In a recent interview, Senior Operations Manager Jordan Deyong shared some valuable insights on the topic of empowerment in the workplace of customer service. Jordan emphasized the importance of making employees accountable and responsible for their performance, while also participating in a team culture and cultivating engagement collaboratively. He believes that empowering employees is key to creating a successful and productive team.
Melissa Eluik, Community Manager asked Jordan about his passion for customer service and how he integrates it into his management style. Jordan states, “You know, empowerment is making people accountable and responsible for their performance and owning their work with engagement. I always ask my team for their feedback weekly so I can be aware of any errors in the improvement and I communicate that to the clients. When the team sees their feedback go into action, they feel empowered due to their feedback being the reason for that change.”
One of the ways Jordan empowers his team is by asking for feedback on a weekly basis. By actively seeking input from his employees, Jordan is able to stay informed about any challenges to changes or areas for new growth within the team. This not only allows him to address any issues promptly, but also shows his team that their opinions and suggestions are valued.
Furthermore, Jordan mentioned that when his team sees their feedback being implemented and resulting in positive changes, it boosts their sense of empowerment. Knowing that their input directly contributes to the success of the team motivates employees to take ownership of their work and strive for excellence.
This approach to empowerment not only benefits the individual employees, but also has a positive impact on the overall work environment and client satisfaction. By actively involving his team in decision-making and valuing their feedback, Jordan is passionate about creating a culture of transparency, collaboration, and accountability within his organization.
In conclusion, Jordan Deyong’s commitment to empowering his team through feedback and action highlights the importance of fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace. By giving employees a voice and recognizing their contributions, organizations can inspire loyalty, productivity, and ultimately, success.
Melissa Eluik: Jordan, you are an Operations Manager at Agents Republic? Can you tell me about what that entails and a little bit more about your role and your day to day?
My daily role consists of making sure all projects are performing at 100%. Communicating with all teams daily is very important and having monthly 1 on 1’s assists with gauging the culture of each project. I make sure everyone is part of a team and I try to build the best trust I can with everyone so we can all work together as a collaborative unit. I give constant recognition to contractors and make sure I coach and provide positive or constructive feedback to make sure they are constantly engaged. I strive for consistency in anything I do and I expect my teams to do the same so they can learn that skill set for their development.
Before you worked at Agents Republic you had many years of experience in management, yet as I have come to know you, you speak about your experience in customer service. How do customer services and management relate to each other?
They are both very similar in regards to how you amplify the company’s vision and brand. Both consumer and employee are to be treated the same with great relationships and support to ensure they both get what they need. A value for what they are doing or what service they are experiencing is very important to ensure retention for all parties.
I get the sense that there is someone about customer service that you really love and are passionate about. Can you tell me a bit more about that?
To make someone’s day better is always the goal. Customer Service defines a company. If a company does not have good customer service then the company takes a huge risk for the brand and their reputation. People want good service and that carries many companies to success and profitability. If a brand of company has poor reviews and not good customer service delivery they can lose that customer to the competition and that can hurt revenue generation and growth for any company. In my experience the better the company and culture the better the profits and retention is of their overall success.
I just want to go back to your management experience, and talk to you about empowering people to provide high levels of customer service. What is your secret?
Being present and available to your team is #1. Building professional relationships and showing your team they can trust you to lead them is key. Once those relationships are built the goal is to maintain them and keep them on-going. I also push what empowerment is to my teams and coach what accountability is and how to maintain that at all times to have ethical values in the workplace.
How do you push what empowerment means to your teams? Do you define empowerment and set the culture or is that something you do with your team?
Empowerment is making people accountable and responsible for their actions and owing their work with engagement. I always ask my team for their feedback weekly so I can be aware of any areas that need improvement and I communicate that to the clients. When the team sees their feedback goes into action they feel empowered due to their feedback being the reason for that change. Once the change takes place I give recognition to the team and make sure their feedback is communicated.
When I look through your history of the different industries you have worked in, it is really diverse: Hospitality, Telecommunications, Energy, Logistics, Healthcare, Finance. Did I miss anything? How does your skill set need to adjust and change when working in different industries?
That is a loaded question and I can’t summarize how you do this with different companies and industries. It comes down to an individual’s drive, passion, and willingness to be flexible and versatile. Take risks and jump in and learn the people and the business and then execute your leadership to match or meet that culture and vision of the company. The hospitality background 100% gave me the foundation of transferable skills to pivot to each industry with a passion of excellent customer service and how to be a leader to share this belief with my past training in this area.
That is really interesting. How did hospitality give you that foundation?
The hospitality industry strived for excellence with all aspects of operations, policies, procedures and standards. With Fairmont and Four Seasons they had a very robust culture to always grow and develop their people to ensure they were set up for success for all aspects to amplify their brand and excellence in customer service. These companies had learning modules for weekly, monthly and yearly development and your bonus was always attached to performance and advancement in your roles. The high standards I mentor teaches individuals how to always strive for your best and to raise your bar to better yourself as a professional in the hospitality industry. That platform catapulted me to set my own expertise and expectations that set me up for success for other industries and to maintain and exceed with their corporate values and expectations for their brands and service execution.
How are you currently collaborating with one of your clients in your work?
Keeping lines of communication always open and being available for them at any time. Making sure all their inquiries are answered with urgency and a prompt response. I also always try to get to know my clients on a personal level so we can relate on that level when we need to. Important to always invest in the interests of the clients and learn and know their products and corporate values and inherit them as your own. You are then always speaking their language and this goes a long way in regards to professional development and relationships.
Looking back on the work that you have been doing with Agents Republic, can you think about a time or times when you were really proud of one of your team members?
Yes and I was proud of one of my projects where I inherited it and everyone was so disengaged. As soon as I learned about the product and built relationships with the client and contractors it was very rewarding to see it turn around and produce high results weekly and monthly. It was great to see engagement back in the teams and to watch them all work together to ensure high results were part of their culture. When a team comes together and is self-efficient and engaged it is always a success in my eyes.
You sound so enthusiastic about your work and like you really embody love and care towards your clients and their customers. How do you stay passionate about your job and the work that you do?
This passion for whatever I am doing comes from within my own belief system. I want to always “Pay it forward” to employees and customers in any industry to ensure everyone feels supported and valued always. Recognition has always been a strong skill set for me and I always make sure when a person is doing a great job they know it. Giving people value is very important, otherwise you will lose them eventually and that is due to disengagement from the company or work they are doing.
I also know that you were a stand-up comedian. Do you have a good joke about customer service that we might enjoy?
Too funny and I do….. the saying “The Customer is always right” is not right at all…LOL. The customer wants to think they are always right but really sometimes they can be wrong. This was a funny statement, and I was always supporting it but would say in my own words “The customer wants to think they are always right, and we make it right”.
