What does a Senior Customer Service Consultant really do? Meet Mel
Mel has been with Class for over four months now, works remotely from Brisbane and thrives off her ability and love for talking to customers. She gives us some great advice on how you should challenge yourself with positive intent and is a believer that it’s never too late to change careers and take that unknown leap.
Tell me about your role at Class? What do you do?
My job title is Senior Customer Service Consultant. Although some might think of us just as “Hello, this is IT – have you tried turning it off and on again?”, we have a much more complex role.
We have the most client contact out of any team in the business and are the first port of call when something goes wrong. This can range from “help, I messed up and I can’t fix it” to more complex queries around ECPI calculations and Corporate Action events.
We also liaise with other teams such as the Product and Development teams to escalate and provide details about complex problems that can arise in the software. This often includes reference to SMSF and tax legislation to ensure the ongoing compliance of the Class software.
My team also participates in ‘smoke testing’ in which we test the software after each new release to ensure the integrity of the system. I have not had a chance to take part in this yet, but I can’t wait!
What has surprised you the most about the working culture at Class?
I think what has surprised me the most is how engaged I feel with my team and with the wider Class & HUB24 community.
As most of my team are in Sydney and I am in Brisbane I mainly work remotely, however I chat (work-related of course) to my team constantly during the day and they are only a quick call away for any tricky questions.
I can reach out to members of other teams and even to the executive at the click of a button. Everyone is friendly and accommodating and will work with you on an issue or help you find the right person.
The open communication between executive and all emplyees is also amazing and provides regular insight into the direction of the business and plans for the future. It really helps you feel like a part of the business and motivates you to work towards the group’s common goals.
What is your superpower and how do you use this in everyday life?
Talking. Yes, that is right, talking. I was told from a young professional age that I was able to converse freely and establish and maintain healthy working relationships with people from all professional levels and all walks of life. I believe this is just because I love a good chat, but it helps given that I talk to clients all day every day now!
This also helps in my personal life, from making those dreaded phone calls to the telco’s or simply making small talk with the young cashier at Coles. I love being able to brighten someone’s day with a laugh or just making them smile with a deserved thank you.
If there was one piece of career advice you could give someone, what would that be?
It is never too late to change. I worked as an SMSF Administrator & Accountant for my entire career prior to coming to Class: taking the step to wind up my business and go back to full time employment was pretty daunting.
However, I have not regretted it one bit. People think they are ‘too old’ or they have put ‘too much’ into their career choice that it would be a waste to change to something new, however I think this is limited thinking as a change in career can open up so many new opportunities that you would not have otherwise had. It’s a big world out there, take a chance!
