The Other Side of the Desk: Michael Stables
Working at Virginia Tech since October 6, 2014
From behind the front desk of the Parking and Transportation Services Office, Michael Stables spends his days attending to the parking needs of Virginia Tech’s students and employees as well as those visiting the Blacksburg, Virginia campus.
As a customer service agent, Stables, who graduated from the university in 2014 with a degree in psychology, is well aware of the many reasons that bring individuals into the office. His experience parking on campus as an undergraduate student gives him an advantage that helps him provide top-notch customer service.
He and his colleagues who work at the front counter see upwards of 200 customers a day. These customers need help with a variety of issues, from needing parking permits and campus maps to appealing citations.
Q: What do you do on a day-to-day basis?
A: I help anyone that comes through the front door. I’m the first point of contact for people. Any kinds of questions that someone might have, or if they want to buy a parking permit or figure out what kind of parking permit they need–I help them with anything like that. Sometimes, I’ll give directions to visitors to help them find the building they’re looking for. At the end of the day, my job is to work with the customers directly.
Q: How did you come to work here?
A: I’m from a little place called Rich Creek, Virginia. It’s a small town in Giles County, probably about 35-40 minutes from here. If you go on west on Route 460, you’ll run right through it, and you’ll probably miss it.
I’m from the area, so I went to school here. I started in 2010, received my degree in psychology in 2014, got a job at Fleet Services after graduation, and worked my way over here. I’m really happy to have found a job where I get to deal with people on a daily basis. It’s nice to have that human interaction, and I always try to help people as much as I can. I know people might often want to be somewhere else when they come visit us, but I try to make it a good experience.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: In my spare time, I enjoy working on cars. I work on my own car and help friends or family if they need any help on theirs. I like cruising down side roads and exploring new territory.
I also like to keep the landscaping around my house looking nice, and I enjoy watching sports. I’m a big Hokie football fan. This was a great year for us, so it’s been exciting.
Written by Steve Barnett, a 2015 multimedia journalism graduate currently studying public relations.
First published: February 28, 2017