Member Spotlight

CSIA Member

Vanessa Holden Head of Client Services Adslot

Adam Bury

Team Manager IT Service Operations Townsville City Council What was your first role in customer service? My first role in customer service was in fact at the company that I work for at the moment. I was originally in a solutions consultant position with the company and my responsibilities grew very quickly as I learned more about the products we were building and the clients we were servicing. I had the opportunity to build the service division from the bottom up and develop the processes, operations, vision and direction of the service function.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things (Henry Miller). This retinoates with me on a personal and professional level. Through empathy I am able to see things through my customer eyes and gain a new way of seeing things - a new perspective or clearer understanding of their world. It helps me gain insights into how I can better serve our customer's needs or solve their problem(s).

What is your proudest achievement in customer service? That's a tough one. The most proudest achievement would have to be when we brought on a new MSA with an existing global client which had complex market level SLAs. The complexities were surrounding the timezones, scheduled business operating hours and resources which all needed to be SOX and ISO compliant. On top of this we had to build out monthly reporting dashboards for each market (roughly 17 global markets) to align with the auditing and compliance requirements. It was a huge undertaking for such a small business at the time, but we nailed it and to this day still deliver 100% of the SLAs for each market.

What advice would you give to a person starting in their customer service career? Ask questions - lots of questions. No such thing as a silly question. Questions are key to gaining a deeper understanding - whether that's an understanding of your role, your customers, products and services you are supporting, processes and operations - you name it - the more questions the better. Questions also show that you are engaged and eager to learn.

What is the best thing about working in customer service? The ability to continuously be learning - whether it's a new product or service offering, new problems and issues, new customers and their businesses or new processes. Things are constantly changing and you are at the forefront of that change and solving the issues that come with it.

Spotlight

What was your first role in customer service? It’s going back many years, however one of my first jobs whilst at school was the Saturday receptionist at a real estate agency. That role taught me a lot about customer service in all shapes and forms and was a great initiation into the world of customer service. Every role I have had since starting my career has provided me insights into how to provide the best customer experience and what can be more successful than others.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Find your ‘third space’. It’s that moment of transition between one activity and another, to allow you to mentally ‘show up’ for whatever comes next and not carry over your mindset and emotional state from one activity to the next. A great example is from work to home. Find your third space to decompress by reading, listening to music or whatever works for you. This can be challenging in the work from home environment, so it is particularly important to make a conscious effort to find your third space.

What is your proudest achievement in customer service? My proudest achievement has been that I have been fortunate to be able to support and mentor several outstanding individuals to achieve their goals and potential. In many instances, the individual was not aware of their strengths and what opportunities that were available to them as part of their career. Sometimes it was just being someone to bounce ideas off. I am delighted that they now have very successful careers and continue to excel.

What advice would you give to a person starting in their customer service career? Put your hand up for every opportunity and start collecting as many skills as you can for your “career kitbag” (it may not be obvious from the outset what the skill is you’re learning however it will become clearer over time) and remember your personal brand is extremely important, so make sure it’s a positive one - it follows you everywhere!

What is the best thing about working in customer service? What customers care about shifts over time. For example, Australians have never cared more about ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) investing, and considering Australian Ethical’s status in the market as an ethical leader, we get the chance to field a fantastic range of questions related to sustainability and world events every day. At AE our investment team is able to invest in companies which are good for the plant, people and animals, whilst also delivering strong returns - it’s a career that never stops finding ways to be rewarding. Mei-Ling Cheong-Nepia Head of Client Services Australian Ethical

Level 2 383 George Street Sydney NSW 2000 t 1300 912 700 e info@csia.com.au w csia.com.au