Field Service Representative reflects on two million miles of service

Hi, I’m James, a Field Service Representative with Express Medical Transporters. On the surface, my job is to get people from point A to point B—I transport people to school and doctor’s appointments or take them to check off their grocery lists. But, in reality, my job’s much more than getting people where they need to be on time. I take pride in making sure each of my passengers gets in and out of the vehicle safely. I listen to their stories. And, sometimes, I even crack a joke.

As of next month, I’ll have done this job for 2 million miles, or 19 years. That’s crazy to me because the time just flies by when I’m behind the wheel, talking to my passengers. I take it mile by mile—each morning, my goal is to provide excellent service to each person I help into my vehicle. I guess that’s what my job boils down to—providing excellent service.

Over the years, I’ve learned that excellent service means different things to different people. You always have to be prepared to serve the needs of whoever you’re helping on that day. That’s where my training comes in. Beyond defensive driving and map skills, my CPR certification and ADA training ensure I’m able to save a life, should a passenger of mine ever need saving. Day to day, though, excellent service means having a good attitude and being quick to a smile. As I’ve always said, if you’re having a bad day, leave it at home. You have to keep a good attitude to provide excellent service. At the end of the day, the compliments and smiles you get from your passengers are what keeps you going.

Dependability and reliability are equally important. It’s important to remember that, without my help, many of my passengers wouldn’t be able to make their doctor’s appointments or math class. This isn’t a job where you can just float around and do what you want to do—you have to show up on time for your pick-ups. Back in the day, we used to have a will-call set-up. Now, we have a pre-set schedule using GPS technology, but it’s still crucial that every FSR is reliable and gets clients to their appointments on time. You also have to stay on top of your vehicle maintenance. Even while sitting down to write this, I talked to another team member about getting an oil change to keep my vehicle at its peak. I don’t know how else to put it—you need to be reliable and you need to be dependable to be successful as an FSR.

I’m a driver and I always have been. Before working for Express Medical Transporters, I delivered packages. Now I deliver people to and from doctor’s appointments, school, the grocery store and anywhere else they might need to go. I joke that the main difference between flowers and people is that flowers can’t talk back. But, it’s also true that delivering flowers weren’t as rewarding—the compliments I get from my passengers keeps me going. I have a passion for helping people, and I’m excited to see what challenges and opportunities my next million miles bring.

To learn more about what I do, and the services I provide to each and every client, check out our client testimonials.