Josephine “Josie” Arrington’s recent promotion to Service Center General Manager in MCI’s facility in Blackwood, New Jersey, is making history for the company.
The promotion makes Arrington the first female Service Center GM across NFI’s extensive service center network. Arrington succeeds Tom Cole, who recently accepted a Regional Parts Manager position.
“Through extensive service experience and superb customer-focused skills, Josie has been instrumental in serving MCI customers,” said Patricia Ziska, Vice President of Private Sector Sales for MCI, a subsidiary of NFI. “Leveraging this experience, she will lead the operations of MCI’s Blackwood Service Center and continue to provide our customers with exceptional service in the Northeast region.”
Army veteran
Arrington began her 15-year career with Motor Coach Industries (MCI) in 2007 as a mechanic at the Blackwood facility while completing courses at Pennco Tech, a top trade school in the region. She quickly excelled in service advisory roles before being promoted to Senior Service Provider, a position earned through hard work, high performance and dedication.
In her new position, Arrington will provide leadership to more than 20 technicians, service advisors, and the MCI parts team serving customers in the Northeast region.
“Josie has exceptional qualifications, from people skills to highly specialized hands-on coach knowledge,” said Steve Batho, Director of Service Centers for MCI. “Time and again she has proven her dedication to our customers, always going the extra mile. Our service center managers are a critical level of management in MCI’s business, and Josie has built important relationships in one of our busiest service centers.”
Before joining MCI, Arrington was a certified nursing assistant and served three years in the U.S. Army, where she intended to pursue nursing and train as a medical assistant. When the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test proved her capabilities as a mechanic, Arrington became an electrical systems specialist working on trucks at the Army base in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
“I wasn’t surprised by the test results,” said Arrington. “One of my grandfathers owned an automotive shop and my mother’s father had a roofing business. I spent a good deal of time with him.”
Customers first
Arrington says customer service remains her highest priority.
“Tom made sure I learned every part of the business and prepared me for this position,” she said.. “One of the great things about MCI and New Flyer is our ability to network to get things done. Even when positions change, people stay, and the channels of communication are always there..
“We always try to get everyone in the shop to help our customers, no matter the status of our workload,” Arrington explains. “Turnaround time on a coach isn’t like that on cars. Coaches are our customers’ livelihood, and our repairs have to be accurate and expeditious.”
Working within customers’ budgets and transparency in estimates and quotes are key to repeat business, Arrington says.
“It’s more than maintenance. We have known our customers for years and understand their businesses.”
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