An Ingersoll Rand Employee Spotlight: A good day for our customers is a good day for us

We recently spoke with Michael Bickel, who runs the Service and Operations Team for Club Car in the southeastern and southwestern United States. Michael proudly served in the United States military, as an Infantry Squad Leader in the United States Marine Corps (active duty 1990-1994 and active Reserves 1994-2000).

michael bickel

What do you enjoy most in your role at Ingersoll Rand?
A good day for our customers is a good day for us! My team and I are the front line for our customers after their purchase. Beyond delivering a reliable product, we bring value through the service we provide.

In keeping with the IR value of acting like an owner, we take full responsibility for that relationship. That means that we spend more time with our customers than anyone else in the business. In this way, we strengthen the relationship our customers have with our brand—which means we are likely to keep our customers for life.

 

Tell us about how you grew your current position with Club Car.
After four years in Lean Initiatives, I took a customer-facing role as Service Leader for western California. There, my team and I had great leaders and mentors that believed in us and pushed us to be successful. During that time, we were building our service business from the ground up and there was not a clear road map to follow. We had to grow in unison. Although we had some challenges at first, we definitely learned to fail fast and fail forward—always getting better with each step. 

 

How did your military experience prepare you for this role? 
My military experience taught me perseverance and empathy while ensuring the welfare of my team—all were the highest priority. Accomplish the mission while always bringing everyone home in the same or in better shape than when we deployed, and it was a must. This mindset stuck with me and I apply it daily as I keep myself motivated and use it to guide my decisions, leadership style and focus. It solidifies my loyalty and commitment to what is important. And of course, to always remain humbled to have the privilege to lead.

 

In your role, what do you feel your most significant contribution to the company is? 
Working at Ingersoll Rand has shown me my “why,” which is to wake up every day and help others reach their potential—and once they feel they have reached it, to realize they are capable of pushing beyond. Therefore, my most significant contribution is inspiring a diverse group of people to be the future leaders of our business and our communities. 

 

What are you looking forward to?
I am excited to see what opportunities our recent merger will bring over the next few years. We have already demonstrated great success—and that has been in the face of change and challenges. That speaks volumes about how incredibly strong and driven the people and leadership of our two joining organizations are and what we are capable of. 

 

What piece of advice would you give early talent?
First, approach every day with an attitude of gratitude: Learn enthusiastically, listen intently and lead authentically. Do not be afraid to venture outside your comfort zone. Actually, I encourage it—and if you find yourself getting comfortable, it is time for a change. 

 

What is the best part of working at Ingersoll Rand?
To me, Ingersoll Rand offers almost an extended family environment. We care about one another, we prop each other up, we discuss our differences of opinion and we pursue the same goals together.