An Update From Jenny and Jeremy

Things have been crazy for us over the past year. We’ve changed jobs, moved, among other things. We thought it might be a great idea to pause and let you know what we’re up to. Oh and you might have noticed that we changed the name of our blog from Communicate Better Blog to Customer Service Life.

In classic fashion, enjoy our little written dialog.

What have you been up to lately?

Jenny: Oh not much, just building a support center from the ground up for a very busy and growing company, moved to a new apartment with my boyfriend, adopted a cat and am about to become an aunt for the first time!

Jeremy: It’s nearly been a year since I packed up the family and moved to Eugene, Oregon to work at FCR. What a year it’s been. We experienced a few more seasons this year and a whole lot more rain. I’ve enjoyed hiking and fishing with my boys and trying to be outdoors as much as possible. I also got to speak at the ICMI Contact Center Expo last month in Long Beach.

What are 2-3 books on your reading list that you’re geeked up to read and/or what else are you learning right now?

Jeremy: My queue of books is unusually large right now and mostly with business books. That being said, I’m really excited to read Customer Experience 3.0 by John Goodman and The Effortless Experience by Matthew Dixon and Nick Toman. Customer experience is fascinating and I’m soaking up as much as I possibly can right now.

Jenny: I’m super stoked to make time to read Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown. I’m currently wrapping up the book Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built A Company One Cup At A Time by Howard Schultz.

What are two things you’re excited about this summer: one work related and one non-work related?

Jenny: The work related activity I am most excited about is volunteering with a non-profit, B.R.A.K.E.S. that teaches teens defensive driving. The teens (and parents) are able to drive, with professional and race car drivers in the passenger seat, and are taught how to properly slam their brakes, avoid skids and prepare themselves for severe driving situations. It’s incredible! Non-work related, I’m excited to take a trip back to the East Coast to visit my friends!

Jeremy: On a work note, I’m exploring this new stuff called deep learning that’s taking customer service by storm. That’s pretty cool. I wish I understood it well enough to explain it. Maybe check back with me at the end of the summer. On a personal note, I plan on many weekend excursions to various locations in the Pacific Northwest. There are so many new places to explore.

What new things are you excited about with customer service?

Jenny: I’m just excited to be in a role where I can learn something new every day…and have the flexibility to make mistakes. I know that sounds like a very silly thing to be excited about, but when I mess up or receive feedback about something not working properly, I am directed to a new way of doing things that opens my eyes. I’m then able to do things even better!

Jeremy: As the Head of Quality at FCR, I’m not managing a team or working directly with any customers. I’m more of a resource within our organization, working to influence the quality of service we deliver for our clients. One thing I love in this role is the ability to observe the ways our different clients do customer service. There are so many best practices to share in an organization like this and I love the opportunity to be a conduit for that sort of thing.

Why the switch to CustomerServiceLife.com? What does that mean to you?

Jenny: Customer service is about building relationships. Relationships are a part of life, in and out of the office. By switching to CustomerServiceLife.com, we’re able to wrangle in how large customer service really is within all of our lives.

Jeremy: As a front line customer service representative, I felt in some ways that talking to customers on the phone was a complete waste of my time and talents. I was easily frustrated, impatient and angry. In more recent years, I’ve discovered that a career in customer service is a noble one, an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of other people. The difference is all the greater when we choose to deliver awesome customer service to others both on and off the clock. A customer service life impacts the way I treat my wife and kids and they way I behave when I’m a customer.

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