Was Technology always your desired field of work?
My passion has always been towards people. Humans are at the centre of everything in life. Without people, nothing truly gets done. And being able to develop connections with others is vital because it is through people that you get employed, generate sales, and so on. I enjoy connecting with people, especially in business. I started my career in Hospitality and Sales, which laid the foundation for my service-orientated mindset.
I entered the Technology sector by taking an opportunity for a temporary contract job and found that I quickly picked up on the information. I managed to understand the systems and optimize processes to find effective ways to deliver better results in much less time. This is where my interest in technology, specifically Telecoms and Mobility, was born.
From there, I spent much of my personal time understanding not just my role, but the overall Telecoms industry. What I love about Technology and Telecoms is that it is a very dynamic and constantly changing field, so there is no time to fall behind, and it keeps me on my toes. It is also a very resilient market as the need to be connected grows daily across the globe; therefore, it is a great space to find a long-term career.
My role has changed many times over the years I have been at Adapt IT. I have worked as an On-site Service Consultant to Technical Support, and now as a Service Delivery Manager. Adapt IT has a culture that encourages growth, and I am proud of how far I have come in such an exciting organization.
How did Digital Transformation change the Customer Experience & Mobility space?
Remote working technology has vastly improved over the last few years and has become the norm. Previously, our customer success consultants would need to travel and meet customers to address concerns or advise them on our Technology and solutions. This meant the maximum number of engagements was limited by the travel time between customers. With the adoption of digital meeting spaces, we can now have many more engagements with our customers with virtually no time needed to move between meetings.
Also, thanks to Digital Transformation, we have improved our Corporate Customer Self Service (CCSS) products by adding near real-time reporting, redesigning our data intake procedures, and implementing more cutting-edge Technology. With the most recent version, we’ve developed a modular system. The idea is to allow us to access numerous platforms and products through a single sign-on process. There is no need to memorise many separate passwords to log in to multiple products.
Thus, the Digital Transformation that we went through at the product level has really helped our CXM space. Without using these cutting-edge technologies, I don’t believe we would be where we are today, having such a strong relationship with our customers.
How does Customer Experience Management (CXM) differ from Customer Experience & Mobility?
CXM is a function that is useful in any business environment. Now, CX & Mobility is simply a function that improves Customer Experience Management, within the Telecom Mobility space, and you build a team of experts in that field to manage connections in that field.
For you, what does CXM mean?
Customer Experience Management is all about connecting with people, specifically your customers. It is my passion. Over the years, I’ve interacted with a lot of clients, and each of them had a unique viewpoint, need, and issue to address. That’s why it’s a fascinating space. You won’t always be solving the same problems. You will interact with a new person who has different needs, a different method of doing things, and different business goals.
You’ll be amazed at what an effective engagement can lead to! Sometimes, it can just be an unhappy customer who needs someone to listen to them carefully. I believe, we often talk without really listening to what the customer has to say and have our answers on the tip of our tongue. Most clients simply require time to process their thoughts and express their needs. Before you start advising them what to do, you should be capable of assuring them that you understand their concerns. At the end of that conversation, the customer is not only relaxed, but a connection is built, and the problem is solved.
What methods does Adapt IT Telecoms implement to improve Customer Experience?
CXM’s function is to ensure that your customers are constantly engaged, that you know what they need, and that they are aware of what products and services you provide. Our CXM team have many methods of engaging with our customers to support our products. Recently, we launched in-application announcements, and the uptake has been phenomenal! Not only are customers more informed about the product and new features, but we can quickly notify them if there are any issues. This can also reduce the influx of queries, which can often overwhelm a support team.
Quarterly training campaigns have been introduced, which customers can sign-up for via our marketing mailers and in the application itself. This allows us to train large groups of customers at a time which is necessary when any new features are released. We also conduct surveys on our support tickets, consultant training, and product performance. This input is closely monitored to ensure our customers are well taken care of.
Do your customers’ needs change and how do you change with them?
Yes, our customer’s needs change, especially with Technology. That is why a strong CXM team is so necessary. Without the ability to pre-empt our customer’s needs, our solutions would quickly become outdated.
After connecting with customers via multiple channels, such as support and consulting engagements, mailers, in-application announcements, and surveys, we share feedback with our development team and make sure we include the necessary features in the product. This is how we keep our solutions relevant and thriving.
What role will humans play in the expanding world of Automation and Self-Service?
I like this question. There is a heated debate going on right now about whether automation will put humans out of work and whether self-service will eliminate the help desk. Both sides of this argument have fair points but, in my opinion, we will adapt. It’s what people do “adapt and embrace” the change, just like Adapt IT.
People often overlook the fact that Technology exists to simplify our lives. The best thing about Technology and Automation is that it frees humans from many tedious, repetitive jobs. As a result, more time is available to do other, more important things. Hence, in my opinion, the more Automation and Self-Service we have, the more time we have to concentrate on innovation and producing new things rather than repeatedly performing administrative tasks.
I see a world in which people’s primary duties will be to collaborate, create, and innovate. People will be able to spend time interacting with others and coming up with ideas while Technology handles the boring tasks and the things that people don’t like to do. Consequently, there will be more time to think out-of-the-box. More time will be available to develop new Technology that will make our lives even simpler. More time to relax and think about how we can improve the world.
What If People Want to Carry on living without this technological disruption?
The fact is that innovation will occur regardless. Therefore, we must make the decision to accept it and change with it. As Technology evolves, completely new industries are born at the same time to fill the needs that are created by it. An excellent example is a cell phones. How many jobs have been created as a result of things like cellphones? If not for cell phones, the entire mobile Telecoms industry would not exist. Because we need cell phones, companies must use various materials, meaning mines must produce various commodities to manufacture cellphone batteries, supply the market, and produce the chips used in sim cards. More jobs are created by it. If you see it that way, it could be a much more positive outcome.
