Dedication to Customer Care: Ace Award Winner Jacob Yost

Out of all the associates at P1 Group, only one earns the Ace Award.

This award is for that individual who is: self-motivated and forward thinking; hard-working and focused; always striving to make our organization better; showing ongoing initiative and dedication; and exemplifying our company culture of 100 percent effort/0 excuses.

How does one earn such an award?

For Topeka Service Technician Jacob Yost, his pure dedication to his work, his customers, and his colleagues got the attention of Service Coordinator and coworker Diana Korbe, who nominated him for this year’s award.

“Jacob is extremely reliable when it comes to our customers and our technicians. He does whatever he can to lend a helping hand when needed, assist customers at 6 a.m. or 8 p.m. when they call, and he makes sure to communicate everything he does with the office staff so we know what is happening outside the walls.

Jacob will admit when he is wrong and will do whatever it takes to make it right with either coworkers or customers. He demonstrates our 100/0 culture daily by taking blame for things that have gone wrong whether it was his fault or not. Jacob has a good head on his shoulders and knows his way around HVAC like the back of his hand.

He does not get enough credit for all he does day in and day out. Jacob is a huge asset to P1 and especially to our Topeka office.

One thing I truly admire about Jacob is his caring heart for his fellow brothers. Last year when one of our technicians lost a lifelong friend

Jacob was the first to step up and try to help by donating PTO time and money to help out him and his family during their hard times.”

(excerpted from nomination by Diana Korbe)

Jacob says he wasn’t the college type, so he chose a skilled trade. “I like to be outside, and after VoTech, a friend mentioned Huxtable (not yet P1 at the time) so I interviewed and I’ve been here ever since.”

That was in 2003.

Jacob firmly believes that sticking with a job all the way through plays a role in his success.

“Each phone call I get, each job I get, I take it and see it through to the finish. And that’s a lot of phone calls some days,” Jacob said. “I don’t just answer the phone then forget it – I like to see it all the way through and make sure the customer is happy at the end of the job.”

How do you succeed in a service tech career? Jacob says education and a willingness to use your resources - because you don’t know it all - will take you a long way.

“You have to be a good tech, you have to be smart, but the majority of it is customer relations,” Jacob said. “It’s not always about getting it done the fastest, it’s about building the relationship with a customer who asks for you to come back every time.”

Jacob’s sense of humor, honesty, and personable nature has helped foster some long-term customer relationships. He’s been working with BNSF since his first day at P1 Group, and has worked with other large accounts like Labette Community College and Payless Shoes for many years.

When he’s not busy picking up another service call, Jacob loves doing work in the yard, catching Royals and Chiefs games, and spending time with family. At 1.5 and 3.5 years old, his two young sons keep him on the move!

If he hadn’t gone the route of HVAC service, Jacob says he might have gone into the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI).

“I always wanted to be a detective. I live by those shows when I go home and watch TV!”

We’re glad he chose P1 Group instead. Congratulations on a well-deserved honor!