Our Faces Behind the Breakroom: Preston Snodgrass and Brad Tierney

“Don’t celebrate closing a sale, celebrate opening a relationship.” As said by Patricia Fripp. That mindset and quote couldn’t describe Preston and Brad more. We had the opportunity to take time from their busy schedules to ask them a few questions and learn more about their approach to service and sales.

At Five Star, we take pride in building strong relationships and earning trust. Being able to reach out whenever your market needs something. Whether that’s a new snack rotation or a complete upgrade; it’s what we value most.

Everyone enters the industry differently, and we believe those paths offer unique insight into how people approach their work and their customers. We asked, “What drew you to working in the breakroom/foodservice/coffee industry?”

Preston said: What started as just a need for a job out of college quickly turned into something where I saw the joy and value our services bring to our customers and their associates. I fell in love with each day being a new experience and challenge, meeting people from different walks of life and creating new relationships. What better way to do this than through food

Brad said: Honestly, it was the hours! Over twenty years ago, when people still checked the newspaper for job listings, the 3:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. shift caught my attention. Once I was hired, I quickly realized how much I love serving others and making their day a little better — whether that’s keeping the breakroom clean, stocked, and running smoothly, or simply offering a smile and saying hello.

Preston Snodgrass and Brad Tierney are both sales directors in the Ohio region, meaning they work closely together to ensure breakrooms across Ohio are receiving the best solutions in their markets. While working independently, they collaborate hand in hand, learning a great deal about each other along the way.

When asked, “If you could describe the other person’s work style in one word, what would it be and why?”

Preston said: Brad is hard-working, knowledgeable. Brad is a story that everyone loves to hear. He started as a merchandiser and worked his way up to a team leader, to team manager, a Customer Success Manager and now to the sales team. Brad knows the ins and outs of the business because he has performed at a high-level for each role, he's been in.

Brad said: Likeability – People do business with those they trust and genuinely enjoy being around. Preston has a presence about him that draws people to him, and a personality that says we have been friends forever, even to those he just met. He then follows it up with integrity and knowledge, which makes him a great salesperson, but better person.

Hardworking, knowledgeable, likeability, and integrity are all traits that allow them to build trust, overcome objections, and solve client problems effectively. As breakrooms continue to evolve, ensuring the right solution for each team is more important than ever.

We asked, “What’s one thing you wish more customers understood about creating a great breakroom experience?”

Brad said: The real value is in the simplicity and the impact – from signing the contract to installation day, the entire process is smooth and requires very little involvement on their end, yet the result is a fully upgraded breakroom that can positively transform workplace culture and enhance the daily experience for everyone.

Preston said: Everyone's experience is different and unique. Just because something works for one person/company does not mean that it will work for them. This is why it is so important to build great relationships from the start so you can understand their wants and needs and in return, create them a great breakroom experience.

To wrap things up, with three months into the new year, we asked what they were most excited about accomplishing this year and what Five Star service meant to them.

Preston said: Continued growth. Not only as a sales director but also as a leader, mentor and person…Creating memorable experiences through service, innovation and food

Brad said: I’m excited to have a full year in sales under my belt, but I know there’s still so much to learn. I’m looking forward to continuing to grow, sharpening my skills, mastering the nuances of the trade, and using that knowledge to not only improve but consistently exceed my sales goals… We all work and live in an imperfect world where things don’t always go as planned. While we strive for perfection, we understand that it isn’t always attainable. What truly sets a company apart is how it responds, takes ownership, and corrects any issues that arise.

In Preston’s words, service and honesty are what matter most: “Service and honesty. It doesn't matter if you have the cheapest products or best products, if your service is bad, you are going to lose business. We are all human though and are going to make mistakes, which is where the honesty comes into play. Owning up to those mistakes and correcting them goes a long way.”

If you or your team are ready to rethink your breakroom solutions, our team is just a conversation away ready to make workdays better, one breakroom at a time.