The “Little Bit of Everything” Man

PEI's Keith Wilson is committed to customer service.

Keith Wilson makes sure that members across the globe receive The PEI Journal and other benefits of membership.

When Keith Wilson sat down for a job interview with Director of Administration Connie Dooley at PEI headquarters, she told him he would be doing a “little bit of everything” for PEI. She wasn't kidding. As the staff assistant at PEI, Keith handles all of the association's shipping and receiving. He also fields phone calls, manages the publication library, takes and fills publication orders and oversees the video lending library, PEI's collection of safety training videos. “My days are never the same,” says Keith. “They're always full because it's not just one specific thing I do.”

Keith worked a variety of jobs before coming to PEI. After working to save enough money for his first car, a 1973 Grand Prix 455, he decided to leave Tulsa and moved to the Dallas Metroplex in 1984. “I lived in Tulsa all my life,” he says, “and went through that phase where I just wanted to get out of here.” He spent ten years in Dallas, working for rental car agencies in the leasing department and as a manager. In 1993 he moved back to Tulsa. “I found that I could do the same thing in Tulsa that I could do elsewhere, but Tulsa is where I'm supposed to be,” he says. Once back in Tulsa, Keith went to work for State Farm Insurance, where he held a number of positions over the course of ten years. Keith eventually got “burnt out,” mainly because of the limits his employer placed on customer service.

Customer service is the aspect of Keith's job that is most important to him. He learned how meaningful it was during his tenure at State Farm. One of his positions there was working at the claims office, which was set up like a call center. Calls were forwarded to Keith through a board, and it was his job to field them as quickly as possible. “Customer service shouldn't have a time limit on it,” he says. “If I need to be with a customer for 30-40 minutes, then that's how long it's going to take.” Keith prefers dealing with people who are respectful on the phone, and that way, he is better able to help them. This perspective on customer service is one of the things that makes Keith such a good fit for PEI.

Keith came on board at PEI in 2006. “I didn't know anything about PEI before I worked here, but I've learned a lot about what's going on and I got a chance to do customer service again,” he says. It is this opportunity to work with association members that Keith really loves about PEI. “It's like a fraternity, a petroleum fraternity, and everybody's just family,” he says. The best part about working with PEI members, according to Keith, is knowing that “most of the guys get their hands dirty.” He enjoys working with people who have been down working in the trenches and are always more than willing to tell you all about it.

While working at State Farm, Keith volunteered for the Oklahoma Special Olympics, a task he wholeheartedly enjoyed. These days, Keith plays softball on his church team and tries to get out fishing when he can find the time. Primarily, however, Keith is a family man. His family has been the focus of his life since he got married three years ago. He met his wife, Leanne, playing bingo. She has a son, Justin, and a daughter, Brittany. Keith spends most of his free time now being a friend and role model for Justin, a responsibility he truly enjoys. He and Justin spend a lot of time playing catch, shooting hoops or just hanging out and watching movies. Keith has even tried his luck at skateboarding, although most of his time is spent falling off the skateboard rather than riding on it.

Keith sums up his dealings with PEI members best with his “that's my dad” anecdote. “If I call Bruce Larson 'Mr. Larson,' he'll say, 'Mr. Larson was my dad. I'm Bruce.'” It is this familiar feel that puts Keith so at home at PEI. He loves his job there and loves working with the members of PEI. No matter what, he always does his best to stay upbeat and positive on the job. “If I can help anyone, I will. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just trying to make people's lives easier.”

   Current Issue   |   Past Issues   |   Contact Us   |   Send Files    |   Advertising   |   www.pei.org

The PEI Journal • Fourth Quarter 2008 • Volume 2, No. 4 • Contents are Copyright © Data Key Communications, Inc.
All rights reserved. • Nothing may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission of the publisher.