From Ireland to New Zealand - Interview Roy O'Hara
1. What brought you to NZ?
A big plane! When I was twenty-three I moved to and lived in Canada for a while. I went back to Ireland for a job, but always said that I would go travelling again before I settled down. I knew that if I had to travel I would have to do it before I turned thirty, as it gets hard to get a visa after then. Once I realised that Ireland was on the brink of recession, I felt it was the best time to go.
As I had done Canada, and Australia and America didn’t appeal to me, New Zealand was the obvious choice – a choice I am glad I took (so far).
2. How long have you been in NZ?
I’ve been here just over eighteen months, which feels like both no time and a lifetime.
3. What were you doing before you came to NZ?
The majority of my background is in retail. I have ten years experience, mostly in various levels of management. Before I came to New Zealand, I spent two years working at the Bank of America, working firstly in sales, then in the Fraud Department.
4. What made you apply for Telnet?
I needed a job! I had blown all my money travelling across America and Telnet was the only place that would hire me!
To begin with I interviewed as an agent, but was offered the role of sales coach. Within time I moved up to 2IC, Team Leader and now to my current role of Services Manager
5. What do you do in your spare time?
I am a film geek – for my sins, and I also love getting out fishing. Fishing here is so different. In Ireland, we often went out for a day without catching anything!
6. What is the toughest part of your job?
The unplanned! I try to plan out my week as best as possible, but anything can happen to throw all your plans out the window. For example, when there was the recent earthquake in Christchurch, it was decided to have someone from my team available through the night in case of emergency calls. I had to rush home, shower, and come back in, working right through the night to man the phones, then come back in the following night to do it all again. But if every day was the same, then work would be boring.
7. What’s the best part of your job?
Call me cheesy, but the people I work with. I am really lucky to have staff that are dedicated to their jobs and make my life so much easier. You can’t become a good manager, unless you surround yourself with good people.
8. What’s some advice you can give agents?
The best advice I can give any agent is to listen to what the customer is telling you. So many times I listen to a call and the customer has to repeat themselves, which can cause frustration. All of us have to call call centres at some stage in our lives, so we all know what we would judge as a good experience. Put yourself in their shoes, be patient, be understanding, and try to resolve their query on that call. For sales, the customer most likely to buy from you is a happy customer. It is up to you to make them happy!
A big plane! When I was twenty-three I moved to and lived in Canada for a while. I went back to Ireland for a job, but always said that I would go travelling again before I settled down. I knew that if I had to travel I would have to do it before I turned thirty, as it gets hard to get a visa after then. Once I realised that Ireland was on the brink of recession, I felt it was the best time to go.
As I had done Canada, and Australia and America didn’t appeal to me, New Zealand was the obvious choice – a choice I am glad I took (so far).
2. How long have you been in NZ?
I’ve been here just over eighteen months, which feels like both no time and a lifetime.
3. What were you doing before you came to NZ?
The majority of my background is in retail. I have ten years experience, mostly in various levels of management. Before I came to New Zealand, I spent two years working at the Bank of America, working firstly in sales, then in the Fraud Department.
4. What made you apply for Telnet?
I needed a job! I had blown all my money travelling across America and Telnet was the only place that would hire me!
To begin with I interviewed as an agent, but was offered the role of sales coach. Within time I moved up to 2IC, Team Leader and now to my current role of Services Manager
5. What do you do in your spare time?
I am a film geek – for my sins, and I also love getting out fishing. Fishing here is so different. In Ireland, we often went out for a day without catching anything!
6. What is the toughest part of your job?
The unplanned! I try to plan out my week as best as possible, but anything can happen to throw all your plans out the window. For example, when there was the recent earthquake in Christchurch, it was decided to have someone from my team available through the night in case of emergency calls. I had to rush home, shower, and come back in, working right through the night to man the phones, then come back in the following night to do it all again. But if every day was the same, then work would be boring.
7. What’s the best part of your job?
Call me cheesy, but the people I work with. I am really lucky to have staff that are dedicated to their jobs and make my life so much easier. You can’t become a good manager, unless you surround yourself with good people.
8. What’s some advice you can give agents?
The best advice I can give any agent is to listen to what the customer is telling you. So many times I listen to a call and the customer has to repeat themselves, which can cause frustration. All of us have to call call centres at some stage in our lives, so we all know what we would judge as a good experience. Put yourself in their shoes, be patient, be understanding, and try to resolve their query on that call. For sales, the customer most likely to buy from you is a happy customer. It is up to you to make them happy!
Labels: agents, customer service
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