Skills

  • Customer Support / Call Center Management
    • Hiring, training, mentoring
    • ACD and workflow management
    • Customer satisfaction surveying
    • Technical troubleshooting, resolving escalated issues
    • Conflict resolution
    • Metrics reporting: Standard ACD fields, CRM and survey results, KB, derived data
    • Act as Customer Advocate on cross-functional teams for new product development
    • Support of New Product Introduction (NPI) process.

  • Knowledge Management
    • Identification of subject matter experts
    • Evaluation of tools
    • Evangelizing for KM principles
    • Knowledge Base Development (internal and external)
    • Article template development and content creation
    • User administration – permissions, preferences, etc.
    • Metrics reporting

  • Product and System Test and Validation

  • Enterprise productivity tools including
    • MS-Office suite: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Front Page, Outlook, Visio
    • Adobe Acrobat and Illustrator
    • Agile (Manufacturing system)
    • Interactive Intelligence (ACD system)

  • Salesforce.com Certified Administrator
    • Initial deployment and data migration
    • User requirements gathering and custom page development
    • Custom report and executive dashboard creation
    • Import and customization of third-party applications from AppExchange
    • User administration: Permissions, Preferences
    • Workflow and communication template development
    • Specialist in custom formula fields and complex metrics

  • Strong technical writing and training skills:
    • Creating and reviewing Knowledge Base articles
    • Creating training videos in Camtasia and other programs
    • Creating and reviewing User's Manual content
    • Preparing Method of Procedure (MOP) documents for field staff
    • Creating internal operating procedure and process documents

Philosophy

KNOWLEDGE IS THE MOST VALUABLE BUSINESS ASSET

I think that people can accomplish great things if they have the right tools. The better the tools, the more they can accomplish. In my career, I've repeatedly observed that the one tool that everyone needs—and yet always seems to be in short supply—is knowledge. I am dedicated to making knowledge as widespread and easily accessible as possible. In a call center or tech support environment, this can mean creation of knowledge bases, standard practice guidelines, vade mecums, or other forms. Managers should provide incentives to their staff to create new knowledge and to share what they already know.

To me the most valuable employee is not the one who knows everything; it's the employee who shares everything he or she knows freely that I value the most.

A few years ago, at a knowledge management conference, I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Larry Prusak about knowledge management principles. I asked if he had a basic philosophy that those of us who manage knowledge workers should follow. He said, "Hire smart people, and let them talk to each other." That idea—and what grows out of it—have stuck with me throughout my career.

CREATIVITY AND DIVERSITY

As a support/call center manager, I have interviewed many candidates over the years. I have found, though good hires and "challenging" ones, that the staff I have enjoyed working with the most—and who have become the biggest contributors—are the ones who come through highly diverse, non-traditional career paths. I don't reject applicants if their career has not all been directly related to the current position. Often, these have been the most creative, most empathetic, and most open and sharing staff I've had. I've learned to value the "oddball" resume.