I live in Wilmington, North Carolina, where Hurricane Florence just took a spin. The damage here and in surrounding areas is serious. With a flick of her wrist, Florence and the floodwaters trailing behind her washed away lives, homes, highways, trees, infrastructure, businesses, and livelihoods.
I chose to evacuate and spent last week in Zift’s Cary, NC offices, comforted by my inland colleagues as I awaited news of friends, loved ones, and my own historic home downtown at the coast. Thankfully, my friends and family weathered the storm safely. But I heard through the grapevine that a portion of our roof failed during the storm, windows were broken and the front door cracked. So, I knew I was facing some hard work when I returned home Friday.
Tools & Supplies I Didn’t Know I Needed
I left the Zift offices loaded with supplies, well wishes and “What can we do’s?” from Zifters. They packed my car with cases of bottled water, PB&J fixings and more. Among the donations I received was a “Hurricane Bucket” filled with things I didn’t even know I would need. Clothespins and a rope to secure tarps or hang clothes to dry. Pre-diluted fungicide and spray bottles to stop creeping mold in its tracks. Reusable gloves, wet wipes, Lysol, and air fresheners (Things and people get pretty stinky when the power is out — and those floodwaters are far from fresh). A few surprise butterscotch candies were also tucked into my Hurricane Bucket for comfort along with cinnamon to sprinkle across doorjambs to keep the ants away! (Who knew?!) As I worked my way through my house using the tools and supplies my lovely Zifters provided, I couldn’t help but think: This is what Zift does for our customers every day.
While your channel program may not have been ravaged by Mother Nature, I bet there are things that need tending — are broken — or, at least, not working as well as you would like. And, like me, you may not know exactly where to start the clean-up. Zift does.
Like a storm damage mitigation team, Zift’s Channel Center of Excellence is staffed with experts ready to swoop in and assess what’s working and what’s not — then make a plan of action to get any program back on track fast. They have the proven expertise, insight and purpose-built tools to take on the most complex challenges. Zift’s dedicated Channel Success and Engagement teams are boots on the ground — armed with knowledge and know-how to get programs and partners working collaboratively to achieve more than they could have imagined. An array of Zift support professionals are always on call for clean-up and our Creative Services team can polish up any campaign — and even optimize it for use on the Zift platform.
Zifters have continued to reach out since I’ve been home, asking what else I need — what else they can do for me and my community. Because that’s what Zifters do. We step up and provide real solutions when others are struggling. We get fired up when we have the opportunity to pitch in — and we are there when the going gets tough. If my Zifters can help me and my beloved Wilmington recover from a hurricane, just imagine what they can do for your channel program and partners.
Tell us what you would want most in a hurricane bucket to straighten out your channel program in the comments section below. And if you want to help out those affected by Hurricane Florence, consider making a donation to Direct Relief or helping us Re-Open Sub Stop, a Wilmington classic, and family-owned business severely damaged by the storm.
