This is a paid piece from Silverstar Car Wash.

Simplified: Taylor Gjertson admits she hasn’t always been the best at communicating with others. But her job at Silverstar Car Wash helped her develop those skills and learn that it’s OK to ask for help.

Why it matters

• Gjertson, 26, started as a cashier at Silverstar’s 69th Street and Louise Avenue location in September after leaving a retail job she said she wishes she’d left sooner. Already, she’s been promoted to cashier lead, and she hopes to continue advancing her career with the company.
• As a cashier, one of the skills she’s most developed is talking to customers and helping them out when they need it. It’s in that work she said she’s grown more and more comfortable recognizing when she, too, needs help and asking for it.
• She said she loves how different Silverstar is from her previous job working at a large grocery retailer. She feels more camaraderie with her coworkers, and she sees that Silverstar is committed to training and developing its employees.

“It’s one of those jobs where, when they say you can move up quickly, you can actually move up quickly if you put the work in,” Gjertson said.

Q&A: Meet Taylor Gjertson

This segment has been edited and shortened for clarity. Answers are all from Gjertson.

Tell me a bit more about you. What do you do outside of work? I was born and raised in Tea and now live in Harrisburg. I love to hang out with my nephews in the summertime, and I like to disc golf.

What makes you good at your job? I’ve gotten really confident with the billing inquiries – customers calling with questions – and I’ve gotten a lot better at phone calls, helping customers with problems. It’s all about making sure the customer leaves happy.

What makes Silverstar unique as an employer? It’s a hands-on job. We have a lot of team meetings, so it makes it more of a family. You’re not working by yourself – you’re always working with a team.

What’s something about Silverstar that you think most customers don’t know? We fix any problems that come up with the wash. We don’t call someone to come fix it, so we’re learning a lot of new things.

What’s next for you? My next goal is to become an assistant manager.

Learn more about Silverstar

Silverstar has 10 locations – with one more in the works – in Sioux Falls. You can learn more about their unlimited wash program here, and if you’re looking to work with folks like Taylor, find job openings here.