Providing exceptional customer service at Progress Lifeline

Donna Poston, our Customer Service Delivery Manager, talks about what great customer service means at Progress Lifeline…

I have 27 years’ administration and management experience and manage a team of 15 Customer Service Administrators and a Customer Service Team Leader at Progress Lifeline.

For most people, good customer service is an expectation. At the minimum, customers expect their questions to be answered and any issues to be resolved quickly.

Providing excellent customer service means going beyond meeting the customer’s basic needs. It involves much more than providing support in a timely and pleasant manner – it means adding that human touch and of course compassion to all our customer interactions.

My team are responsible for managing all telecare referrals received into Progress Lifeline, as well as data inputting and arranging appointments with customers to meet agreed service levels. They are all passionate about delivering customer-focused services, with an understanding of the needs of our service users.

Managing the referrals into the service means that my team and I see and hear, first-hand, the difference the Progress Lifeline service will make to families and individuals.   

The key skills my team have and use every day are:

• a positive attitude
• excellent communication skills
• thorough product knowledge
• strong multi-tasking skills
• patience
• the ability to work at a fast pace
• creative thinking

The most important thing about customer service is giving that great positive first impression and also doing everything possible so your customers are not merely satisfied, but are actually really happy with your products and services. We are constantly looking for ways in which we can improve the level of service we offer and embed a culture of customer satisfaction.