Customer service as a career choice
Authored by Covéa
Stephen Long has worked in customer service for 22 years. Currently Director of Operations at Covéa Insurance, he joined the company in 2001 as a graduate trainee. We asked Stephen about his experience, as part of our National Customer Service Week celebrations.
Did you choose or plan your career in customer service, or did it just turn out that way?
My first ‘proper’ job was at Covéa and it just happened to be that customer service was where I started. It has given me huge opportunities to learn and develop my career. From my initial role there were sideways and upwards opportunities which enabled me to go further with my career. This included the opportunity to study and gain specialist qualifications, so I could influence and shape what we did as a business to provide the best customer experience.
Was a customer service career what you expected?
It surprised me how many opportunities there were. I think lots of people underestimate the quantity of opportunities and it’s only when you focus on customer service as a career that you see the full breadth it offers and all the different routes and roles you can pursue.
What qualifications do you need [to work in customer service?
My firm belief is you don’t need any qualifications for a career in customer service. The best career examples I’ve seen are people who have the right attitude. It’s people who want to help and want to learn. The knowledge can be learned, if you have the right attitude.
At Covéa you can start a career in customer service as a school or college leaver. We then give the support, training and opportunity to gain qualifications to further enhance your skills. The attitude you bring to the role is most important and you can develop your career from there.
What personal qualities would you say are essential [to work in customer service?
People who want to help; there’s a warmth that comes across naturally that makes for a really good customer experience. Listening and being able to communicate clearly are key skills. Patience and resilience are also crucial as sometimes there can be difficult interactions and it’s important to be able to stay calm and remain professional, and then bounce back without letting the negative experience affect how you respond to the next customer you speak to.
What’s the insurance industry like to work in for customer service?
It can be challenging, especially right now, because claims costs are rising by more than inflation and insurers are having to increase premiums, which is difficult with the wider cost-of-living challenges some customers are facing. However, the situation is very different when it comes to paying claims, when customers really appreciate the value of the cover they’ve bought. It’s incredibly satisfying when you can help someone get back on the road after a car accident or help a business get back up and running after a flood. I find that pet claims are some of the most rewarding because of the powerful emotional bond people have with their pets.
What’s you biggest customer service irritation?
For me, it’s the over-use of self-service. When it works, it’s perfect. But when it fails you get caught in a loop either online or on the phone which I find hugely frustrating. Working in customer service it’s even more frustrating because I know that a human-being could have saved that service encounter.
What more can organisations do to promote customer service as a long-term career?
Customer service experience is a brilliant springboard to a successful career in a variety of roles in any customer focussed organisation. I think more businesses should be looking to their frontline customer service employees as potential future leaders since there are lots of parallels in the skills needed for both, like strong communication and being good with people. At Covéa, we really value our frontline people and all my managers started out in customer service.
What makes you proud to work in customer service?
When I overhear a conversation that’s clearly difficult, where my colleague remains calm, professional and takes control of the situation, taking time to listen and understand the customer and get the best outcome. Good interactions are much more common, but it’s the difficult conversations that showcase the best skills of our people to calmly diffuse and de-escalate a challenging situation. When I witness that, it makes me really proud.
How does your frontline customer service experience help you as a member of the executive team?
We’re a business that strives to put the customer at the heart of everything we do, so people who have customer service experience are a great asset in every department across the business.
My experience working in customer service makes me more able to appreciate the impact decisions have on our customers and customer-facing employees.
What’s been your biggest achievement
We’re the only UK company currently to hold three simultaneous ServiceMark with Distinction accreditations from the Institute of Customer Service. I can’t take personal credit, but the contribution all our people make towards creating a strong customer ethos across the business is inspiring.
Stephen Long is Claims and Operations Director at Covéa Insurance.
Stephen embarked on his insurance journey as a Graduate Trainee with Provident Insurance in 2001. Over the years, he ascended through various senior management positions, encompassing Claims, Customer Services, Credit Control, Marketing and Sales.
His leadership and strategic insights have been instrumental in shaping the operational landscape of the organisation. Stephen holds an MBA, which augments his strategic thinking and decision-making capabilities, along with a degree in Business & Management Studies from the University of Bradford. His dedication to continuous learning is mirrored in his ACII qualification, earning him Chartered Insurer status.
