AE Smith Customer Service Centre Celebrates Two Years
AE Smith Customer Service Centre Celebrates Two Years
The AE Smith Customer Service Centre celebrated its second anniversary in October, having become a crucial touch point for customers and staff alike across Australia in that time |
| 4 Dec 2010 |
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| From humble beginnings with a team of just two serving the Melbourne and Sydney Service branches, the dispatch functions of other AE Smith branches have been gradually added to the remit of the Customer Service Centre (CSC) – evolving the unit into an integral part of AE Smith operations. Providing contact and coordination services for all AE Smith customers, Technicians and branch staff around Australia, the CSC now serves Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Melbourne Service operations, while also offering assistance to aspects of the Townsville and Mackay branches. CSC Manager, Brett Gallie says the unit has developed into a highly skilled and close knit team in the past two years, with a well developed capacity to cater for those unexpected times when it’s all hands on deck. “By utilising the best people we already had in the business and employing others that we were able to coach, we now have a team whose knowledge and skills are far in excess of those times when we all worked as individuals,” Brett says. “The result is a very capable group of people that are highly focussed on delivering quality customer service and promoting AE Smith.” Himself a former Service Manager with the Sydney Service branch, Brett took on the managerial role in January 2009. Having been involved with various mechanical services organisations over the last 23 years, with experience in commissioning and servicing refrigeration and air conditioning systems, building control and other essential services, Brett, originally joined AE Smith in 2002. “I was drawn to the challenge of Service Management, especially working for an Australian owned company,” he says. “AE Smith have trained me in many aspects of business management and customer service, and that’s what we now endeavour to instil in all of the CSC team members.” He says the creation of the CSC is one of the most critical changes the Service division has ever undertaken, and therefore absolutely vital to get right. “The company’s service reputation is at stake with every dealing we have, and it’s always an opportunity to impress.” “We use all the systems and tools we have available to ensure maintenance programs are held and emergency service delivery is prioritised,” he says, “and our communication with our customers has been a focal point.” The role of the CSC is to be the primary point of contact for customer service requests. The division plans all scheduled and non scheduled work for approximately 100 field technicians, and conveys this information to them via a specialised handheld device (PDA). “We routinely report information to branches, conduct primary auditing of all service calls, liaise with customers re ETA’s, process COD payments and manage after hours services.” “And of course we conduct these services in line with branch expectations and meet with them regularly to discuss new business and other site specifics.” Brett says the CSC plans a variety of jobs – be it a project, a water leak, a temperature complaint, or an unusual noise. All calls are treated as important, though the team do their best to obtain as much information as possible to aid in determining priority. But he says a simple temperature issue may result in a much larger issue being discovered and expensive repairs avoided. “By having a variety of experience and length of service in the CSC team, we are always able to direct a caller to the right person in the AE Smith organisation,” he adds. |
| Image: The AE Smith Customer Service Centre Team – September 2010 |
