Exchange Celebrates Contact Center Associates

The Exchange’s customer-service agents are dedicated to resolving problems, but sometimes when a customer talks to a customer-contact center associate, it’s all about the connecting.

“A lot of times a customers’ frustration stem beyond a package being delayed,” said La Toya Horton, MILITARY STAR_® Call Center Manager. “With everything that’s going on currently with the pandemic we’ve found that often they just need someone to talk to. I don’t want to say we serve as therapists, but we do take on the role of listener.

“Once we listen and get down to the root of a customers’ concern, we can even get the customer to giggle or laugh,” she continued. “We get multiple compliments about agents’ ability to handle a situation, to turn things around, to add a smile to that customers’ day.”

To celebrate Customer Service Week, which runs through Oct. 8, contact center team managers are celebrating with daily events designed to puts smiles on the faces of customer service associates.

Wednesday, for instance, is Contact Center Day, when the associates will wear swag, including specially made T-shirts and masks. “We’re going to come on for an hour each shift to play some games,” Horton said, “and to highlight this year’s successes and give each other virtual high-fives.”

Monday was Crazy Hat Day. On Tuesday, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, contact-center associates wore pink. Thursday is Tacky Day, and Friday is Jersey Day, when the associates are encouraged to wear their favorite sports teams’ T-shirts or jerseys. Contact center associates are sharing each day’s photos with one another via Microsoft Teams.

All this will be done remotely, which how agents have worked during the pandemic. Associates have adapted to this well, Horton said, adding that they exemplify this year’s Customer Service Week theme, “The Power of Service.”

“Customer service during the pandemic can be challenge not just from a professional perspective but from a personal one,” she said. “People are still losing loved ones and trying to maintain professionalism while dealing with challenges at home. I think we are finding avenues to cope, and I think ‘The Power of Service’ definitely ties into what we instill into our associates.”

While most of the contact center’s 200-plus associates work near the Exchange’s headquarters in Dallas, more than 40 agents serve from their homes throughout the country, where they field questions about ShopMyExchange.com orders or MILITARY STAR_® card accounts.

The flexibility of the remote jobs makes them a great fit for the military community, including the ability to build long-lasting careers for military spouses. The Exchange has a goal of hiring 75,000 military spouses and Veterans by 2026.

Horton said the contact center has received good response about remote positions, which offer flexibility and job security.

“Retention has been a challenge for a lot of organizations, but we’re continuing to expand our capacity,” Horton said. “Not just in CONUS; we’re also interested in expanding OCONUS-wide. That will open up opportunities for Veterans and their spouses and dependents.”

Founded by the Customer Service Group, Customer Service Week is a yearly celebration going back more than 40 years. The celebration is recognized in all 50 U.S. states and more than 60 countries. To learn more about Customer Service Week, visit CSWeek.com.