Adam Lindsey

Over the past few months, I’ve spoken to many customers about what they expect from their CS resources. What I've found quite interesting is that rather than focus on specific tasks they need support with or the skills they would like to see these individuals have, they've actually been describing the behaviours they would like to see. Now whether you look at LinkedIn, Google or ask ChatGPT, you will generally see a mix of skills that a CSM/CSE needs which normally include but aren't limited to the following: - Resilience  - Relationship Management  - Communication skills - Problem Solving  - Strategic Thinking - Time Management and Strong Organization - Value Discovery, Definition and Realization  Some of the things I've heard from the customers that I have spoken to on what they would like from their CS resources include: Partnership - but don't just talk about being a partner actually be a partner to us during the good and the bad. - Extension of our team  - Challenge us  - Transparency and Honesty  - Strategic Partner and Market Awareness  - Speak our language and alignment on strategy  - Energy  - Passion A lot of what I've shared above won't be new to anyone, but as I've reflected on these discussions over the weekend,  the two that have really stood out to me are the last two: "energy" and "passion". What I've been reflecting on are why are these two behaviours in particular so important to our customers. Now, when I think back to my previous life in sales, I was generally most successful when I was excited about the value something would bring to my customers' strategy or the product itself. This excitement created passion and energy within me which would then enthuse the customer. If you put yourselves in the customer's shoes and think about these behaviours in the scenario of a customer business review, meeting, renewal or workshop, they don't want someone sitting behind 100's of slides, just reading from their notes or transcript. They want someone to come in and enthuse them and their teams. They want to create excitement and energise their teams to take some of the recommendations we make and implement them or add them to their strategy to drive value for their business. So when you are going about your daily CS initiatives and attending your customer meetings, just remember that they want something to be excited about as much as we do and how can you create excitement by bringing energy to the conversation and real passion. Don't forget to ask your customers from time to time what they need from you as a lot of the time what we think and what they need may differ. Big shout out to Owen Trimble Hayley Dallow Joanna Chilton Rudi Lorenz for bringing passion and energy to their customer interactions on a daily basis #energy #passion #value #customersuccess

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I’ll always stand by saying AI and bot’s shouldn’t have a place in Customer Support unless it enhances the experience. It took over 10 minutes to get past the bot when phoning Virgin Media yesterday. All for the exact same information to be asked again when the call was answered. Seriously, what is the point, just add your calls straight to the queue. I can deal with a ten, twenty minute wait. Just don’t stress me out with a bot that adds nothing to the Customer Experience. #CustomerExperience #CustomerSupport #AI

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Efficiency stunts growth When retailers grow they largely ignore inefficiencies or don't focus on improving efficiency I was one of them people in the past, grow quickly and ended up just adding people to the mix when I was growing a retailer to £40million Then I worked for another retailer and as soon as I started I spent the first two weeks increasing sales. That caused more issues post-sale for the warehouse which was run on Excel (yep Excel Thomas Bennett) and someone manually created the shipping labels The owner's suggestion when that one person couldn't cope with creating all the shipping labels and handling any issues from the WMS being on Excel was we'll add more people to the team 🤯 One day it took me to add in some tech to automatically print those labels and then that person could get back to what she was employed for - customer services Its hard to take a step back when you're growing quickly but if you do you can create a much more efficient operation and way more profit 💷 💷 💷 💷 Plus no one really wants to do those sh*tty jobs #retail #ecommerce #operations

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Amazon made headlines this morning with an update on their Return-to-Office (RTO) mandate. The company has had to delay the start date due to insufficient office space for all employees to return and have their own desks. What Amazon truly needs is to embrace #hybridworking and streamline their desk management with Matrix Booking Ltd. A smarter way forward! TechRadar Pro Business Insider #RTO

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Want to rapidly improve your business performance and profitability? In this weeks A - Z video I tell you how........ I know, sounds really sleazy doesn't it? But since I am talking about the customer / learner journey this week I really am telling the truth. You can check it out here: https://lnkd.in/e-B4bBXb So how much do you want to increase customer satisfaction, profitability and staff satisfaction? #businessrevolution #skills #profitability

