RVWA Spotlight: Introducing Rayna Dimitroff of Forest River

EDITOR’S NOTE: Several times a month RVBusiness will post an “RVWA Spotlight,” which will highlight a member of the RV Women’s Alliance (RVWA) in each instance. Provided by RVWA, the member spotlight series interviews many of the women who make up the RV industry, highlighting how they got into the industry, what they currently do, and advice for other women. The series also dives deeper to better understand these women and what drives them.

Rayna Dimitroff

Rayna Dimitroff – ‘Let me know if there’s anything I can to do help.’

Rayna Dimitroff has had more than her fair share of setbacks in her life, but since she found her place at Forest River, it could be said that all she does is win. In five short years, she has advanced from admittedly knowing nothing about RVs to becoming one of the corporate customer service trainers for the Elkhart, Ind.-based manufacturer.

Dimitroff started with Rockwood and Flagstaff and started just as a processor. She worked there about six months and got promoted to authorizations, which is kind of like processing, but involved more things like talking to the dealers a little bit, more hands-on learning, and authorizing repairs.

She then was promoted again to a warranty rep and then to assistant customer service manager.

“I oversaw anybody in parts and warranty and that took up most of my time over there,” Dimitroff said. “In May of last year, my first manager Kelly Mosher approached me about the trainer position. I’ve never asked for a promotion. It’s been more me saying if you need anything I’m here to help.”

In her newest position, Dimitroff’s main focus is training internal employees throughout Forest River – mainly the processors in the warranty department.  “As soon as they start off, they come to me,” she said. “I teach them how to work with the program we use and how to process claims and then my new baby is helping dealers on Dealer Connect, which is the portal for dealers to submit claims, order parts, etc. I host the webinars for our company on there to assist the dealers, making the experience a little smoother on the site.”

With her recent history, it might sound like Dimitroff has had an easy time of it, but that wasn’t always the case. She is a single mom and came out of a bad relationship that turned violent.

“I spent some time on a friend’s couch with a 2-year-old daughter for about three months before I pulled myself up and decided to go find a good job and start my new journey,” she said. “Now I own a house and you’d never think all those bad things happened to us.”

And now she has a better place to think about her career and job opportunities. She said her favorite part of her RV career is the communications she has with managers and dealers and she appreciates the fact that many more of them are women than in the past.

She also said she is excited about the future of the industry, even as sales slow down and some people fearing a return to Recession-type conditions last seen in 2008. “I just don’t see it in the RV industry,” Dimitroff said. “So many people say it, but I’m kind of excited to see how much we can grow through that time period when everything else is going down. RVs are still going to be there and still be the cheapest option for travel. It’s an investment, but it’s something that’s going to stay with you for a long time.”

Her positive outlook and willingness to pitch in have been an important part of Dimitroff’s advancement, but she said she’s a believer that the right person with the right attitude can succeed.

“It’s a great industry to work in,” she said. “As long as you have an open mind and you’re willing to learn, you will succeed. The RV industry isn’t for everyone – especially in the warranty field. Having to trouble-shoot a unit is difficult, but if you have the eye of the tiger-type attitude proving you can succeed, then you’ve got this.”

And women who are considering a future in the RV industry need to be ready to face the challenge. “Don’t let men make you think you are not worthy of growing in the company,” she said. “You can be just as strong as any other person out there.”

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/rvwa-spotlight-introducing-rayna-dimitroff-of-forest-river/