Leaving a Personal Touch: Job Shadowing with Mallory Roth

About a week ago, I had the privilege of job shadowing Mallory Roth, Educator and Enthusiast at Askinosie Chocolate. Her job entails planning special events at the factory, assisting the Marketing Director, following up with clients and brainstorming creative ways to show current customers appreciation. Askinosie Chocolate is a chocolate factory in Springfield, Mo., that focuses on specialty dark chocolate bars. They source all of their cacao beans from the farmers directly and work to create a more sustainable trade system with the farmers.

I have always admired the business model Askinosie follows, and I love their chocolate, so I was thrilled to spend time with Mallory at the factory.  It was incredible to see the behind the scenes of the delicious chocolate making and watch the entire process. I learned so much about customer service and the chocolate industry.

A Personalized Thank You is Always Better

Mallory shared many things about her duties with me, but what will stay with me is the time and effort she puts into thanking clients. She said that it is important for her to research each client before sending him or her a thank you. She likes to use the medium of communication that each client prefers: phone, email, snail mail, etc. She also tries to personalize gifts. For example, if someone has a favorite chocolate to order, she may send some to the client as a thank you. She said that she tries to think outside of the chocolate box as well sending people gifts that they will truly appreciate.


Write Everything Down


Talking to Mallory also reminded me the importance of writing everything down. Mallory has a very organized system to keep track of calls, emails, thank you cards, etc. No one likes to receive duplicate emails or to be left out of communication. A notepad, lists and Excel can be a PR girl's best friend when dealing with client relations.


I thoroughly enjoyed my second job shadowing with PRSSA, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of this great opportunity; you never know where the connection might lead. Just like Mallory, remember to always thank people you job shadow with a personal touch. 


Bethany Parry—Vice President: Bethany is a senior at Missouri State University studying Public Relations and Spanish. As Vice President, she promotes professional development, manages communications, and supports the president in anyway needed. You can contact her at Bethany08@live.missouristate.edu or follow her on Twitter at @bparry08.