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 Today is Monday October 5, 2008 and that marks the first day of Customer Service Appreciation Week. This is the week in which we all are reminded to give thanks to all the hard working men and women toiling away in customer service related jobs. We here at BuyOnlineNow have always felt very strongly and passionately about our customer service, and consider it to be our best and most important aspect. As a way of expressing our appreciation for our customer service department, we recently sat down with Marcia Seibert, Customer Service Manager, and asked her a few questions about working here and her life in general. Thank you so much, Marcia, for all of your hard work, and for running the best customer service department on the internet.
Here’s our conversation with Marcia:
OfficeSuppliesBlog: Hello Marcia, thank you so much for taking the time to do this, we really appreciate it. How long have you been in the office supplies racket? Marcia Seibert: This is my fifth year at Buyonlinenow.com. OSB: How did your job change once you were promoted to customer service manager? MS: My job changed a lot when I was promoted to customer service manager. Answering fewer phone calls would be the most noticeable change. I miss that. I'm very competitive and I challenged myself to be the number one person in the sales department. I still deal with customers but it's usually the ones who are experiencing problems. I like helping them. I work more closely with the other representatives in the customer service department. I like that also. OSB: What does "Customer Service" mean to you? MS: Customer Service means to provide the best service to each individual customer. It doesn't matter if it's a large or small order. I treat everyone like their call is the most important call I've received. Customers can hear that. I've always felt if a customer compliments me I know I've done a good job. I really try to achieve that. It's my ultimate goal.
OSB: What's your most memorable customer service experience? MS: We don't tend to talk about the positive memorable experiences but I've definitely had them. I've had several customers offer me jobs. I had another customer tell me I was one of the nicest persons he had talked to. He said no one in Montana is that nice and did I ever think about moving. Another instance that made me laugh was setting up a delivery arrangement for a customer. I've made 1000's of these calls and this customer told me I had the best telephone voice he ever heard.
OSB: Explain the term "The Ultimate Customer Service Experience." MS: The Ultimate Customer Service Experience is exceeding our customers expectations. For some customers, it is being able to navigate the website easily. For others it's their phone calls being answered quickly. Many customers appreciate receiving their orders within 24 hours. It is returns handled simply and efficiently. It's striving to do better. It's the total package. It's what gives us the edge over our competition. OSB: After a particularly stressful day, what do you find is the best way to relax after work? MS: There are times when my job is stressful. The stress is usually caused from something out of my control. There are days when a lot goes wrong. I love to solve customer’s problems. I receive great satisfaction from it. I don't ever leave stressed. Tired maybe, but never stressed. I relax by talking to my children on the phone. It's a good thing I have free long distance to all 4 of them. OSB: Name your favorite of the following MS: Animal? Anything from a distance Color? Green Food? Seafood Movie? The Notebook Book? The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down T.V. Show? Grey’s Anatomy Sports Team? Minnesota Twins OSB: What was the last great vacation you took? MS: I spent a week at my cabin last July. All four of my children, their spouses or boyfriends, my 3 grandchildren and 3 of my nieces and nephews were together for 8 straight days. We went water skiing, swimming, fishing and tubing. We cooked every meal together. It has been a few years since we were able to do this. It was incredible. No one wanted to leave. OSB: What would you say is the most satisfying aspect of your job? MS: The most satisfying aspect of my job is working for a company that really appreciates all of its employees. They don't hesitate to tell us and show us how grateful they are for all of our hard work. It really means a lot. OSB: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? MS: I'm a family person. I would go to New Orleans LA or Huntington Beach CA to visit my daughters. OSB: What do you want your legacy to be? MS: Only one thing, that I did my job well. OSB: At one point in your career here at BuyOnlineNow, was there a specific young man who worked with you in customer service, in the order tracking department, who now works in the marketing department, that made a particular impression on you, and is in fact probably your most favorite person you've ever worked with in your entire life? MS: There was a young man who was definitely one of my most favorite people that I've ever worked with. No one makes us laugh like that young man used to. I miss that. No one can sing like him either. I also liked his competitive nature. He always tried to outsell me. It was good for business. OSB: Was the clipboard he gave you likely your most prized and beloved possession? MS: The clipboard was one of my most prized possessions. By the way does anyone know where it is? |
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