Meet Tilly Archer, our Knowledge Manager

Q&A with Tilly Archer, Knowledge Manager

At Ventrica, we have a bit of a different way of doing things. We stand out from other outsourcers because we really do understand the key steps required in striving to achieve customer service excellence - and part of that is through the role that our Knowledge Managers play. We spoke to Tilly Archer, one of our Knowledge Managers, about her role and the changes she predicts in the industry this year.

Can you tell us about your role as Knowledge Manager?

My role as Knowledge Manager is largely divided into two parts. The first part involves ensuring the customer team have the knowledge they need so they can effectively answer customer queries. The second part is centred around analysis, to determine if there is a pattern of questions being asked or a large volume of complaints or queries relating to a certain area. I then ensure this analysis is fed back to the organisation so they can make appropriate changes to other areas of the business, such as marketing, product or even HR.

Why is this role so essential?

It’s a really important role to have in any customer service environment because it means the journey doesn’t just end when the customer has their query answered or they get the information they need; it makes it a process of continuous improvement for the brand, with feedback always taken on board and applied within product innovations, new marketing initiatives or wider business changes. Contact centres provide an excellent opportunity for any organisation to gain direct feedback from their customers, so it’s important to use this information smartly to gain the insights already at their fingertips.

What changes do you see happening in the industry?

We’re really beginning to see the role that social media is playing in the customer service industry. There has been a huge uptake in using it as a channel to gain customer feedback and answer quick queries; brands are recognising that it’s a go-to channel for so many other points in a consumers day-to-day activities, so bringing it into a brands contact centre makes perfect sense. As well as for inbound queries, social media is also a great way to see if a new product or loyalty scheme is being received well by customers. We all know how quickly a customer will shout about something if they do or don’t like it! I predict that we’ll see the uptake of social media in this area increase even further this year.

What attracted you to work for Ventrica?

I joined Ventrica in 2011 and have worked across numerous roles so its been fantastic to see how the organisation and each of the brands has evolved to keep up with changes in customer demand and expectations. I really love the culture at Ventrica; everyone is always very happy to provide advice or help each other out which makes it a great environment to work in. Above all, we really listen to both each other and our customers - and we never stand still!