Melanie Calbow

Yardi

By Erica Rascón on Apr 30, 2013 in People

Melanie Calbow has proven to be more than a Billing Administrator. Her dedication to problem solving and quality customer service has earned her the reputation of being a stellar team player and customer advocate.

Melanie quickly adapted to her position in the finance department after graduating from UCSB. “I didn’t have an accounting background but I was in school for it. I found that I really enjoyed working with numbers and things fell into place.”

For eight years, Melanie has excelled in the fast-paced atmosphere of finance. As a Billing and Collections Administrator, each day is packed with new challenges and opportunities. “My day differs each day. That’s the fun part of my job,” Melanie says. “You have to be on your feet and ready to change gears at any given moment.” Creating statements and sending out invoices are only the tip of the iceberg. Sale order addendums, contracts, and even a few IT calls make their way to Melanie’s desk.  “I also talk to tenants every day,” she laughs. “Sometimes they don’t recognize how the statement is arranged so they call us. I’ve even gotten a few calls from people wanting tech support for Voyager. We live and breathe yCRM; though it’s similar to Voyager, it’s not the same so I have to point them in the right direction.”

Melanie and her team are known for problem solving. It has been a part of her job that has allowed her to have major one-on-one impact with clients. “We get callers who have been to other people and we’re often the last ones in the line,” she explains. “They’re tired, usually frustrated, and they just want some help.  We try to improve the mood and find them the appropriate contact. We have that contact get in touch with them instead of sending the caller on a long string of phone calls.” Melanie believes that professionalism is a crowning characteristic in Yardi culture.  “I like to treat our clients the same, help everyone as much as I can, regardless of the size of their account with us,” she says.

Her professionalism has won praises from her teammates and supervisors alike. Mark Livanec, Vice President of Affordable Housing & PHA Sales, reflects on Melanie’s work ethic: “Once again, Melanie saved the day for a client,” he writes. “I appreciate Melanie’s assistance and willingness to help – even when it’s not necessarily her direct responsibility—and great attitude for internal customer service.” Mark continues, “Melanie seems to be willing to pick up the phone to help in a pinch. Her help and extra effort is so valued!”

Outside of the office, Melanie makes time to stay involved with the Junior League of Santa Barbara, a nonprofit training organization that provides women with the tools needed to grow and become productive members of their communities. “We’re focusing on literacy right now, doing outreach programs for lower income families that often don’t put much emphasis on reading to children,” says Melanie. “It’s important to read to children when they’re young. Kids who don’t have literacy skills by 3^rd grade have a higher chance of dropping out of school, going to jail, or joining gangs.”

To help youth reach their potential, the League organizes events throughout the year that bring literacy into the spotlight. “We get together with other nonprofits for Día de los Niños and set up a booth. We help kids get library cards and they go home with books that day. We also do five arts and crafts events throughout the year with the library.” Melanie has served on the board, the new membership committee, and the design house committee that conducts fundraisers. The League is currently accepting donations for its literacy programs.

While Melanie has proven to be a insightful  and fact-driven young woman, she admits that there are a few things in her life that simply escape logic. Primarily, she has a “weird avoidance” with cheese. “It is purely psychological,” she admits. “It stems from being four and my sister declaring grilled cheese as her favorite food. From that point on, I refused to eat it.” Over time she has made exceptions for melted, white cheese but that’s about it. Melanie—who served as a life guard and swim instructor for seven years–also hates swimming in the ocean. That may be due to her dislike for snakes.  “Ocean swimming freaks me out. I don’t like having seaweed or fish brush against me,” she says. The slick, slithery, sliminess is unpleasant on land or at sea.

Just for fun, Melanie provided us with five inspirational figures with which she would like to have dinner. Her first choice was Helen Keller. “I think she was amazing. I initially went to school for speech and hearing sciences and she was an inspiration for me.”  Fictional character Anne of Green Gables made the list for her fiery personality. Claude Monet would also take a seat thanks to his artistic genius. The last to join the table are business tycoon Warren Buffet and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Wales.