10 March 2022
When did you join FirstPort?
I joined FirstPort in 2019, as a support co-ordinator in the contact centre, handling customer service calls. After around four months, I applied for a role within the workflow team, which acts as a support function to the contact centre, following up on any customer queries and questions they may have.
How has your career progressed?
Very quickly! I was asked to test the company’s new customer relationship management platform, which integrates all of our systems and enables service advisors to offer a much better and efficient service. I loved this task as it allowed me to talk to different parts of the business and find solutions. My manager Janine then suggested I apply for the position as trainer for our customer experience area, where I trained all newcomers on our business processes and also the new IT platform. I progressed to complaints team leader in September, and then just last month, to service excellence manager.
What does your role entail?
My current focus is on complaints. Customers, quite rightly, have high expectations of the service they expect to receive, and our new IT systems have made us much more efficient. We now have much better visibility of customer enquiries and so can deal with them much more quickly and effectively. We can identify any trends, interpret the root cause, and then put in place the necessary improvements.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I’ve actually enjoyed all of my roles at FirstPort. I love the variation of the work and gaining more knowledge. I’m currently learning more about social media channels for customer service. It’s such an important part of the business, as we’re seeing increasing numbers of customers choose online channels over traditional ‘phone calls to contact us.
What do you feel has helped your progression within FirstPort?
The journey I have taken through the different business areas has really helped. I really put myself out there. I got to know the property managers, regional managers, and operational colleagues to build relationships and trust. And this gave me an invaluable insight into the workings of the business. And the more knowledge you have, the more you feel you want to progress and develop yourself.
Also, while I have received a lot of support and encouragement from my manager, it’s important to be proactive and seek out those opportunities. I made sure to let her know that I was open to progression and that I would put in the hard work. I must admit that when I first joined the company, I wasn’t sure what development routes were available, but I have seen so many of my peers also progress in just the last 12 months. And it’s so rewarding to see this.
So, would you recommend FirstPort as an employer?
Yes, absolutely! I actually got recommended to come and work here as I would told it was such a great place to work, so I applied for the role, went through a process and here I am. The management team is fantastic and the opportunities for progression are there if you have the appetite and drive for it.
