National Customer Service Week: Alabama Power employee Broderick Smith serves the community in his job and as a volunteer leader

Upon Alabama Power’s founding, William Patrick Lay committed the company as “developed for the service of Alabama.” Broderick Smith, a member of Alabama Power’s customer service team, embodies this motto in how he approaches customer service with a commitment to serving the community.

Originally from Selma, Smith works as a field service representative in the Montgomery office.

“I wanted to be in a role that was more customer service-oriented,” said Smith. “Customers see us, they see Alabama Power. I like working with customers because every customer is different, every location is different.”

For Smith, excellent service means seeing each customer as an individual and going the extra step.

“Customers need to see us and realize that we not only are concerned about their power bill, but we are concerned about the services, everything that involves them. That’s where you show excellent customer service,” he said.

Smith’s passion for service goes beyond his daily interactions with customers as he actively serves the community through volunteering. Smith has been a member of the company’s volunteer team, the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO), since 2013.

“I want to give back to my community. I want to see the impact of what we do as a company to help others in the community,” he said.

Smith’s involvement as a volunteer quickly grew to leadership roles within the organization. In 2017, he was named the Southern Division APSO chapter president, and currently serves as vice president for the APSO state board. He will take on the role of APSO state board president next year, leading the organization’s volunteer efforts statewide.

“Being part of APSO allows us to show customers that we are not the ones just answering the phones,” he said. “What we do through service is let customers know that we want to be part of the community and give back.”

APSO members are easily recognized by wearing red shirts when volunteering. For Smith, it’s important to be part of a collective team of employees that is out in the community and to show customers that they are serving others beyond the job.

“It stands out. When people see that red shirt and see how much fun we are having and how we are helping, it makes a big difference,” he said.

When asked what his favorite APSO projects have been, it’s hard for Smith to choose just a few. One that stands out was a landscaping project in downtown Montgomery along the Alabama River. APSO volunteers conducted a cleanup and placed sod in the park area where the riverboat is moored, a popular spot for Montgomery locals and tourists.

“It was a great way we could show support for the city,” he said. “A lot of people participated and it really made a difference for people who live in our community.”

As Smith looks forward to taking on the role of APSO president next year, his goal is to bring even more employees with different backgrounds to the table to serve the community.

“There is a lot of value in bringing people from all across the company together to work together and to work with APSO,” he said. “Our function at Alabama Power is more than keeping the lights on. Hopefully, we can show how special we are in how we serve our community.”

Smith is one of many customer care team members who make a difference daily at Alabama Power. Join us in recognizing National Customer Service Week Oct. 4-8 to celebrate customer service across many industries in the United States and around the world.

Learn more about the impact of APSO across the state of Alabama at https://powerofgood.com/volunteer/apso/.