroll University
Major: Management