Under the Spotlight - Natalie
Customer Service Manager
The purpose of this is for our people to get to know you a little bit better, in a fun and relaxing way. So let’s get right into it…
First of all, congratulations on your 15th year Work Anniversary. That’s certainly something to be very proud of and we wish you many more successful years with Sinclair & Rush.
You were originally employed by Component Force and joined them on 8th January 2007. Tell us about those early days, what were you recruited to do for them and who did you report to at the time?
"I was initially appointed to look after James's (Former MD) customer base. I had to load orders, do a bit of purchasing and general multi-tasking, predominantly for his customers. Because of this, I reported directly to James. After about a year, I started focussing more on purchasing and my job role began to evolve into the customer service side of the business. I was appointed Customer Service Manager after about 2-3 years and I worked in a team of 3 full time people (including myself) and one part-time person."
You were fortunate enough to be appointed as Customer Service Manager whilst working for Component Force and then again a few years later at Sinclair & Rush. How did the two roles differ from one another and what in your opinion is the biggest challenge facing a Customer Service Manager in our line of business?
"The job that I’m doing today is very different to the early days. It’s a lot busier than before because our customer base has pretty much doubled since the acquisition. Customer expectations are also much higher than before, which means we need to make sure we deliver on time and communicate more efficiently with our customers. The market place is very competitive in our line of business and we need to do something different to stand out from the crowd."
I’m sure you will agree that you hold a very responsible position within the company, and speaking from personal experience, it’s not always easy being the person where the buck stops. Whilst customer praise is so rewarding, facing unhappy customers can be very challenging. With that in mind, what type of characteristics, in your opinion, do you think a person needs to develop in order to be a great customer service representative?
"I think you have to have empathy for the customer, as well as good communication, organisational and time management skills."
If you were to give our younger employees any career advice, what would that be?
"Write lots of lists; give 120% of yourself; always ask for help and if you don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to ask."
What do you do to relax when you’re not at work?
"I like to watch TV – that’s really what I do to relax. I also like to spend time with my family where we go out for walks to get some fresh air. Oh and I do like a nice spa day as well."
Just a few more fun questions before I let you go…
Sunrise or Sunset? Sunrise
Summer or Winter? Winter
Dogs or Cats? Dogs
Rock or Pop? Pop
Favourite food? Chocolate peanuts or anything Chinese
Favourite drink? Tea
Favourite sports team? We don’t really do sport in our family, apart from football, but Valentino Rossi used to be my favourite Moto GP Racing Driver in his days.
Best movie ever? Save the Last Dance
Sharon HR Manager