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Well happy bloomin’ Friday folks! After a reflective couple of weeks, I thought it was a good moment to share some appreciation for three people who have had a hugely positive impact on me in recent times. First up - Jo Bird ✨. Jo has been doing some work with us at Stockpress that’s been cathartic, reflective, but most of all really exciting! I can’t talk too much about exactly what Jo’s been helping with (you’ll have to stay tuned for that), but the one thing I can say is that Jo’s approach has really bought to life, the mission that the founding team at Stockpress lives by. To steal a Boston phrase, Jo is ‘Wicked Smaht!’, full of energy and most importantly an excellent listener and synthesizer. Having someone that’s been able to bring clarity to the personal mission behind Stockpress has be reassuring, and rewarding! More to come on this… Next in line is - Tracy Rosen. Tracy is someone I came to know through work, but who over time has become much more. Tracy is one of those people who has a ‘pearl of wisdom’ for every scenario, and so often when I am in need of a moment of clarity, Tracy’s words come to light. When we aren’t talking about Creative Operations and the briefing process - it’s music, the countryside and life in general. Tracy has tons of experience in the field he loves, and that passion to make it better for the people in it is overwhelming. If you don’t know Tracy, he is doing great things with Workhorse Dynamic - which if you are in the retail space is well worth checking out. Finally for now - Yaakov Carno. Yaakov came to us via an introduction from another fabulous human being - Kyle Poyar. We connected with Yaakov, because in building Stockpress we set out build a true self serve DAM platform, but felt like we weren’t quite hitting the mark when it came to capturing people’s imagination from minute one about the power of the platform and it’s ability to connect teams, and help them bring marketing, brand and creative campaigns to market quicker. While the work Yaakov has done with us has been stellar (we can’t wait for you all to see it!), it’s his methodical approach, inquisitiveness and ability to look through the lens of the customer that has been so impactful and impressive. So what’s the thing that ties these people together? Well, they are all up for the challenge and do it with energy, passion and a smile on their face. It’s huge to have people around you like that because doing challenging things and realizing your dreams often falls into third’s. One third of the time things are great, one third of the time things are ok, and one third of the time - you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere at all! People like this remind you that even on those days when are don't feel like you are moving forward, you still show up, with a smile on your face, and get on with the mission. On days like that you just have to put them down as one third of the journey in realizing the dream. 🙏

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worklife balance doesn’t exist. or does it? we hear people argue both sides constantly. I don’t really care what you call it - I call it flexibility. and flexibility matters. today, I’ll drop my son off at school and pick him up during my working hours. yesterday, I snapped this pic giving my youngest a bottle after my 2 pm meeting ended. here’s your reminder that I’m not an influencer getting my bills paid by brand deals. I’m the head of sales for a high growth, early stage start up. I’m also the owner of a consulting/coaching company that’s growing faster than I ever imagined. and I still have the time to spend with my kids intermittently during the work day. am I superhuman? no. I’ve got this neat thing called flexibility. as a full time remote worker focused on revenue growth, I don’t have to spend an hour a day commuting just to be stuck in meaningless meetings all day. I spend my time in mission critical meetings only and cut out the fluff with the help and support of the great team at BLUE RAVEN actuarial without flexibility, the work-life balance discussion doesn’t matter. what has flexibility at your job allowed you to spend time doing during the work day?

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Crushing it as both an employee and a parent is a masterclass in boundaries and mindfulness. “Be where your feet are” is a beautiful way to simplify a complex juggling act.

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🌟 Honoured and Excited to Kick Off 2025 with a Feature! 🌟 I’m truly honoured to be the first feature of 2025 in Abigail Tittley inspiring series on Women in Tech. Thank you, Abi, for inviting me to share my journey in tech, the lessons I've learned along the way, and what I’m focusing on for the future. Reflecting on my path—from starting in telecommunications sales to shaping my own role in Customer Success and advocating for women in tech—reminds me why I’m so passionate about creating opportunities for women in this industry. As I look to 2025, my priority remains clear: continuing to support and elevate women in tech, breaking down barriers, and encouraging open dialogue around inclusion and diversity. Starting the year with this feature is a reminder of the power of stories to inspire others, and I’m ready to build on this momentum as I tackle new challenges and opportunities. 💬 “Be bold, be curious, ask questions, have an opinion, and most of all, don’t be afraid to share it.” Let’s make 2025 the year we amplify voices and create a tech industry that’s truly inclusive for everyone. #WomenInTech #DiversityAndInclusion #ElevateMentorship #CareerJourney

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** Real-life CX stories, episode #1 ** A couple of months ago, I walked into my local BP garage after filling up the car and they had installed automated large screens at each till point, helping to reduce queue lengths if only one person was serving. I noticed a few people queueing for the colleague's till position anyway (probably through fear of trying out new tech), but I gave it a go and found the self-serve screen smooth and user-friendly, and as a result I managed to queue-jump several people. Nice. Fast forward to yesterday, goes back into the garage, and the screens are all gone. I pondered whether I was having a senior moment, and for clarity asked the colleague behind the till where they'd gone. "Head Office removed them," he says. "We have enough staff at this station". So...the company installed self-serve automation to complement or supplant human service. And then uninstalled self-serve automation and replaced with human service again. Thereby recreating the queuing, time-delay and inconvenience issues, and asking customers to un-educate themselves from the process they'd expected customers to adopt several months prior. And no doubt spent a ton of money on. Without asking anyone anything...I don't remember getting a survey or being asked what I thought about my experience. Sometimes you just gotta ask... What is the point...? #bpgarages #customerexperience #cx2024

