The Credit Counselling Canada Exceptional Service Award recognizes distinguished service or a special contribution above and beyond normal duties by an agency staff member to clients and/or the community. The 2017 award recipient is Craig York of the Credit Counselling Society (CCS).
When you first meet Craig York you are greeted with a friendly smile and genuine handshake. A man of tall stature, Craig is the furthest thing from intimidating. He is a conscientious and caring individual who strives each day to do the best for his clients. In his role as a Credit Counsellor, he uses his diverse skills to deliver exceptional client experiences daily.
“I would just like to say that my counsellor who was fantastic not only with the information he was able to provide for me but also with his customer service skills. He has made what for me was a very stressful situation into a much more manageable situation where I am actually feeling extremely positive and excited to move on from here.”
A member of the CCS team since 2014, Craig is known as an employee you go to if you need something done. He thoroughly enjoys extra work and going the extra mile for his clients. He takes a lot of pride in being able to say that he has done all he possibly can to better the life of every client he speaks to. He does not back down when a client requires a champion and advocate for their situation.
Scott Hannah (L) President & CEO, Credit Counselling Society and Craig York, Award Recipient.
Mary contacted CCS in August of 2016 and was connected with Craig. A heart condition had taken her out of the workforce and on Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefits. Caring for her daughter who has a learning disability, it was very important for Mary to keep her stress level low, as to not impact her health condition.
While Mary had been approved for CPP disability benefits, her private disability provider declined her insurance claim and rejected her replacement wages. As a result, Mary was tied up in a legal battle with her insurance provider since 2013, with no end in sight. To make matters even worse, one of her creditors froze her accounts (and therefore her CPP disability benefit) as they had acquired a judgement against her.
While some might not bother to attempt a settlement with a creditor that has already obtained a judgement, Craig saw Mary’s difficult situation as an opportunity to provide exceptional service. He focused on assessing the client’s unique situation and did not give up just because a judgement was in place. He reached out to the creditor.
With the client’s health in mind, he took it upon himself to make certain as little of the process would affect Mary as possible. This included ensuring that the mediation between the creditor and Mary went smoothly. When the creditor accepted the proposal, he immediately contacted Mary and had the funds deposited and paid to the creditor all within the same day.
With the help of his timely and exceptional service, Mary’s accounts were unfrozen, the judgement was lifted, and she could continue to use the disability income for her everyday needs.
Continuing down the path of financial wellness, together Craig and Mary reviewed her complete financial condition and created a realistic financial plan to help her to achieve her goals. Mary was very appreciative as Craig truly took mountains of stress off her shoulders.
“I would just like to say thank you for being available to me…to anyone who is able to reach out for help. I walked into my appointment with some trepidation, wondering if I would leave feeling judged, ashamed, or more hopeless than I did walking in; however, to my relief, I was immediately put at ease by my counsellor, who assured me that together we would find a path out of the financial mess I am in.’’
If you need help with debt management, budgeting or general financial education, we can help you find a credit counsellor who can provide you exceptional credit counselling like Craig. Click here to find a credit counsellor near you or learn more about credit counselling services in British Columbia.
Submitted by: Scott Hannah
* Client’s name has been changed as to ensure confidentiality.