In the ever-evolving world of government surplus auctions, Municibid has been making waves for nearly two decades. As the company celebrates its 18th anniversary, Jackie Blaskovich, Director of Customer Success, is herself celebrating an impressive 8 years with the organization. Through her experience, Jackie has found plenty of fascinating insights into online auctions and developed big dreams for the future of Municibid.
Jackie's Journey with Municibid
Jackie's role encompasses customer support, quality control, and payment management for selling agencies. As an integral part of Municibid’s success, she has witnessed the company’s growth and evolution firsthand. From the expansion of Municibid's reach across the United States to the increasing number of selling agencies on the platform. There’s so much she has already seen and so much more she hopes will come.
“A very large portion of my job is to respond to support, whether that be phone call, email, chat. Most of it comes to me and I help our sellers and our bidders with any issues they have, or just any general questions they have. I also do a lot with the listings. Checking the listing quality to make sure that all the information bidders would want to know is there and it's the best pictures and the best pricing.”
“I would love to see us just continue to grow, continue to bring on more selling agencies and more bidders and see more items listed every day.” - Jackie Blaskovich
Jackie at Spring Thaw Open House in Canton, PA in 2024The Thrill of Online Bidding
Ask Jackie and she’ll tell you, with a wider audience and increased competition, online auctions often result in higher prices for sellers. Just last week, one of Municibid’s sellers contacted her, raving about a 10-foot tub grinder that sold for more than expected. It started at $2,500, but sold for an impressive $92,100!
"Many times because we have the ability to market or broadcast these items nationwide, the items sell for a lot more than they would if it was just an in-person auction because there's more people interested in it and more people competing for it."
"I think it's fascinating that an item can go for two weeks getting like one or two bids sprinkling in. But in the last five minutes of the auction, it could get 30 bids." - Jackie Blaskovich
Jackie compares the excitement of watching auctions heat up in the final minutes to the thrill of a casino.
“Really what it comes down to is in the beginning, when they see these items like just a general bidder sees an item like a vehicle, for example, and the starting price is $500, the bidder, the first bidder who places a bid is placing the bid because it's a great deal. It's a good running car. It's in decent condition for only $500. But then when multiple people get involved in the bidding process, that mindset switches and it's no longer, ‘This is a great deal,’ now it's, ‘What's another $100? I want to win.’” - Jackie Blaskovich
AI in Customer Support
While auctions provide plenty of competition, Jackie wants to ensure that the experience for buyers and sellers is as hassle-free as possible. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent in various industries, she’s considered whether it could play a potential role in customer support. For now, she doesn’t believe AI has reached the level of effectiveness needed to provide the high-quality assistance customers expect. Some problems are just too complex and require the attention of another person.
"If we're going to use AI in support, in my opinion, it needs to be extremely good. The questions that come in to support typically do need a real person to help resolve it."
"A lot of times people believe that I am a bot and I'm not, I'm a real person. I'm really responding. I'm really typing." - Jackie Blaskovich
The Impact of Municibid Auctions
One of the most rewarding parts of working at Municibid is witnessing the positive impact these auctions have on local communities. With 100% of the proceeds going back to the selling agencies, the funds generated contribute to various projects and improvements in municipalities across the country.
“I think I've heard like once or twice, some of the improvements with like a local park or something and how they improved it because they got $50,000 more than they thought they would on a particular backhoe.” - Jackie Blaskovich
Streamlining Processes for Selling Agencies
Looking toward the future, Jackie has a few ideas in mind for continuing to improve Municibid’s service. Ultimately, she envisions continued growth and expansion for the company. One goal is to enhance customer feedback channels, allowing for more direct communication. Jackie also has a desire to work more closely with selling agencies to streamline their auction processes. By providing hands-on support and guidance, she can help them navigate the challenges of surplus disposition, from listing items effectively to managing the pickup process.
Ideally, auctioning surplus will be as seamless and profitable as possible for Municibid partners.
“I really do enjoy the time periods where I get to meet face to face with selling agencies or bidders and talk to them and hear how things are going, how they're using the site and what improvements they have, like suggestion wise for us. I think the best way for us to grow and to improve is for us to listen to the customer and what their pain points are or what's working really well.”
Jackie and Sophie at a company retreat in 2021.The Future of Municibid
Jackie and Sophie at a company retreat in 2021.As Municibid celebrates its 18th anniversary and Jackie marks her 8th year with the company, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation for what the future holds. With a strong foundation built on customer service and a commitment to supporting communities nationwide, Jackie believes Municibid is well-positioned for continued success.
“Something I'm really hoping to be able to do in the next six months to a year is get the chance to work closer with selling agencies in person to kind of streamline their process on their end.”
“On our end, I know how everything works, but I want to help them with their end, with the pickup process, because I know it can be frustrating. I know that sometimes bidders are a little slow to respond. And I know the paperwork and all of that kind of stuff can get just a lot and frustrating and just too much to deal with.” - Jackie Blaskovich