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The NHS is a great example of Customer Service. Hear me out: Long waiting lists, long wait times in A&E, delays in treatment, under seasonal pressure from flu viruses, staffing shortages, short of funding, daily criticism from news and social media. Doesn’t sound good right? Imagine that kind of pressure on YOUR service for a day, could your team manage? Could they cope? Would they burnout? Would they need time off? Could you expect them to turn up on day two? What if this level of pressure was constant, for years!? Could you rely on your teams to deliver great customer service every day? Yet this IS the reality for the colleagues at the #NHS. And despite the pressure, they turn up everyday and give genuine care and support for their customers. Yesterday I had to take a trip to The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and was overwhelmed with the level of my experience (again). Everyone on site was completely united and on point. This is not unusual, every visit to hospitals over the last few years has left me impressed. They say you can only really measure a team on their bad days, those days that really put the team under pressure. If that’s true then the colleagues in the NHS are the team to learn from. 👏 I should probably close with the classic LinkedIn phrase "Agree?". But I don't care it you agree. This is my experience and they are awesome.

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If anyone has any contacts in the farming industry, please share! My wife shared with my a Tik-Tok post tonight, where a farmer was asking if he was able to get together with other producers and offer produce (meat, veg, fruit etc) at a competitive price, but buying direct, would people be interested. This is something I've thought about alot - the issue with supermarkets etc is that there are too many people wanting their cut. I've been thinking about how feasible it would be to create a uk-wide "online farm shop" - as a non-profit! I don't want to make a profit from such a venture, but I am passionate about supporting British farming and hopefully making sure they take a larger cut of the value of their produce! The concept is that consumers would be able to do their entire produce shop - meats, arable produce etc in a single place, and then the system would automatically work out which farmers provide what and distribute the order accordingly - would need to figure out the fulfillment logistics, but the platform would not look to turn a profit, just take enough to cover the cost of payments processing, providing support and running the platform - probably 5% of the sale price, with the remaining 95% going to the farmers/growers/producers. Do you think this is something the farming/growers/producers industry would be interested in and potentially get behind? Please feel free to reach out if you are in the uk farming industry and have any thoughts on this!

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I am not one for posting personal updates on LinkedIn, but I thought actually, the feelings I am having right now could also be affecting others in my network and I wanted to help spread the word that 'its ok to feel this way'. A few weeks ago, I found out I was pregnant 🤰 due in October 2024! This was a shock to the system to say the least but at 16 weeks I'm finally getting my head around the news and starting to feel excited for the big changes in my future 🤗 However, pregnancy anxiety has been huuuuge thus far!! Not just for the personal aspects of my life but also for professional reasons . . . 😶 What will my employer think? 😶 Is my job going to be safe when I return? 😶 What if my replacement does a better job than me and they don't want me back? 😶 What if I lose the bonds I have worked so hard to build with my team, key stakeholders and employees? 😶 Do I want to return part-time? If so, will this put me on the back foot for any promotions or salary increases? 😶 What will happen to my team when I go off and then return? 😶 Will my replacement change all the processes I have put in place over the past 18 months? 😶 How will the business have changed during my time away? Am I going to be behind and out of date upon my return! I know that most of the above are irrational fears, but I honestly believe these are common thoughts amongst pregnant women in the workplace. I am lucky that I already know who my replacement is, and I know that she is going to do AMAZING (and will actually look forward to me coming back 😂) but this does not stop my brain from overthinking and automatically going to the 'negative box' in my head. I also know that my employer is supportive of any of my decisions, before and after pregnancy, but again my brain takes me to the worst-case scenario (and anyone who knows me, knows I'm more of a 'glass half full than half empty' person so these thoughts are a new concept for me). So, if someone you know is pregnant, a friend, a family member, a work colleague, please check in with them and let them know 'its ok' to feel this way 💙 ❤️ 💛 💚 Pregnancy is HARRRRRD sometimes and can-do things to your emotions and mind that you might not be prepared for and struggling with. And it's OK to admit that! It doesn't devalue you as a woman in the workplace. It doesn't mean you have failed because you can't help but feel overwhelmed. It doesn't make you less of a success, that your usual 100%, is actually only running at 70% right now. Pregnant women and those around us, lets support each other through the changes that our body and mind are going through whilst creating new life 👶 🍼 🤱 💜❤️💛💚💙🩵🤍 🖤

