7 Questions with Veena Bala, a program director at Genieology

Tell us how you got into Customer Experience?

I started out wanting to be an accountant and studied to be one, but life had other plans. Four years into working as one, I realised that I?loved?technology and started coding. Along came an opportunity to work with Emirates Airlines as a systems analyst for their new loyalty program in?(what year was this?).?From there, I joined their ecommerce team and worked on my first user experience project for their website. I then moved to flydubai to manage their Channel Experience, and that’s how my journey into customer service began. Working with a low-cost carrier on their web, call centre and customer experience was a challenging but fulling role as I was part of an amazing team. A few years on, I was asked to set up and manage the digital team at the flydubai, which shifted my focus back to online user experience.?I?managed a fantastic team that delivered the web and mobile product roadmap and digital marketing campaigns. A few years ago, I decided that I wanted to move into consulting and take my customer experience and digital transformation skills and expertise to other industries, and that’s how I joined Genieology.

?What do you love about this field in the digital transformation space?

What I love most about digital transformation projects is the speed at which we work,?and?that?the results are quick and measurable. Data and analytics play such a huge role and,?if done correctly, you can continuously learn from and improve?the?user experience. Human interaction and behaviour across digital devices and demographics varies so much that you really need to do a good amount of research for every?project.?

?What is your role as a Program Director at Genieology?

As Program Director at Genieology, I get to focus on many areas. From UX Governance to business analysis and project management, each project brings with it a different set of experiences and challenges. A typical day with the team on any project?could involve?planning for the day’s tasks, checking in on the team to help them with research or information,?and?talking to the client to understand what they need and manage?expectations.?

?What are you currently working on and why is it exciting?

I’m currently working on a mobile app for a large retail family business.?We are redesigning the mobile app for their rewards program. We have to work closely not only with the client but also other agencies who are part of the delivery team. It’s exciting because we’ve had an opportunity to design a user experience that is exceptional but also simple and engaging. The timelines are tight?and there is a lot of collaboration between different team to make this a success.?

?A book recommendation for those looking to improve customer experience?

I highly recommend?'Emotional Intelligence' by Daniel Goleman?as essential reading for anyone in the customer experience field.

?If you had to pick two key customer service skills, what would they be and why?

Digital empathy?–?First, this involves making?simple interactions more impactful and memorable by putting oneself in the customer’s or team member’s shoes.?But with?digital technology, it is?also?critical to communicate openly, clearly and honestly, get feedback and make it personalised, because there is so much room for misinterpretations.

Adaptability?–?I?believe this is a key skill that equips one to modify response to?match?changing situations, new data or customers' needs. Being adaptable will allow an individual or a team to maintain productivity and effectiveness?even in the face of continuous?change.

?Share a talent of yours that very few people know about?

I am a potter/ ceramicist and I love making handmade pottery to?gift to?friends and family!