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Is there anything more satisfying than being able to help oneself in life? From changing a car tire to sewing a button back on a shirt, independence allows us to solve problems faster and more efficiently, especially where technology is concerned. This is the area that Jason Dobrolecki, Customer Engagement Team Manager at Traction Rec, is highly invested in. His job is to help customers help themselves by instilling confidence on the platform in them.
If there's anyone who really understands the pain points of nonprofit community and recreation centers, it’s Jason. After all, he worked in the YMCA and JCC movements for close to 20 years before starting at Traction Rec. “A lot of us are here not just because we’re technology people, but because we have a passion and care about the YMCA and JCC movements,” says Jason, referring to the others on the team who also have experience as Salesforce admins. “We’ve worked day-to-day in those facilities,” he continues. “We know what the business of those facilities are like, and we want to make a positive impact on those institutions and their missions. It’s not just about technology for us.”
Traction Rec’s Customer Engagement Team is more than just a customer support function—it’s an essential part of the holistic customer journey. We fondly like to refer to our team as providing a “bookend experience” because we're there from start to finish.
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"A lot of us are here not just because we’re technology people, but because we have a passion and care about the YMCA and JCC movements. We’ve worked day-to-day in those facilities and we want to make a positive impact on those institutions and their missions."
With nearly two decades of executive leadership in YMCA and JCC movements, Jason leverages his expertise to foster data-centricity, enhancing mission impact for organizations through technology.
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The journey begins with team members actively participating in the pre-sales or demo stage with prospective customers, and then re-engaging once the system goes live, offering clear guidance and leadership at the beginning and end of the engagement period. In between, they let the Implementation Team work their magic.
“It brings more consistency to the experience with Traction Rec and provides reassurance to prospects that we’re not just here to sell them something and move on, our team is also here to ensure they’re successful in the long run and to deliver on the art of the possible,” explains Jason.
The first step in the journey with Traction Rec kicks off during the pre-sales phase. Here, our Customer Engagement Team works closely with prospective customers to ensure they are making an informed decision. This stage is exceptionally important because it sets the foundation for a successful partnership. We dive deep into getting to know an organization, unraveling its unique challenges, and goals, both short-term and long-term, and from there, start to paint the picture of what can be achieved with our system.
“The Engagement Team is here not to just make promises on the front end in sales, but we’re also the same team that’s going to be with you after you’re live, so we’re also the folks that will be fulfilling those promises,” says Katie, one of the team's Customer Engagement Specialists. “We believe in accountability and more than just making a sale - we're committed to supporting customers every step of the way.”
Understanding the unique needs of each community center is key to providing a tailored solution. This process involves analyzing current operations, pain points and future roadmaps—all the while, building a foundation of trust. We recognize that every organization has its own set of challenges and goals, so we work closely to co-create a plan that will lead to success. Our team, who is genuinely passionate about helping organizations thrive, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer valuable insights and personalized recommendations.
Trust is ultimately what Jason says makes a project successful. “I think that this set up of pre-sales and post go-live engagement and collaboration builds that trust and allows us to say at the very beginning we’re here with you for the duration, and it does wonders in building that trust and letting them know we’re partners with them along the way.”
The journey continues with a Customer Engagement Specialist, together with an Account Executive, conducting the Traction Rec demo, which showcases how the product, built on the Salesforce platform, can address the specific challenges of each community center.
At the beginning of the journey we introduced the vision of what is possible, here, we actually get to see it all come together. This is where we really dive in to demonstrate the in's and out's, functionality, capability, and an understanding of how Traction Rec can meet and (sometimes) exceed expectations for long-term sustainable operations and day-to-day activities. It also allows for a deeper discussion on potential solutions and strategies that can be implemented through our platform.
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"The Engagement Team is going to be with you after you’re live... We believe in accountability and more than just making a sale - we're committed to supporting customers every step of the way."
With experience at several YMCAs, Katie has taken on diverse roles, including Sports Director, Engagement Manager, and Site Director. Now, as a Customer Engagement Specialist, she brings a passion for growth and development to support organizations.
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When ready to onboard Traction Rec, the team conducts a thorough knowledge transfer and hands the project over to our dedicated Implementation Team. They'll spend the next six to nine months customizing the platform to fit the specific needs and preferences of the customers, ensuring all features are fine-tuned as envisioned. During this period, they too really get to know the customer's business operations. This process involves regular meetings, feedback loops, and incremental updates to guarantee a smooth and successful integration.
