Earlier in his career, when Jeff Swenson was appointed to serve on the Konica Minolta Dealer Service Advisory Council, there was a little bit of trepidation. Certainly he was flattered by the honor. However, at that juncture in his career, Swenson wondered what he could bring to the table that other members would find valuable.
In hindsight, accepting a council spot proved to be the right call. Swenson would quickly identify his strengths while gleaning insights from the vast knowledge font offered by a broad group of service leaders from some of the nation’s top dealers. In turn, it helped mold Swenson—a principal and vice president of client experience at The Swenson Group (TSG)—into a better executive with greater insight into what good looks like from a technical service point of view.
But having an effective and impactful service discipline transcends analytics. “I love business. I like the numbers and the direction, clarity they can provide,” said Swenson, a 2024 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “However, I think it is important to consider the human element alongside the numbers. For example, our numbers tell us we are overstaffed in service. Many organizations would lay people off, [but] we made a conscious decision not to do this. Rather, [we] reward these people for their many years of loyalty and provide an unparalleled client experience for our clients.”
Swenson loves seeing clients and team members enjoy success, whether it’s via the technology and support provided to TSG’s partners or job training, support and encouragement that emboldens employees. From a leadership standpoint, there’s no danger of stagnation.
“I love the variety and challenges owning a dealership provides every day,” he added.
Petrol Pivot
The UCLA grad wasn’t initially ticketed for the office technology dealership world. Swenson’s first job was in operations for Mobile Oil’s Boston terminal, where he had oversight of 9,000-gallon gas tankers transporting along the East Coast. It was a job in which Swenson thrived, and he was quickly promoted to Mobil’s Philadelphia base, triggering a six-year journey with the oil giant.
However, Swenson was intrigued by the opportunity to open a Xerox sales agency alongside his brother, Dean. He quickly thrived selling in Oakland and Alameda, and qualified for president’s club in a mere six months. Swenson then transitioned into sales management and became firmly entrenched in the industry.
Along the way, Swenson has enjoyed valuable input from many industry veterans, beginning with his brother whom he credits with imparting leadership skills and sharing approach and perspective. While on the Konica Minolta Dealer Service Advisory Council, he benefitted from the wisdom of fellow members Greg Schlight, Eddie Kromar and Dale Scheurman (“I often refer to Greg as my self-appointed mentor,” Swenson noted). Lastly, NEXERA numbers wizard Steve Sharkey painted a clear picture for Swenson of what constitutes stellar service.
It was an exciting 2023 for Swenson and TSG, as performance metrics validated the company’s response time and first call effectiveness. On the whole, TSG posted a Net Promoter Score above 93. And given his oversight of the dealer’s IT department, Swenson was heartened by its 60% year-over-year revenue increase, and IT comprised an impressive 27% of TSG’s total revenue.
Service Excellence
Forays into new markets for product and service categories such as production print and wide-format devices will enable TSG to maintain its momentum as the calendar flips over to 2025. “We are actively working on positioning our service team to support these new opportunities, and support them well,” Swenson said. “Additionally, I am focused on continuing to grow our IT business which means looking at new sources of revenue.”
Moving forward, Swenson plans to invest more time with peer/association groups such as Select Dealer Group, BTA and Technical Assurance Group to gain more insights. He also feels the dealer will be best served through strategic hiring of individuals who fit both the needs and the culture of TSG.
On the home front, Swenson and his wife, Michelle, have been married 21 years. They have eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; his stepson, Chance, is TSG’s warehouse manager. The Swensons recently entered the world of RVing with the purchase of a leisure travel van. With family located in cities such as Monterey, California; Omaha, Nebraska and Salt Lake City, the RV will help bring them closer together.
