Kicking off Customer Service Week with a Thankful Heart

Ever year, during the first full week of October, people around the world celebrate Customer Service Week – a time to pause and celebrate the importance of customer service and the people who serve and support customers on a daily basis.

I’m excited for the events we have planned for the week to celebrate our amazing organization and also thankful for the opportunity to pause and think about just how important customer service is to an organization. I must admit, it's a function that I took for granted in the past. Now that I'm working closely with the DuPont Water & Protection Customer Service, Sales Operations and Contact Center organization, I have a far bigger appreciation for the criticality of the function: not just in improving the experiences of our customers but also in keeping our business running.

As I’ve reflected over the last few days, I've thought about the many ways our customer service teams around the world have inspired me. Two themes kept jumping out as worth celebrating this week: (1) being purpose driven and (2) keeping calm in the face of extreme challenges.

Purpose is powerful. At DuPont, there are very few sales that ever happen without being touched by a member of our customer service or sales operations organization. Sales would literally grind to a halt without the team. Our customer service team understands their responsibility and purpose unlike anything I’ve seen. Faced with challenges, they constantly find ways to push through because they feel that accountability to customers so strongly. The lengths I see this team go, whether it’s one of our largest customers or a small one, are significant. For example, when major cities in China went back into lockdown earlier this year and shut down our offices, plants, and warehouses, the Asia Pacific Customer Service team went incredible lengths to significantly minimize the impact. Not because they were prompted, but because they take ownership for the experience of customers, often going above what is expected of them to deliver. As a leader, I don’t have to push this team, in fact, I often find myself having to remind them that they can’t solve all of the business’ problems [even though I’m quite sure they could make a big dent if they had more time].

No matter what is going on, they keep calm. I’m reminded of the Michael Caine quote: “Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” No one better embodies this more than our CS team. Faced with the unprecedented challenges of the last two years (production delays, stock outs, shipping challenges, and price increases to name a few), our customer service organization throws itself into solving complex puzzles on behalf of customers each day: working across logistics, supply chain, sales, and credit teams to get orders out the door. However, while they are firing on all engines to solve problems, they always approach our customers professionally and empathetically.

With that, I’m excited to kick off our Customer Service Week, with a thankful heart. Supply chain disruptions around the world have demanded unprecedented focus and complexity in serving our customers and our teams around the world have risen to the occasion consistently. To the 350 DuPont Water and Protection Customer Service, Sales Operations, and Contact Center team members around the world, you truly are heroes and we know that this year you spent more time wearing those capes than ever before. At DuPont, we work every day to empower the world with the essential innovations to thrive. Those innovations would never reach customers without you.

To customer service teams around the world – thank you – you keep our world running.?A special shout out to Karin Janssens - you are an incredible leader who teaches me something every day. Thank you for leading our team with heart and commitment.