Dave Heard

Where are you from?

Ystalyfera

Where do you work?

Logica (Bridgend)

How long have you worked in a call centre?

I have worked within the Contact Centre industry for the last 10 years. Since joining Logica three years ago in the capacity of first line technical analyst, I was challenged to become involved with additional work. This provided me with the confidence and experience to apply for a team leader position. Over the next year I received solid coaching with a focus on identifying service improvements and staff management and development. On the back of this I was promoted to UK Service Desk Operations Coordinator and am now responsible for the delivery of service, development of agents and team leaders and seeking continuous improvement. I'm happy to say this is now my permanent role and reaching this point has been a challenging and rewarding experience.

What made you choose a career in a call centre?

When leaving college I was looking for a career in IT that allowed me enough flexible working hours to free more time for rock climbing. I had heard about call centres and thought it would be an easy low challenge job. I shortly discovered that working within contact centres can be just as challenging and rewarding as my chosen sport and my place of work has very much become my second passion.

What are the best bits of working in a call centre?

For me the best parts of working within a contact centre are the people, variety of work and challenges that you can be exposed to. While I predominantly work out of the same office, each working day is different with new challenges to be overcome. Helping customers, resolving issues and providing staff with long term goals and development plans is very rewarding.

What is the strangest call you have ever had to deal with?

There was once however an instance where the number of the support line I was responsible for was misprinted into another company's literature. Overnight we became a support number for an electrical goods supplier a far stretch from the global IT outsourcing company we actually were. Managing the strange influx of calls and the expectations of the misdirected customers was certainly a strange situation.

What was the best call? Have you been able to help someone out of a really difficult situation etc?

Once I was contacted by a customer who was unable to speak clearly and there were issues with communication, though perseverance on both sides I managed to resolve the customer's connection issues he was able to connect to the Internet and send an urgent email. At the end of the call, the customers father came on the line and thanked me for taking the time to help in a difficult situation, it turned out his son was injured in the Gulf War and had lost the ability to speak but was trying to maintain an independent life while recovering. To me this was a valuable lesson in making every customer your focus, trying your best to resolve every problem, going the extra mile and ultimately making a difference no matter how large or small.

What would you say to someone thinking for a call centre as a career option?

If you enjoy a challenge and can adapt quickly to new situations and experiences then a contact centre is a place for you. Career progression is available through numerous aspects, be it technical excellence in IT or business process, people development, project management, resource management, the list is extensive. It's all available if you want to go for it with the added bonus of working with vibrant people and enjoying the social gatherings and events that are a fundamental part of the environment.