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BizVoice
/Indiana Chamber –
May/June 2012
LARGE COMPANIES
A
shley Wilson and Pam Abell admit they never would be on their way to an associate’s
degree without the structure of a Heartland University program.
When Johnny Burns needed to make a number of trips to Louisiana to take
care of family issues, the company provided a gas card to help him out. “Something
little like a gas card meant a lot,” he recalls.
Ali Segura was recently promoted to the newly created position of employee programs &
communication coordinator after less than two years with the company. Jeff Nichols, executive
director of HSC operations, says to her, “The interview wasn’t you sitting in that room; it was
your body of work up until that point.”
Heartland Payment Systems, founded in 1997, is the fifth largest payment processor in the
United States, handling more than 11 million credit card and other transactions each day. While
headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, the Heartland Service Center in Jeffersonville (with
nearly 800 of the company’s 2,600-plus employees) is the hub of operations that serve 250,000
merchant customers and employ relationship managers in all 50 states.
Nichols has been with the company throughout its 15-year history. He has seen the
evolution from a tiny office in a Jeffersonville strip mall to a 35-acre complex that features the
Heartland Hugs daycare facility, full-service cafeteria, 24/7 fitness center, outdoor basketball
courts and much more (massage therapist on Fridays, coffee bars, flexible break times and work
arrangements).
“We treat our employees well with competitive
pay, good benefits and the amenities. In turn, they
take good care of our customers,” he relates. “Every
single day we get an e-mail or phone call from a
customer or salesperson giving us kudos, telling us
something great about an employee.”
The headquarters groundbreaking took place in
2006, the same year a Merchants Bill of Rights was
released that serves as an industry standard for
fairness, honesty and transparency. That was also the
time period in which a regionalization strategy was
adopted, allowing call center customer advocates to
serve merchants and salespersons within a particular
geographic area. That has elevated the team
atmosphere at Heartland.
“It’s values,” emphasizes Jaime Simms, a
customer service manager. “I know I’m working for
a company that has the same values I do. We can be
honest, open. There isn’t anything we’re hiding.”
DeAnna Wooldridge, with two years of experience as a customer advocate, cites the
“atmosphere here; they really care about you. They reach out to you and make sure you have
everything you need.” Jeff Wendell, director of HSC service, adds, “It’s the authentic, genuine
care of every level of management, starting with Bob Carr, who founded the company. No matter
what level you are, you feel like you’re part of the same team.”
Jean-Paul Seng, senior regional service director, came to the company eight years ago. “I had
no idea what Heartland did. I just heard this chatter – so and so went to Heartland. It has just
become the area’s place to be.”
Nichols terms the opportunities for advancement as “tremendous,” with many stories of
upward mobility throughout the office. Simms is just one example, starting on the phone taking
inbound calls five years ago before advancing to supervisor and then her current role. “I’ve been
in my folks’ shoes. That helps because, as managers, we’ve done what they’ve done.”
Donna Nelson, another senior regional service director, states, “All of us are walking
By Tom Schuman
Heartland Payment Systems
Processing a Productive Culture
Outdoor basketball courts, a
24/7 fitness center and more are
popular attractions, in addition
to ping pong competitions.