Fantastic Customer Service the Calling Card for Heather White

You might say Heather White’s calling card is “fantastic customer service.” Having been in the customer service field previously, along with her current role at H&S Protection, she knows how to provide first-rate service when it comes to billing, customer inquiries and other administrative issues.

White came to H&S in July 2023 after a previous work experience didn’t turn out the way she thought it would. It was “an extremely toxic environment,” she described of her previous situation, and she contrasted that to H&S where the “people, hands down” are her favorite thing.

“I have felt accepted and liked by the team from my first interview, and that feeling has continued every day.  I’m very thankful to be a part of H&S and look forward to our future and growth and being a part of all that we do,” she said.   

“We are a genuine group of people who care and want to do better for our customers, our teammates and our company.  Our customer service is fantastic and our response time to any issues and/or concerns is quick and courteous.  You won’t regret going with H&S for your security,” Heather said.

In addition to her previous work in the customer service field, Heather has worked as a stay-at-home mom for over 15 years. She has three boys, Aidan, 16, Noah, 15 and Brendan, 11.

In her spare time, she “loves sea glassing at Grant Park Beach in Milwaukee.  I spend most of my summers watching two of my boys play baseball with their traveling teams and being in or by the water as much as possible.”  

To reach Heather directly in our Pewaukee office, you may email her at hhager@hsprotection.net, or 262.574.7777.

A Great Place to Work

For eight years now, we’ve been publishing profiles of our employees so current and future customers can put a face to a name and get a sense of who we are — our professional backgrounds, community involvement and family/personal interests. We believe this sets us  apart by helping you make a fully-formed decision on selecting a home or business security provider.

In putting together these profiles, we ask our team what they like about H&S, what makes them enjoy working for us. While the responses vary, we do hear overwhelmingly that they like it here because it’s a great place to work, everyone is helpful, and that  we work together to get the job done right.

Those comments are great to hear because it says something about who we are, and, quite frankly, why we are in business. As a small business, we obviously must turn a profit to stay viable.  At the same time, we have always felt it important to create a supportive environment for our people. That makes for good business. It also translates into how we serve our customers – the team support gravitates to customer support. By caring around the office, that care extends to our customers and the community.

If you get a few minutes, read through some of our past employee profiles. Get to know our people better. H&S is not perfect, but we work very hard to hire good people, train them properly, and give them everything needed to perform their jobs well.   That’s our formula for long-term success. 

Get it Right or Make it Right

Get it right the first time. That’s our motto.  And in the rare cases when we don’t, then motto number two is “make it right.” Those are good values to live by in life and in business, and we work with our team to instill  and support them.

When a member of the H&S team enters your home or business, your expectation should be that a security system is installed or serviced to your satisfaction. And every one of our visits involves learning and addressing your unique security preferences.

By listening and following through, we work to “get it right.”  But, since there is no perfection in life or security, that occasionally doesn’t happen and expectations aren’t met.  In these situations, we want to hear from you so we can “make it right.”

We never want to lose a customer because of unmet expectations.   If there is something that needs fixing, we will fix it. Let us know. We will listen to your concerns and take the necessary steps to make it right.

Doing business in the security arena, our people spend lots time in homes and business working to ensure our customers’ safety and protection. We understand how important it is for us to get it right the first time.  But rest assured if something gets missed, we’ll be back to make it right.

Give us a call if we can help you with your security needs. In central Wisconsin, call 715.344.0727 or southeast Wisconsin at 262.574.7777.

Leadership Changes at H&S

Over the years, we have featured employee profiles to introduce our people to our customers – give others a better feel for who we are. In the security industry, customers want to feel comfortable with people working in their homes and businesses, installing equipment and ensuring the site is safe after completion of the job.

As we have published these employee profiles over the years, we are proud to note that when asked about what stands out about H&S Protection; almost to a person we get a response that our team likes working here, they feel appreciated and that everyone pitches in to get the job done.  As the owner of H&S, that’s wonderful to hear. 

We work hard to foster a positive work environment for our team with ample growth opportunities.  As a small business, that is not always easy.  We try to move individuals into growing roles when appropriate.  Sometimes, for example, a technician is able to move into a sales position.  Or we are able to promote someone into a supervisory position.  We are always proud to offer these opportunities when they arise.

Recently, two of our senior technicians were promoted to Operations Manager positions; Ross Peterson in Stevens Point, and Russell Zanow in Pewaukee.  In these roles, each will be in charge of our Technical staff, coaching and training, developing their respective teams and ensuring resources are properly allocated to all projects. This will also provide general leadership to the company as a whole. 

We are proud to have Ross and Russell move into these leadership positions and confident our customers will continue to be served well as they apply their experience and talents to this important company mission.  If you would like to find out more about H&S — what we do and who we are – visit our website here.

Warehouses Galore

If you drive into Wisconsin from Illinois on Interstate 94, you will see warehouses galore. Starting near the border and continuing through Kenosha towards Racine, you see larger and larger storage facilities housing goods from across the United States.

That’s good business for Wisconsin. When it comes to security for these types of facilities, H&S Protection is here to help.

For most large storage facilities, access control and video coverage are key components for ensuring only the correct people are onsite when they are supposed to be. With potentially hundreds of trucks accessing sites at places like Amazon and Uline, potential exists for the wrong people to get onsite. Additionally, coverage of inventory (theft and damage) can become an issue.

That’s why when H&S works with larger warehouses we spend extra time walking the site, and listening to facility managers before taking any next steps. We need to find out their concerns. We need to understand the who, what, when and where about protection.

