Employee Profile
Sidney Ude, Carlos Martinez; Successful Team at Sleep
America, Phoenix
 Account
Manager Sidney Ude and Assistant Account Manager Carlos Martinez
first met last September when they took on new client Sleep America
in Phoenix, AZ. Since then, they have drawn on their combined 27
years experience to develop and maintain a smooth running operation
that includes deliveries into Tucson. Sidney and Carlos believe
the key to their success “can be
summed up in two words: communication and teamwork.”
Sidney
has a hands-on approach to monitoring the daily deliveries. He
prides himself on having a close working relationship with drivers
and helpers. The day begins early so drivers can depart on time.
Merchandise is checked out for possible damage, and size. If a
truck is filled to capacity, other arrangements have to be made
so product can be delivered when promised. “Everything we
do centers around ensuring customer satisfaction,” he says. “This
is what sets Delivery Solutions apart from the competition.”
He also
delegates responsibilities to members of his team whom he considers
experts in their fields. Roy Carlos Wheatley, previously a router
for Sleep America, now handles the routing for DSI. Sidney still
oversees the entire operation. “I learned from working at
FedEx,” he says, “that you have to inspect
what you expect.’”
In line with DSI’s focus on safety,
Sidney conducts safety meetings once a week with drivers. “Making
sure drivers maintain a high level of awareness regarding safety
concerns is a priority.”
Sidney credits DSI with having a
good team in place when he arrived. “The company made it
easy for me to succeed,” he said. He also credits assistant
Carlos Martinez with providing valuable insight based on his years
as a contractor. “His background is important in enabling
us to see the big picture. He is also invaluable in the contractor
recruiting process.”
 Carlos, who takes pride in his twenty
years in the business, made the transition from contractor to management
when he joined DSI almost a year ago. Recognizing
his contributions at Sleep America, and previously for Ashley Furniture,
Carlos earned DSI’s Rookie of the Year Award for 2006. His responsibilities
at Sleep America include recruiting new contractors as needed,
responding to driver and customer related issues and billing. In
his position, Carlos also supports another new client, Breuners
Arizona.
“My
biggest challenge,” he says, “is maintaining good route
productivity and high levels of customer satisfaction.” Again
he stressed that effective communication “between all levels
of management” is
important to achieving this goal. “This is a core value at
DSI,” he adds.
Carlos, whose experience includes several start-up
operations, hopes to see the company grow in Arizona. “There
are a number of delivery companies in this market, but with DSI’s
experience, knowledge and focus, we can stay ahead of the competition.
It will be exciting to be part of that growth.”
Sidney shares
Carlos’ goals. “I’ve found my calling,” he
says. He still sounds surprised that his job as a service manager
with FedEx, initially planned to be a break between college and
law school, could have changed his life. “I thoroughly enjoyed
it,” he marvels, “and the rest is history.”
Both
men live in the Phoenix area with their families. |