Don’t fret—the Customer Engagement Team is never far away! The project’s dedicated Customer Engagement Specialist is kept in the loop this whole time and is ready to jump back in when the go-live date nears.
The partnership between Traction Rec and its customers doesn’t end once the system goes live. During the first 30 days of using our system, our Support Team connects with customers through intensive daily support calls, which then smoothly transition into ongoing premium support.
From there, the Engagement Team reconnects with the client and starts a regular rhythm of friendly check-ins and touch points. To make sure customers are maximizing the value of Traction Rec and Salesforce, the Engagement Team assists in developing future road maps and provides opportunities to learn from and connect with other community centers on the platform.
The "crawl, walk, run" approach is how most customers gradually get comfortable with the system after onboarding. Jason shares, "the things that usually come up first are data controls, privacy, and customizing permissions,” he goes on to explain. That’s the fine-tuning of who should be able to see what data.
Once our customers have had some time to get comfortable with the system, they are keen to explore more advanced features that can help them. They aren't just figuring out their own interactions with technology—they're also helping their community members do the same! One example is enhancing the self-service experience, enabling members to access user-friendly portals, self-help guides and access to dynamic content to address a variety of needs.
Self-help portals are not limited to customer organizations themselves. As a good example of walking the walk, Traction Rec also has a self-help portal for our own customers that allows them to access resources—such as webinar recordings—should they be motivated to take the platform to the next level.
“You don’t know what you don’t know until you start to experience it.” That’s what Jason usually tells customers a couple months after go-live. As he explains, there’s a natural period of adjustment that takes place as users get comfortable on the platform. Eventually, he continues, “you go beyond just getting by with the day-to-day functionality and that light bulb goes off. Oh, I can start to get more creative. I can start to have a wishlist of things I wish the system could do. And then they can make that a reality.” That’s where the fun really begins.
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"The cool thing is that ‘success’ is when the Customer Engagement Specialist doesn’t have to be driving the project anymore. Our customers are building community and they’re sharing best practices with each other."
With over 12 years of experience at the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, Lauren is a seasoned pro when it comes to creating meaningful connections and sparking a smile in our customer relationships.
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Continuous learning is key to unlocking the full potential of our platform, and this team is consistently developing educational resources and training opportunities for both new customers and long-standing partner organizations, ensuring they fully benefit from Traction Rec.
Traction Rec's Customer Monthly Meetups originated as a successful initiative following the success of our in-person user conferences attended by nearly 200 participants, primarily from YMCAs and JCCs. Everyone wanted to keep the party going (so to speak) and there was a strong desire to continue the momentum of learning, sharing and networking among peers. Customers now engage in a monthly virtual event series that focuses on customer-driven topics, unveiling new product features, and sharing tips and tricks on various subjects.
To Jason’s delight, the most popular part of the meetups is the small group breakouts. “It’s a chance where folks can learn from each other. We empower customers to guide a lot of the topics and discussions, allowing them to take the lead. They express their learning interests, and we delve deeper into those areas.”
“The cool thing is that ‘success’ is when the Customer Engagement Specialist doesn’t have to be driving the project anymore,” says Lauren, Engagement Team Specialist. “Our customers are building community and they’re sharing best practices with each other.” And one of several ways they’re doing that is with a dedicated Slack channel.
There are over 100 individuals from YMCAs, JCCs, and other community centers currently in the Slack channel helping one another out, sharing ideas of use cases and asking questions to the Customer Engagement Team. But don’t be surprised if you hear from others at Rec. “It’s not just the Engagement Team members in those channels. Jonny Power, our CTO, might chime in if someone asks a question.” Proof that everyone at Traction Rec wants to see each one of its customers succeed.
The Customer Engagement Team is integral to Traction Rec’s commitment to customer success. By supporting community centers through every stage of their journey—from pre-sales to post go-live— the Team ensures that customers have everything they need to confidently use the platform. This holistic approach not only helps customers get the most out of the platform but it also builds long-lasting relationships with the Customer Engagement Team.
For Jason, success comes down to independence and confidence. “Success is truly achieved when a customer realizes they can do things on their own,” he says. “It’s when the conversation shifts from 'Can you show me how to do X?' to 'Look at what I built yesterday!' When customers discover they can control their technology and create functionality independently, that’s when things get really exciting.”
And for those of us who have ever changed a car tire or sewn a button on a shirt, there’s nothing more satisfying than having helped ourselves.
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