ILYT Confessions of A Serial Marrier Welcome To The Phone Team

The phone team. That is what the general population called us. For now we were an experiment. Customers would call the 800 line, one of our reps would answer the phone and then based on their personal knowledge and background they would resolve the issue OR transfer the call to the responsible administrator in either Billing, Credit, Finance, or to Sales or Service lines. It was a start but it did not solve the problem of efficient customer service. The vision was that a customer could call, we would resolve the issue on initial contact when possible or explain the process necessary to resolve their issue. Not have representatives with varying degrees of expertise taking stabs at what might work

The Xerox Billing System is not quite as simple as the U.S. Tax code. There are limitless bill plans based on equipment type, accessories, marketing gimmicks and offers. There are several different levels of customers, mom and pop, major accounts and Government. Some customers pay monthly, some quarterly, some semi annually some not at all. Government customers use purchase orders. Service contracts are different from sales contracts and renew on specific dates based on the contract purchased. Leased equipment is different than sold equipment. Refurbished is different than new. And the name of the company starts with an X that sounds like a Z so customers have a hard time finding you in the phone book.

Apparently the computer system that was the brains behind all of our billing and collection on line systems were older than the abacus and required many hamsters in wheels to power. As I understand it baling wire and duct tape were major hardware components. Making changes to the system was not quite as easy as building the Great Wall of China. Departments developed "work arounds" and "manual billing" systems. This made building a team to deal with all customers a challenge.

All we had to do was put together a team of people, train them in all aspects of Xerox, install phone equipment that was not antiquated, write procedures, curriculum, convince people that working on the phone with customers is fun and not hell. Then sell it to headquarters and the rest of the Centers and make it run smoothly and beg for money. Alright then. Let's get started.

We got volunteers and/or transfers from several other teams. We got the cream of the crop and the dregs of the pot. We got lots of new hires. We got the best first line manager, Pauladean, a Lead Rep, Bobblehead and Me, the Specialist. I had no technical knowledge of any of the departments. I had a great amount of knowledge of how things were supposed to work inside the company. What action caused what reaction in other departments, etc. My job was to write procedures, makes the employees happy and of course be in all the dog and pony shows. Keep people informed up and down the chain of command of all changes and issues and suggestions and successes. In my spare time I was to learn the technical information  and workings of each department.

Thank goodness that was all. No. Current had somehow threatened or convinced Nomercy to make me a management candidate. That meant classes and seminars and training and Oral Panels with Middle and Senior Management. The next few years were going to be fun and awful and challenging and infuriating.

Just like life.