Davey Tree Flipbooks

September/October 2017 | The Davey Bulletin 35 • You've got to keep learning. "In the late 1950s when I worked for Canada's provincial government, we were still using phonograph cylinders, which were one of the earliest ways to record sound back in the early 1900s. When I was working at Davey, we were using computers, and shorthand went out of style by then. You have to transition from old to new and always be open to learning through experience. You have to keep learning to move forward and grow." • Make clients feel special. "You've got to get along with people – especially on the phone. You can't see who you're talking to, only hear them. You have to remember every time you answer the phone that there's a human being on the other end! I always asked names and did my best to recognize voices when I could. A good deal of the time, we would chit chat, and that makes such a difference to clients." RETIREE CORNER BARBARA WALTERS' TIPS FOR SUCCESS AT WORK INTERVIEWING BARBARA WALTERS From 1995 to 2004, if you called Davey's West Toronto office, you likely spoke to Barbara Walters. She was the one who would remember your voice (or even what you were calling about) and help any way she could. Technically, Walters was a secretary, but everyone who knew her called her a jack-of- all-trades. Now, Walters looks back at her years at Davey and shares her insights to help you and your career. • Embrace the job's variety. "I answered the phones, talked to customers, typed and handled the paperwork. The fellas I worked with used to say, 'I don't know how you do so much!' There's no trick! You just get on with it. You keep busy and get through it eventually. It helps if you like the work, and I did really like working at Davey. Really, I liked it all! I liked the people I worked with. I liked talking to the clients. And I learned a lot about trees." When Barbara Walters first retired, she couldn't believe how "lovely it was to go where you wanted to go when you wanted to go!" Then, she'd get up at 7 a.m. and spend hours in the garden, growing "miles of squash." Now, Walters primarily enjoys nurturing her houseplants and watching Canada's sports teams on television. Ronald Beach, retiree, passed away Aug. 19, 2017. Beach retired in December 2006 as assistant district manager of the Columbus office following 40 years of service. Beach graduated from D.I.T.S. as the Golden Oak recipient in 1970. He was named production manager at the Columbus office in 1989 and assistant district manager in 2000. In 2004, he was a recipient of the John Davey Award. IN MEMORIUM Clifford Bouton, retiree, passed away Sept. 4, 2017. Bouton retired in April 2006 as a sales representative in the Albany, New York, R/C office after 42 years of service. Bouton had served as district manager of the Albany office for 30 years but stepped down to serve as sales representative for a smooth transition to his successor.

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