Meet Your Client Success Manager: LaShawn Hodge
September 9, 2020
Pype’s Client Success Managers (CSMs) come from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of experiences, but they all work very hard to ensure that every project team finds success when using any of Pype’s products. From onboarding and training, to taking feedback and suggestions for new features, CSMs are the lasting point of contact between our clients and Pype as a whole. To help get to know them better, we sat down with each of them and discussed their experiences, stories, lives, and anything else on their minds.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
LaShawn: My name is LaShawn Hodge, I was born in Virginia, and I am a lifetime resident of the DMV area. In my free time you can find me knee-deep in fabric at the sewing machine, or somehow coated in glitter from my many crafty activities. I’m passionate about dancing and participate in dance fitness classes at least three times a week. I also really enjoy cooking—my husband and I have our own “Chopped” and “Top Chef” competitions in our kitchen.
When did you start working at Pype? What was your position like then?
LaShawn: I started working at Pype in January of 2019. My position was still new-ish, since I was only the third member of the Client Success team. I was amazed by the quality and stability of our products, as well as the open communication between all of the different departments at Pype.
What do you like most about working at Pype?
LaShawn: I love my team. Working with such a bright, sharp, and engaged group of people is really special.
What do you think is Pype’s value to the construction industry?
LaShawn: Pype’s offerings take some of the most manual and time consuming processes off the plates of project team members, freeing up their time to spend on more important work. Rather than spending weeks reviewing a spec book and creating a log, AutoSpecs cuts that process down to hours and reduces human error at the same time. For Closeout, GCs don’t have to chase down their trade partners for documents or physically create a binder of turnover documents to deliver; the platform does this and more automatically. Overall, we provide accuracy, speed, and efficiency to our clients’ processes.
Out of all of Pype’s platforms, do you have a favorite? And do you have a favorite feature?
LaShawn: I am a fan of the Version Comparison feature in AutoSpecs. It highlights changes between spec versions in a way that’s easy to understand. Users can also export a report of that information, which is already formatted, color coded, and has filters applied. That way, it’s one less thing the project team has to do when they’re preparing to bring data to an OAC meeting to discuss changes. I find myself saying “this is my favorite report” everytime I do an onboarding…yes, I have a favorite report!
What’s something that has surprised you about how clients use Pype?
LaShawn: One of the clients I work with creates turnover packages specific to each trade partner after receiving 100% of the closeout requirements that partner is responsible for submitting. The GC then sends that package to the finance department as confirmation that payment can be released. I thought that was innovative and creative.
Do you have any anecdotes or stories from clients you’d like to share?
LaShawn: I’m always in awe of how detail-oriented project stakeholders are. I once sat in on an OAC meeting where they discussed tolerances for a set of windows. It was only after an hour of poring over every detail (from the measurements and installation concerns to how it would ultimately be replaced or serviced) that everyone was satisfied with just the tolerances for these windows. It inspired me to bring that level of passion, knowledge, and thoroughness to every project team I meet with—the tiniest details do matter.
What do you want clients to know about you or about working with you?
LaShawn: I always want my clients to know that I care. I follow the golden rule in my work—I treat my clients how I want to be treated.
What’s the one thing you most want clients to understand about the platform?
LaShawn: Pype products are meant to help our users do their job more efficiently and effectively, not do the job for them. They are not “set it and forget it” tools, although we do have points of automation. The best experiences are had by the project teams who engage with the Pype team, invest time in training/understanding the more innovative workflows in our intuitive platforms, and bring Pype into their existing processes.