Interview with Corali Duncan, Customer Service Leader of the Year

CSIA recently interviewed the winners of the 2023 Australian Service Excellence Awards.

Here we speak to Corali Duncan from Yarra Valley Water about her success leading customer service excellence.

Congratulations on winning the 2023 Customer Service Leader of the Year Award! How does it feel to be recognised for your efforts?

Thank you so much. It feels amazing to be recognised for my efforts. I do this job because I genuinely have a heart to serve and my team’s development and growth is the reason I am still here. I love to create safety in my relationships so that each person can be their authentic selves and therefore bring the best version of themselves to work each day, which in turn means our customer get our best service.

How long have you been involved in customer service, and what motivates you to pursue excellence in this field?

I have been involved in customer service since my career began, working in a pottery gift store, then moving into a banking contact centre and the rest is history. I am a customer and know what service I expect and how I like to be treated, this is the reason I pursue excellence. We are all unique individuals, and each customer has their own story, they deserve to be treated with respect and go away from any interaction feeling satisfied and cared for.

Can you share the specific reasons or initiatives that you believe contribute to your success in customer service?

I believe in authenticity, inclusivity and a strong culture of safety and feedback. This creates a space where my team can be vulnerable, open to feedback and growth, feel safe that when they make a mistake they will be supported and encouraged to improve. This in turn plays out in their interactions with customers. I don’t buy into negativity or disbeliefs, I believe that if you really put your mind to something, you can achieve anything. The opportunity for my team to grow means they are always improving their own knowledge and skills to enhance our customer’s experience. I am very focused on my team’s development, ensuring the know the expectations of them in their role and how to grow outside of those as well as discovering what’s next for them. And unlocking their potential I don’t pretend to know everything and am not afraid to get stuck in and learn with my team. I recently created a Future Leaders Development program, which is focused on people that are interested in leadership but require the foundational level of knowledge and skills. We have a series of workshops where I share examples and learnings from over the years, I do role plays and we have guest speakers from across the organisation that they may not otherwise have had exposure to.

What challenges have you encountered in delivering excellent customer service, and how did you overcome them?

I find it challenging when I am working with someone, and our values don’t align. My core value is courage and when I work with someone that isn’t brave enough to try a new process or a new way of working, I find that challenging. How I have overcome this in the past is to adapt myself to their way of thinking and communicating. I will change the language I use, try to be visual, give different examples, and encourage my team members to bring their own suggestions to a change in the way they are working so that they have their own contribution. I believe that any challenge can be overcome with the right attitude and support in place, and I endeavour to find the solutions so that I can offer my best self to my team and in turn the customer.

The 2024 Awards are open for nominations until 31 May 2024