The end of the year is always a time for reminiscing, but this December has us feeling more nostalgic than usual.
With the move to a mostly remote workforce, VSA has been busy downsizing our physical office in South Jersey. In the process of dismantling workstations and cleaning out desk drawers and file cabinets, we couldn’t help but stop to savor memories from throughout our 22-year history.
Each of these moments and milestones—and so many others—have played a role in our remarkable journey from two employees working out of CEO/founder Valerie Schlitt’s family room to becoming one of the most sophisticated call center and lead generation firms in the country.
As we continue to look ahead to finding new ways to help our outbound and inbound clients grow their business in 2024 and beyond, we thought it would also be fun to look back at pieces of our history, inspired by our recent housecleaning:
1. An old work schedule
These days, VSA employs close to 100 Business Development Representatives and Customer Service Representatives, about half of whom are full-time. We’re able to accommodate any calling hours that our clients need, including 24/7 coverage for certain inbound clients.
But our workforce hasn’t always been this large. Valerie was leafing through old documents recently and stumbled upon a work schedule from a time when we employed about 12 “callers” (as we referred to them at the time).
Senior Program Manager Lisa Doyle, who recently celebrated her 10th anniversary with the company, remembers those days well.
“When I started here as a BDR, it felt like 99% of the employees were moms with little kids who were just looking for part-time work while the kids were in school,” Lisa says. “We were so small when I joined, and seeing where we are now is just incredible.”
2. Our original core values
VSA has always placed a strong emphasis on our core values. More than just familiar platitudes, our core values are, in Valerie’s words: “what guide our company. They make us unique and a great place to work and are extremely important to our culture and growth.”
While cleaning out the office, we discovered a copy of a very early version of these core values. The wording was slightly different, and there were five instead of four, but the overall principles have remained the same.
VSA’s core values are:
- We rise above every challenge, and forge new roads
- We strive to be exceptional—with our clients, our prospects, and each other
- We build up a workplace that is motivating, supportive, and fun
- We own what we do
3. Our initial contracts with multi-year clients
VSA prides itself on client retention, and we always do whatever we can to build and sustain long-term, ROI-positive partnerships. For a variety of reasons, some programs just don’t yield the results we hope for, but many others meet or exceed expectations.
And then there are the partnerships that last for years, often spanning multiple campaigns, divisions, and offerings. This includes a large corporation that has been with VSA for about a third of our existence, partnering with us on dozens of lead generation and appointment-setting programs. This partnership, our first with a company this large, played a major role in starting VSA on an upward trajectory that has continued ever since.
Equally significant has been our longstanding partnership with Philadelphia’s largest transportation company—our first major inbound client.
At the time we signed these initial contracts, we had no idea how long these relationships would last. Looking back at them now provides a gratifying reminder of just how many different VSA employees have been involved in their success and longevity. As Valerie says: “There’s no way anybody does these kinds of things on their own. It takes a group of dedicated, amazing people offering great ideas and commitment and passion.”
4. Technology turning points
It’s impossible in a single article to run through all the technological advancements VSA has made over our 22 years, but let’s just say we’ve come a very long way from the six phone lines in Valerie’s family room during our earliest days.
Some moments do stand out, however, including:
- The time we customized our first CRM. Working with South-Jersey based firm Tayrex, we developed a platform that has been the backbone for hundreds of client programs.
- Our initial engagement with a sophisticated AI-enabled dialing platform, which has allowed us to dramatically improve our productivity.
- Our introduction to a powerful omni-channel Contact Center Solution, which has broadened our ability to provide inbound customer service and helpdesk support.
5. Various personal belongings
In the process of straightening up the office, we found a number of long-since-left-behind personal times: old calendars, artificial plants, decorations, and desks drawers filled with pens, staplers, and other supplies.
It was tangible evidence of the vibrant office atmosphere of the pre-pandemic years, when VSA employees worked nearly 100% on-site, and BDRs sat side by side in the same room making phone calls.
But while there’s certainly much to miss about those days, the reality is that VSA is now, more than ever, a national organization, with clients and employees spread throughout the country (and even the world). With no geographic limitations on personnel decisions, we have been able to hire and retain high-quality employees who otherwise never could have worked for us, and VSA—and our clients—are better for it.
*****
VSA has always been a forward-thinking organization, but there’s nothing wrong with an occasional look back at the past. All of the moments and milestones from the last 22 years have led us to where we are today, and we’re excited to see where the future takes us and the new opportunities we can provide for our clients.
If you’d like to learn how we can help you grow your business, give us a call. Let’s see what new memories we can create together.