Employee Spotlight: Margaret Herzog
Meet March's Employee Spotlight, Margaret Herzog! Between Women's History Month and St. Patrick's Day, Margaret was the perfect pick—as a first-generation Irish-American who learned Irish words from her father and cousins, it's the perfect time of year to celebrate an employee like Margaret. This month's Employee Spotlight isn't one you'll find out on the sales floor, in the warehouse or on a truck, either. She works behind the scenes in the same store—everyone at Abt works out of one location—in Vendor Incentives. It's a small department, but one that everyone in Chicagoland sees the results of. Thanks to Margaret's work, you'll see Abt billboards beside roads and highways and hear our ads on WGN, among other things.
Meeting Abt at an Early Age
Our Employee Spotlight first came to Abt as a young girl at our Dempster Store in Niles, before we founded our current location in Glenview. She would go there with her family when they needed new appliances and electronics, and the whole family would have fun. "My brother was friends with Danny Debartolo, a salesperson at the time, and he's now a manager here in Electronics Service," Margaret said. That's just one example of how long-lasting Abt careers can begin and grow, just like Margaret's.
Her Career at Abt: Over a Decade of Accounts
One thing you can say about March's Employee Spotlight? She is an expert in all things Abt. Margaret has been with the business for nearly two decades, beginning back in 2007 in Accounts Payable. As a member of the team, her job was to keep things cleaned up in accounting by paying bills and making invoices. It may not sound as glamorous as showing off the latest luxe kitchen collection from Miele out on the sales floor, but Accounts Payable was a great start for Margaret at Abt, and fit her analytical mind perfectly. She stayed on the team in this position all the way through 2018, when she began a new role in Vendor Incentives.
Vendor Incentives ... what does that mean? "You can also think of it as Co-Op Marketing," Margaret said. It's where one of our vendors, a brand that we sell, comes together with Abt to create a combined marketing product for both Abt and the brand. A billboard saying "Find new GE Appliances at Abt," or a WGN ad showcasing the newest Sony TVs at Abt are great examples of the kind of projects Margaret both works on and keeps track of financially. With spreadsheets all across her screens, Margaret is the manager of Vendor Incentives and has an eye on these marketing campaigns, both past, present and future.
Golf Outings & Fun With Coworkers
One of our top interview questions with Employee Spotlights like Margaret? "What's one of your favorite memories here at Abt?" With a career like hers, there's lots to pull from, from busy mornings to afternoons laughing with coworkers-turned-friends. But her favorite memory is actually more recent than you might expect. "I really loved last year's golf outing," she said. She and her team went up against other Abt employees as they made their way across the green. It was a great combination of coworkers who don't always work together in fun, friendly competition. She loves going to Chicago sports games with coworkers after hours, too—and she mentioned that while wearing a Cubs jersey on opening day.
Everything She Needs, All In One Place
When she comes into work every day, there's more to be found than sitting down at a computer and tackling a to-do list. When she's done, she loves heading downstairs to satisfy her inner shopaholic. "Abt is such a convenient place to work for your lifestyle. Abt is right at my fingertips whenever I need it, and with how much we've expanded, I can find almost anything for me or my home here. Whether I've lost my AirPods or am having trouble with my refrigerator, I'm here, and so is Abt. We make everything easy, and it's really improved my lifestyle."
Margaret's right, it can be hard to think of things for the home that we don't have or services that we don't offer. And between our new furniture expansion, HVAC department, custom AV work, plumbing, custom kitchens, security and more, we can quickly help turn any house into a home. Even upgrade your vehicles here at our Mobile Installation department—it's always fun to see the cars, boats and motorcycles driving out of the garage. While Margaret's thinking about headphones, you might be looking for new ways to arrange the furniture in your home—and thanks to our new Design Desk, it can all happen under one roof.
Managing a Great Team
From days shopping at Abt with her parents to a career that spans decades, Margaret has had fun here—and committed herself to "dotting her i's and crossing her t's" in each daily task, all so that her team does well and the business benefits. And as a manager, she makes sure that her teammates are held to a high standard, but stays a friendly resource when they need help. And while her department is behind the scenes here at Abt, every time you see an Abt billboard or hear an Abt advertisement on the radio, you'll know it ran across Margaret's desk.
