Meet the SmartSign team: Carey Smith
Carey Smith is a Sales Representative at SmartSign. Originally from Grenada, he’s lived in Brooklyn for the last 11 years. He came to SmartSign after joining the U.S. Army Reserve, and keeps that sense of adventure alive by driving Lamborghinis on his birthday and trying to get his fellow SmartSign team members to go skydiving.
Monica: How long have you been at SmartSign?
Carey: It’s about to be two years, in February.
Monica: So when you started out you were a CSR and now you’re a sales representative. How did that transition happen?
Carey: I started off being a Customer Service and Sample Person/Shipping Guy at the same time. And it was kind of hectic getting all those three things done at the same time, but eventually I got used to it. And I got good at it, and they just decided to offer me a job in Sales.
Monica: Okay. So how long have you been in Sales?
Carey: I’ve been here since July of this year.
Monica: How is Sales different from Customer Service?
Carey: Sales is a little bit easier. You’re not hearing people complain constantly. They’re basically just calling to place an order, and you help them out with that. And that’s pretty much it, from that point on, other than, you know, following up if they need to provide payment. But with Customer Service, it’s a whole other boat. You have to follow up, find out the customer’s complaint. They yell at you, scream at you. You have to call the vendors to see why this wasn’t sent out. You have to track UPS. I prefer sales 100 percent.
Monica: Did you have any memorable moments as a CSR?
Carey: I mean, as a CSR, there are tons of moments where you help a customer, and they’re just so joyful. One customer even offered to write up a letter to the job, saying how great I was at helping them. I mean, it’s just part of your job. It’s something you do constantly, every day, but it’s still nice when, once in a while, someone says, hey, you really helped them out and they appreciate it. You know, it does make your day, compared to the many times when people call and you can’t help them, because of something that’s wrong, and they say, “You Suck,” straight up.
From MyParkingPermit.
Monica: Have you gotten the chance to use any SmartSign products outside of work?
Carey: No, not yet. I’ve actually thought about it, because on my block, where I live, there are some people that park right in front of my house, where I always want to get my parking spot. And I planned on using one of those stickers that says “Do Not Park” and stick it on their car windshield, but I haven’t really thought of the legality of doing that, so I haven’t done it yet.
Monica: Maybe you should stick with a sign or something less invasive.
Carey: Well, it really gets me upset, so I really kind of want to.
Monica: So how did you end up at SmartSign? What were you doing before?
Carey: At first, I worked at Staples as a computer tech there. Then I was hired here, but I had already enlisted into the Army Reserve. They only need you once a month, one weekend actually, one weekend a month, and in the summertime, you have to work for the entire summertime. SmartSign allowed me to do both, so I was actually in the Army for like a month. I got hurt in boot camp so I came back full time.
Monica: So what do you do outside of work?
Carey: Well, I just recently started back working out. I’m training two people, who are working out with me. I’m trying to lose weight, get back to the shape I was when I was in the Army, which is not easy to do, because food is . . . I mean you live in New York, like they say, fast food is so easy to get. Eating healthy is so expensive, so it’s a fight.
Monica: Maybe there will be more days like the one last week when you put together all the chairs for the office.
Carey: Yes, that’s my next job. Sales slash Chair Guy.
Monica: Exactly! I guess, just the last thing I want to know is what do you like most about working here at SmartSign?
Carey: Well, I actually love how friendly everyone is. I mean, you pretty much live here. You come in from 9:00 to 6:00, so you pretty much make these people into your family. Most of us actually hang out, outside of the job. We go shopping together. We do team-builders. I really think that’s a really cool thing that our job does.
Monica: Did you sing at karaoke during our most recent team builder?
Carey: Yes, I did. It was fun. That was my first time, actually, being at a karaoke. I used to be in a singing team at my church. I’m also the drummer at my church.
Monica: You’re so multi-talented!
Carey: Yeah, I try. I was also once a lifeguard, and I’m a certified EMT.
Monica: Wow.
Carey: Yeah, just recently.
Monica: That’s good to know! Thanks for talking to me, Carey!
