Humbled by a headset - my public apology to those i have neglected.

Did you ever watch the TV programme ‘Back to the floor’ which followed big bosses of big companies spending time at the coal face seeing what was good and not so good about their business? Whilst I always admired the concept I did think it was a little contrived and a PR stunt at the end of the day. That said, hats off to the bosses involved as some wouldn’t ever consider it.

This past fortnight I have been back to the floor. I don’t mean doing a bit of sitting in and staying at arms-length to the conversation. I mean, headset on and handling real inbound enquiries with no safety net and the pressure of representing the brand. Why? We are a growing business and its been all hands on deck (my colleague Karen has been doing the same). However, they have been perhaps the most humbling few weeks of my career.

Writing from a completely personal perspective, I realise now how much I had lost touch with what it is like to be on the front line day in day out. I thought I knew because I’ve always tried to do a decent amount of sitting in with the front and back office teams but it turns out that until you put the headset on, you are not even close to walking in your colleagues’ shoes.

Quite frankly, the rush of adrenaline and nerves that kick in when the headset beeps and you’re connected with Joe Public is intense. I'd go as far as to say that i completely sh!t myself!!! I’d like to think that I can hold a decent conversation but on my first few calls I was plain rubbish. I mean, proper waffly and inventing new words as I grappled inside to find the word I was looking for.

Having 5 web browser sessions open across two screens and trying to remember what I did on the account before last…..and then there’s another beep in my ear and I’m back on it. Relentless. I have never been so tired come 5pm each night. My brain is mush, my fingers are aching from the speed typing and my throat is sore from chronic lack of Starbucks.

The General Public are a tough crowd too. For some callers, I’ve been able to save them ￡800+ on their energy bills but they are still be very abrupt and impatient. I even had one chap tell me that my East Midlands accent sounded ‘funny’!….i mean, come on, that’s a bit harsh. It has been a total emotional roller coaster.

Putting on the headset has been a perspective-changing experience. Working on the front line is so, so difficult and as a leader I now appreciate this more than ever. Some organisations and managers look upon call centre teams as being ‘junior roles’ or ‘low-skilled’. They are anything but. To be a brilliant front line agent takes skill, drive and a level of tenacity that in truth, I’m not sure I have.

Next time you are walking through the office to your desk, stopping on the way to have a chat with your colleague and then spending the next 30 mins checking your emails and Whatsapp, spare a thought for your colleagues on the front line that are representing your brand at that very second. They’ve probably not had time to go to the loo that morning let alone check their social media. Even better, go and find the call centre teams and for no apparent reason, go and say thank you. Why? Because if I have learnt one thing this past few weeks, hearing a customer say “thanks for your help” at the end of the call is the boost you need to get ready for the next. Just imagine the impact you could personally have on one of your colleagues’ days by saying the same.

I, Simon Perkins, have not spent enough time in my roles stopping to shake the hands of the front line teams. In my eyes, they are the leaders, they are the ones that will make our business successful. Just because we are privileged enough to be in a position of authority we mustn’t mistake this for believing that we are the ones driving the business forwards.

Someone said to me recently…”true intelligence is seeking to understand the perspectives of others”. If you want to understand how your front line teams truly feel and what you can do in your privileged position to make their lives easier then don’t just go and talk to them. Grab a headset, invest time in being trained and do the job for yourself. Could be the most intelligent move you make this year.

www.tonikenergy.com