It’s the listening for the details that makes the difference during customer conversations
It is the case with all our nominees for CSBA’s Agent of the Quarter that a common thread in providing excellence in customer service interactions comes down to frontline agents paying attention to the details.
This quarter, we recognise three agents who read between the lines, who joined the dots in such a way to have a massive impact on their customers. In the case of Joshua and Steve from OUA and Curtin University, respectively, it was acting on the emotional cues they heard from their customers that potentially changed the course of two students lives. And the quick-thinking Rayan from AusNet joined the dots by listening to their customer to isolate the cause of a power outage. As a result, the outage’s impact was minimised for hundreds of customers.
We want to applaud Rayan, Joshua and Steve for listening to the details. Your efforts have a massive impact on your customers, and we thank you for it!
CSBA congratulates the April – June 2024 Most Customer Focused Agent Award winners.
Rayan Siraj – AusNet
Customer Care Lead, Danielle, shared how team member Rayan’s quick thinking made a crucial difference during a recent outage. “Rayan received a call from a customer who reported a potential safety issue” she explained, recalling the occasion. “Thanks to Rayan’s quick ability to identify the reason for the outage, he was able to inform Shift Supervisor Michael, who then quickly notified AusNet’s control room over the phone with all the details – even before a formal job had been raised. Thanks to this quick response, crews were able to get onsite much faster”.
Danielle offered this closing insight, “Having this type of support is incredibly valuable during outages, as it helps us pinpoint the issue sooner than usual so we can restore services for our customers”.
– The nomination was received from Danielle Jones, Customer Care Lead
Steve Ford – Curtin University
Emily Duffell, Training and Quality Assurance Advisor, spoke about her nomination of Steve Ford, highlighting a recent example of his diligence and amiability. “I’m nominating Steve for his remarkable ability to pick up on the caller’s cues and provide exceptional support,” Emily shared. She recalled a specific instance when Steve received a call from a new student who was struggling to navigate the online student portal. “The student mentioned having a disability and expressed doubts about continuing their studies, saying they were finding it challenging but really wanted to work towards their dream career.”
Emily explained that Steve responded warmly, saying, “That’s a great mindset to have, and hopefully you’ll also find some enjoyment in your studies! But first, let’s make sure you feel confident with the portal, and that’s what I’m here to help with today.”
Steve dedicated 53 minutes to patiently guiding the student through each aspect of the portal and other essential online services. Emily says, “He was attentive to the student’s cues, using frequent temperature checks like, ‘Is that making sense?’ and ‘Any questions so far?’ He also paraphrased and summarised information carefully to make sure the student understood everything.” She concluded, “The student expressed gratitude multiple times throughout the call. Well done, Steve! Thanks to your support, this student ended the conversation feeling confident and ready to continue striving toward their dream career!”
-The nomination was received from Emily Duffell, Training and Quality Assurance Advisor
Joshua Paleologou- Open Universities Australia
Capability Lead, Peter Pappas, put forward an exemplary instance of Joshua’s dedication to outstanding customer service. “A recent example of Joshua going above and beyond,” he recalled, “was when a student reached out, contemplating withdrawal during a particularly challenging period”. Rather than approaching it as a simple transactional interaction, Joshua quickly discerned that the student was not entirely ready to abandon their studies. “He took the initiative to explore practical options with the student, offering tailored support for the short, medium, and long term, guidance that could help them remain aligned with their goals.” Peter, clearly impressed with how Joshua handled the situation, continued, “The student was so moved by Joshua’s approach that they felt compelled to express their gratitude in a direct message to the CEO!”
Reflecting on this interaction, Peter shared that, “Listening back to the call, it was evident that Joshua exemplified our values of Ease, Success, and Sentiment. His ability to provide thoughtful guidance left a lasting impact, leading to the student’s overwhelmingly positive feedback. A massive well done to Joshua.”
-The nomination was received from Peter Pappas, Capability Lead
Nominations are open for the October – December 2024 awards
We’re currently accepting nominations for the October – December 2024 CX Agent of the Quarter awards and encourage all of our clients to nominate agents and frontline staff whose work deserves to be celebrated.
The awards are about celebrating the members of your team who work to create better customer experiences and nominations can be based on a variety of different reasons including:
- Excellence in the use of a specific SenseCX measure.
- Consistent improvement in SenseCX assessment scores.
- Embracing a SenseCX behaviour for the first time – moving the dial away from 0%!
- Sharing tips or information with the team about how to achieve specific SenseCX behaviours.
- Embracing a new technique or behaviour to enhance the experience for customers.
- Handling a complex enquiry really well.
- Showing a genuine passion to improve a customer’s experience.
- Transcending customer expectations – going above and beyond for a customer.
- Finding the perfect balance between people and process for the good of a customer.
- Showing real leadership and judgement to reflect your organisation’s customer-focused culture or customer promise.
- Stepping up to report an issue that was impacting customer experience.
- Finding a creative and/or innovative way to solve a customer’s problem.
To nominate a member, or members, of your team simply complete this nomination form.
