Meet Tishla Jones, Senior Customer Service Manager!

We recently connected with Tishla to learn more about her 22 years of service with Pittsburgh Water, and how her role directly contributes to the delivery and accessibility of the water services our customers rely on day after day.

Tell us about your role at Pittsburgh Water and your typical responsibilities.

As Senior Customer Service Manager, I oversee our Contact Center and Emergency Dispatch operations, mentor and develop team management staff, and monitor organizational and employee performance, supporting them in providing exemplary customer service. I also analyze performance metrics, identify opportunities to improve efficiency, oversee training initiatives, manage workforce needs, support our technology needs, and collaborate across departments to resolve customer and operational issues. A significant part of my role is making sure our employees have the tools, training, coaching, and support necessary to successfully serve our customers.

How many years have you been working for Pittsburgh Water? What motivates you to stay here?

I’ve been with Pittsburgh Water for 22 years. What has kept me here is the opportunity to continuously grow while being part of an organization that provides a vital service to so many in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. I have had the opportunity to advance professionally and take on increasing levels of responsibility, the most recent example being the Unified Communications Systems project. This project is designed to move the needle on organizational capacity and customer trust, both of which are key strategic priority areas and essential to modernizing our unified communication and contact center systems. After 22 years, I still find value in being able to improve processes, solve problems, and make a positive impact on both our customers and employees.

How have you grown with Pittsburgh Water, professionally and/or personally?

My growth at Pittsburgh Water has been significant and a major turning point in my career! Over the years, I’ve progressed into leadership and management roles, which required me to strengthen my skills in employee development, performance development, problem resolution, workforce planning, training, reporting, and strategic decision-making. I also learned how important it is to remain adaptable as Pittsburgh Water continues to progress, technology continues to advance, and customers’ needs continue to evolve. Personally, Pittsburgh Water has helped me develop greater patience, resilience, accountability, and confidence as a leader.

Consider your role and what you do each day. How do you contribute to the delivery of safe, clean drinking water for all our communities?

Customer Service is a critical connection between Pittsburgh Water and the communities we serve. Our customers often contact us first when they experience a service issue, water emergency, billing concern, or simply need information about their water services. My responsibility is to make sure our Coordinators are equipped to properly train our Contact Center employees to gather accurate information, communicate effectively, and route concerns quickly to the appropriate department, while striving to meet our metrics and goals. By monitoring service levels, quality, performance, and customer feedback, I help ensure that our operational customer concerns are addressed efficiently and that our operational teams have received the information they need to respond appropriately.

Which of Pittsburgh Water’s core values resonates with you most and why?

Accountability resonates with me most. As a leader, I believe accountability starts with me setting clear expectations, following through on my commitments, and taking responsibility for the outcomes. I hold myself accountable for supporting my team, addressing issues, monitoring performance, and ensuring that we continue to improve. I also believe that accountability builds trust not only between employees and leadership, but between Pittsburgh Water and the customers we serve.

Is there a particularly memorable customer interaction that made your day?

After 22 years in Customer Service, there have been many memorable interactions. The ones that stand out most are when a customer contacts us frustrated or overwhelmed and we can turn that experience around. Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can do is listen, explain the situation clearly, and make sure the customer understands what will happen next. When a customer takes the time to say that we helped make a difficult situation easier, it reinforces the importance of the work my teams and I do.

What was your first job? Did it teach you anything that still rings true today?

In high school, my first job was in the Education Department at the Andy Warhol Museum, where I worked with middle school students and taught them how to create magazines and videos. That early experience taught me the importance of patience, creativity, and adapting your communication approach to different learning styles and audiences. Those lessons still apply to me today, especially as a leader responsible for training, coaching and developing employees. It also showed me how rewarding it can be to help someone learn something new and gain confidence in their abilities.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy spending time with my family, being involved with my children’s activities, and supporting the Woodland Hills Wolverine Football program. I am very active with the football booster organization, which allows me to support our student-athletes and community. I also enjoy gardening! Gardening gives me an opportunity to slow down, work with my hands, and enjoy the process of seeing something grow from the effort and care that I put into it.

What’s something that recently made you smile? 

Something that recently made me smile was watching my children begin another school year and seeing each of them reach a different stage in their lives. Dario is a Senior at Woodland Hills, De’ja’ is a Sophomore at Woodland Hills, Henry is in the 6th grade, Tsy’in is in the 3rd grade and Zyorah, the baby of the bunch, just started preschool. As a single mother, seeing their growth, accomplishment, personalities, and independence develop makes me extremely proud. Life moves quickly, and moments like this remind me to stop and appreciate how far I have come with them by my side, and all of our accomplishments over the years!