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It’s amazing what a couple of re-posts and some amazing contacts and colleagues can do! We’ve had an amazing response for the People Ops Specialist role in the first 24 hours, and I’ve already got three calls booked in for coffee chats this week 🚀 If you’d like to chat, please drop me a DM and we can get a call booked. If you’ve connected in with me over the last 24 hours, hello 👋🏻 I thought I’d sign out of 2024 with a re-intro & what you can expect to see in 2025 🤣 👩🏻‍🦰 You’ll find me in Manchester or in London working out the puzzle that is integrating a family of three children and a big job. 💯 I love the concept of PX as a product and am looking to work this into our experiences at Lunio over the next 12-18 months 🫶🏻 I recently moved to a Chief of Staff role, in which I’m very fortunate to work with some talented senior leaders. I’ll building my network into this space so I can add the most value in this role into the next 12 months. ❤️ There’s a guy in the photo that none of this would be possible without, who also has his own career and shares the three terrors with me. Kudos to him for the consistent support and encouragement. ✏️ You’ll find me musing on the space that sits in the Venn Diagram of being a senior leader, being a working mum, being a female in the workplace on here and on Substack. #worklifeintegration #workingfemales #workingmum #dualcareerfamily

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We held a team cold-calling session yesterday afternoon I connected with 3 people and booked 2 meetings - the third was close too I was surprised by one of the meetings I booked She called back after listening to my voicemail: "Hey Maria, it's Patrick. Call me back at +41 78 919 88 90" Works with more than a third of executives Me: "Patrick Trümpi" Maria: "Hi Patrick, you called me?" Me: "Yeah that is correct. Thank you very much for calling back. I work at Taskbase. Have you heard about us?" Maria: "No not really" Me: "We were in contact a long time ago. If you give me 35s I can explain what it was about?" (In 2022, she answered a cold email that she was not interested) Maria: "I am actually in a meeting. Can you call another time?" Me: "Yes sure. When works better for you?" Maria: "How about Friday afternoon?" Me: "Sounds good, what time is best?" Maria: "At 3 pm" Me: "Good, I send you an invitation, ok?" Maria: "Oh yeah, that is a good idea" (I did not expect that enthusiasm 😅) I sent out the invitation, and she accepted Just try that, it might work for you as well PS: I know the meeting might be in danger of being cancelled more likely than other meetings. However, it still is the best way to react in that situation. The person will need to proactively do research and cancel, which both help you qualify.

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Show and Tell: Elevate your support team 📢 In conversation yesterday I was asked how to raise the profile of customer support teams, and it was a great question, and my answer was that there are two main areas of focus. 🧩 The first thing you have to do is actually make the team visible. And this doesn’t mean buying hi-vis vests or turning up the lights. I guarantee that your customer support teams do some great and important work and it’s essential that you share these accomplishments with the wider team. This not only motivates your team but keeps the rest of the business engaged. I used to create a monthly publication called ‘Spotlight on Success” which was a collaborative piece with support managers to highlight good news, positive trends and to let the organisation know what the support team were achieving and how much quality work was being done. It focused on positives, because support teams need to be kept motivated - and they already know about the conveyor belt of issues…they’re the ones who deal with it! So to help prevent burnout, let them know that they are valued and show the positive impact of their efforts. 🧩 The second piece of the puzzle, and perhaps the most important, is that you have to make people care. To do this, you need to explain why the aforementioned accomplishments matter. Who is interested in support data? Other teams have their own pressures and concerns and expect the support team to manage their own work, why should they be interested in whether the performance is trending in any direction? Should they care? Whether or not they believe it, they should! Support data is not a private pocket of information—it’s a rich source of knowledge and insight into so many other areas of your organisation’s performance. It shouldn’t be background noise that only garners attention when something goes red! So the challenge is to make the data tell a story about their world, frame it as what it is - product quality, training needs, communication issues. Do this and make people interested! When other teams can see the value of the support data they will be able to make good use of it and this can lead to collaboration, data sharing and an evolved customer experience. How are you raising the profile of your customer support teams? Have you found effective ways to ensure their insights are valued across the organisation? This is a passion of mine so please feel free to share your experiences and any strategies that have worked for you. It would be great to continue the conversation on how we can elevate the role of customer support! #CustomerSupport #CustomerExperience #Collaboration #SupportData #CXStrategy #BusinessInsight #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #CustomerData #CXMetrics #Elevate

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2024 is the year of #AI deployment, a challenging frontier for agencies across the globe. What are the right steps and processes to AI and do you set yourself up with a market advantage? We were lucky enough to have thought leaders in the staffing space share their practical advice for #recruiters. If you missed the live #chat Audrey has put together and article showcasing the highlights in the post below. #read about practical solutions to embedding AI into your recruitment business. Let us know any feedback or comments!

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