Meet Tom: Active Service Recovery in the Customer Service team

I always thought I’d end up as an academic or doing something creative, I studied history and I love writing and painting. In the end it felt like I spent most of my time focusing inward when there’s a whole world out there. Working in customer service gives me a good balance.

My job is to call back customers who give us negative feedback, 3/10 or below. When I tell people what I do their first response is usually, ‘I don’t know how you do it’. It’s mostly just listening though, really listening, and having empathy. 

I recently spoke to a woman who had been in hospital for the first time. It was a confusing and overwhelming time in her life, I think she felt quite powerless. We went through every aspect of her cover together until I knew that she understood how it works. Those are my favourite calls, when you can get to know a customer’s experience and help them to be in control of their health care journey.