Then we proceed, designing the best plan that gives them the coverage they need. That typically includes some form of specific access system along with security cameras for use and feedback when an issue of concern arises. We’ve found it critically important for warehouse facility managers to be able to scroll back through video to isolate and resolve problems.

Warehouses aren’t limited to the I-94 stretch of Wisconsin. There is a growing economic movement the past 25-30 years where more goods are shipped by companies all across the country. Large facilities populate many areas of our state, and H&S provides expertise and coverage anywhere in Wisconsin — even beyond the state’s borders.

Give us a call in Stevens Point at 715.344.0727 or Pewaukee at 262.574.7777. We look forward to hearing from you.

Nick Schmitt Moves from Cable to Security

Moving from the cable industry to H&S Protection in our Pewaukee office last summer allowed Nick Schmitt to utilize similar skills as he shifted over to the security field. As a cable contractor with Deluca & Tobin, Nick was looking for new career opportunities when he heard about H&S on Indeed.com.

In his cable position, Nick ran fiber optic cable for residential and commercial properties. With H&S, Nick serves as an Installation Technician, running wire, setting up clients with their security system, and adding to or talking over existing systems.

Nick has been married to his “amazing wife” Mandi, and they have “three beautiful children, our two girls, Phoebe (6) and Sloane (3), and our youngest son Schaefer (eight months).” In his spare time, you’ll find Nick golfing or “playing some sort of game with my friends – fantasy sports or Dungeon and Dragons. I also enjoy taking trips and exploring with my family.”

When recommending H&S, Nick said, “I start off by telling them what a great environment it is to work in. The people are great, the work is fulfilling and you’re treated with respect.”

His favorite thing about H&S is “knowing that I’m part of a team that is always there to help and pick you up when you are down. It’s a good feeling knowing that whether it’s a fellow technician or a member of the sales team, help is just a phone call away.”

You may reach Nick at nschmitt@hsprotection.net or 262.574.7777.

Out of Season

The snow is coming (or already here depending on where you live in Wisconsin). That means snowmobiles humming, ice fishermen on the lakes, and skis (cross country and downhill) navigating the hilly terrain of our wonderful state.

Winter businesses are open. Summer businesses are closed. The state park cabins, canoe and kayak rentals and resorts catering to hiking are shuttered for the most part with the colder weather.

If you are in the market to update or introduce security to your summer business, now is a good time to get it done. With your doors closed for business, H&S Protection can get onsite and make any changes you’d like to your system (or put in a new one) without any disruption to your customer base. That’s an advantage to you and your customers.

Most summer-based businesses probably don’t consider this during the winter months. After working extra hard during the tourist season, we understand the need to rest, decompress and prepare for the next year. The next year is here, and it’s a good time to think about your security needs.

Give us a call in central Wisconsin at 715.344.0727. If you have a summer resort business in southeastern Wisconsin, call H&S at 262.574.7777.

It may be out of season for camping or canoeing, but not for assessing how well your business is protected. Now is the time.

Great Run for H&S United Way Effort in 2023

We had a great United Way effort this year at H&S Protection.  It’s an important part of our community support on an annual basis.  With offices in Stevens Point and Pewaukee , our contributions to the United Way support community-based initiatives in both areas.   We’re proud to have supported the United Way for more than 14 years now through both of our offices.

With 86 percent participation in Pewaukee, and 95 percent participation in Stevens Point, the company combined to raise $17,465 between both H&S locations. This includes a dollar-for-dollar corporate match for every employee donation. 

“We changed our approach a bit and had better participation; particularly in our Pewaukee office,” H&S owner Mike Horgan said.  

“It was a stronger combined effort this year and we’re very pleased with so many of our team members stepping up to help,” Horgan added.  “It’s just another example of the kind of company we strive to be — giving back to the communities we serve.” 

A Secure Holiday

With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, we have the end-of-year holidays coming up, including Christmas and New Year’s. Many families travel during that time. Many businesses shut their doors to give employees extra vacation.

That brings up the question of who’s minding the store while you’re away. Which brings up H&S Protection and the security we offer your home or business.

To secure your holiday, you want peace of mind that if something goes wrong, you’ll be alerted. You also want assurance that your property is effectively protected to deter a potential break-in or other mischievous activity.

Our technology and customer support give you that peace of mind. With H&S, you know you are getting a family-run company that has been in business for close to 65 years, serving all of Wisconsin. People know us locally. Our employees are involved in the community. You’ll find useful information on our website to get a fuller sense of the benefits we provide every customer.

So, if you’re traveling this winter and have any concerns about protecting your home or business, please reach out and we will send a representative to meet with you and address your concerns.

In central Wisconsin, call 715.344.0727. In southeast Wisconsin, call 262.574.7777.

Telecomm Experience Proves Useful for Shan Gao at H&S

Before joining H&S Protection, Shan Gao accumulated 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, excelling in data management, project management, and related functions. Currently, at H&S, Shan is responsible for operations data analysis and audit-related tasks.

Shan initially started as an intern at H&S during her MBA program. After graduating, she seamlessly transitioned to be an employee of H&S. As someone with an international background, Shan deeply appreciates the inclusivity and the family-like atmosphere at H&S.

“This is a company with a long reputable history, where every employee feels respected, and the company genuinely cares about each individual’s needs and growth,” Shan emphasized. She believes employee satisfaction directly impacts customer satisfaction, which she sees as the key to H&S’s years of success and industry leadership.

Shan resides in Stevens Point with her husband, a sociology associate professor at UWSP, and their five-year-old daughter. They have a strong affinity for this beautiful and friendly community.

Shan’s passion for continuous learning is evident in her commitment to expanding her knowledge and skill base. In her spare time, Shan’s family enjoys hiking and camping in the forests and takes pride in the natural beauty of the region.