3 minute read
Interview with the Customer Service Professional of the Year
CSIA interviewed the winners of the 2023 Australian Service Excellence Awards. Here we talk to Robert Kent from Smartgroup, the Customer Service Professional of the Year
Congratulations on winning the 2023 Customer Service Professional of the Year Award! How does it feel to be recognised for your efforts?
Pretty great actually. The lights, cameras and all the cheering of the awards night were all impressive enough, but now that I am home, it keeps going when work colleagues and management often bring it up and recongratulate me. I even got a mention in our new CEO’s communication to the business regarding updates and goals for the coming year.
How long have you been involved in customer service, and what motivates you to pursue excellence in this field?
I think we always present a version of ourselves, regardless of what we do, and we always want that version to be the best version. That simply transfers over into customer service when professionally you are also presenting a version of yourself. I want that version of me to be the best it can be. I try to gauge what the customer needs and expects from their perspective then apply that to my interactions with them. If you can do that and finish the day feeling like you have helped or made a difference to someone, then that’s a good thing.
Can you share the specific reasons or initiatives that you believe contribute to your success in customer service?
Age… not that I am old, but I think age allows you more exposure to the customer service you receive over your lifetime. Some great, some not so good and that inspires me to aim for the great end of the customer service spectrum.
What challenges have you encountered in delivering excellent customer service, and how did you overcome them?
I have always been in sales-based Customer Service and the greatest challenges seem to be timing. It always seems to come down to timing for delivery of the customers vehicle or helping them through the hurdles involved with finance approvals, and even sourcing appropriate vehicles in given timeframes. It’s the relationships you cultivate in all the adjoining teams within your circle that allow you to accomplish this. I try to remember, those adjoining teams both internal and external to our business, are always deserving of a good customer service experience from me as well.
If you could give one piece of advice to customer service professionals, what would it be?
Easy… take a breath, deal with situations as they arise, and remember to smile. Even over the phone you can sense or feel a smile as much as you can a frown, so try to be cheery. I am also a big believer in sharing your knowledge. You acquired most of your knowledge for free and from someone else, you don’t own it, so pass it on as often as you can.