Member Spotlight: Nancy Gunderson with Superior Medical Services

Published in Women's Health on June 26, 2020

We all know that the women’s health industry has changed throughout the years. For Nancy Gunderson, this change is a good thing. Celebrating her 40^th anniversary in the industry, Nancy has had years of experience and has great expertise when it comes to mastectomy fitting. Though many aspects of women’s health have changed over the years, the importance of making personal connections with customers and helping them feel good about themselves is a value that Nancy has carried with her throughout her years of service.

Nancy first entered the industry by working at a shop where she mainly fitted customers for braces and orthopedic shoes, as well as corsets, which were very popular at that time. There were not, however, as many women who underwent mastectomies. For those who did have surgery, it was a very extensive process and there were fewer accommodations for these women.

“In the old days, fittings were more challenging than they are today because more tissue was removed surgically back then,” said Nancy. “We had to match the remaining breast, but there were no custom options available at that time, which made it challenging.”

Throughout her time at the shop, many of Nancy’s customers would confide in her about what they were going through, from the surgery itself to their personal issues outside of the procedure.

“People didn’t have support groups back then. No one knew anyone else who had the surgery,” said Nancy. “Today, women can get more support. People are more knowledgeable and informed about what the next step is, and there are people to help with every step of the way. Back then, there wasn’t that emotional support.”

Feeling the need for more personal service and care, Nancy later founded Superior Medical Services in 1997. With two locations and handpicked employees, some whom have been there for 10 to 15 years, Superior Medical Services strives to provide their customers with a comfortable feeling of home.

“The number one thing I tell my new employees is to make sure to listen to the customer,” said Nancy. “If you sit down with them for five minutes, you’ll have all your questions answered by them simply just talking.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of her job is watching people’s attitudes change from when they walk into her store to when they leave.

“I would see people get transformed as I fit them with garments and make alterations,” described Nancy. “They feel so much better about who they are, and they leave as this butterfly that’s ready to face the world. “I’m never tired of fitting customers and helping them turn into that butterfly.”

Along with providing impactful customer experiences, Nancy also shared some advice for others in the industry.

“Really know your products,” advised Nancy. “It's all about knowing our product in order to best fit the customer.”

Through the years, Nancy has experienced the usual challenges that come with this industry, especially the complications of rules and regulations. However, Nancy’s core value that has stayed with her from the time she started is all about how she treats her customers.

“The man that hired me years ago taught me so much. He meant a lot to me,” said Nancy. “When I started, I didn’t know anything about the business, so I asked him why he hired me. He said that he saw the way I treated people, and he figured he could teach me the rest. These are the words I live by in the people I hire, and how I try to greet each customer that I take care of.”

Providing impactful experience through personal connections with customers has been an important value to Nancy Gunderson throughout her 40 years in the industry, and she continues to live by this value every day.

“We want customers to know that we do care about them, and we’re going to give them the best service we can.”

To learn more about Superior Medical Services, visit their website at https://www.superiormedicalservices.com/.

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