By Steve Wrench, Operations Director at We Are Group
My career has seen me work predominately in the Outsourcing industry as an Operational Leader, supporting both public sector (Central and Local Government) and private sector clients. I have led what were initially referred to as Call Centres but following the introduction and ongoing expansion of the digital age, omni-channel Contact Centres are now at the forefront.
Balancing AI with the Human Touch
The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into this arena, using AI tools and automation to drive both efficiency and improve customer experience has now become the norm. As a result, customers can now choose the contact channel they prefer, including the ever more refined chatbots and voicebots, and use it at a time which suits them. Steering customers through channel orchestration and channel optimisation is certainly delivering efficiencies and helping to improve customer experience. However, it’s crucial to never lose sight of the fact that customers may ultimately (or immediately) need to speak to a human agent.
It’s a strong word, human. Being very much a people-focused person, I feel it is important to treat both customers and employees with respect, empathy and understanding. In other words, a human approach.
Creating Client Confidence
As an Operations Leader, I always ensure I operate in “active listening mode” in every interaction with employees, clients, and customers to readily understand the issues to resolve and challenges to be overcome, as well as drive performance to meet contractual requirements.
It is important to understand that clients have to have confidence in any service provider, selecting a company who they can operate with in a true spirit of partnership and in a highly collaborative way. Clients entrust their customers, applicants, residents etcetera and need to know that services will be provided with flawless execution. My overriding intention is to continually meet and exceed client requirements, instilling complete confidence in our operations and services provided, without sacrificing a human touch.
A Proven Approach to Success
In my experience, combining this human touch with a drive to deliver service excellence has led to great success. Having won a European Outsourcing Award every year for a few years for “Adding Value to a Client’s Business” (and for that client to be the John Lewis Partnership) and being included in the Top 10 Best Respected People in the UK Contact Centre Industry (2015), I can confirm that this approach has a proven track record. It was only when I read comments from those who voted that I realised the extent of this approach. People in agent, team leader, more senior management and executive positions had kindly taken time out to submit their vote – maybe an indicator of how a personable nature in leading operations goes a long way.
A Significant Impact
For over 25 years I have supported an array of industries, including Public Sector, Retail, Financial Services, Energy, Telecoms, Water, Automotive, Travel and Gaming organisations, providing my operations expertise to improve people’s lives to a small degree.
However, working for We Are Group has enabled me, and my teams, to amplify this human approach to improve people’s lives a whole lot more and support people in dire need.
We deliver services that make a genuine social impact. We really do make a significant contribution to making people’s lives better. The services we deliver – Training, Advice, and Guidance – teach people how to do things via training, allow people to make well informed decisions via advice, and help people to do things via guidance, enabling them to become more financially and digitally astute.
Our operations and the services we provide are inherently human and thus have far reaching, positive, and life-changing impact on the people we support.
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