This week we’re chatting with our Customer Support Team Leader, Nirvana! She’s just come back from maternity leave, so we’ll be talking about how she’s been getting back to grips with working life, what she loves about working on HomeSwapper and how her team have been making her proud…
You’re back! How’s it been getting back into the team?
I’ve touched base with them throughout the year, so it’s been really good and not as crazy as it could have been. The team has performed brilliantly, so it’s really just a case of slotting back in!
We’re just as busy on the Customer Support Team as we were before I left, which is fantastic as it means people are using the products. Going forward, it’ll be a case of keeping the girls motivated and doing such a great job!
Tell us about your role
I oversee the Customer Support Team, which services all products at Housing Partners. I make sure that the team is keeping up the same great level of service by responding to customers within 48 hours, by keeping customer satisfaction levels high and by making sure that any feedback from customers is followed up on.
I also oversee the training plan; it’s important that the Customer Support Team stays upskilled and developed, which is a great way of also keeping them motivated. Everyone working in customer service needs this!
What’s it like working on HomeSwapper?
I’ve been with Housing Partners for almost 5 years, so HomeSwapper is my baby. I worked on it from the beginning and it was actually what drew me to the job at Housing Partners; I’m from South Africa and we don’t have any products like this over there, something that makes lives better. It’s just really rewarding work.
It’s also great to hear people’s stories and to give them a platform where they can make the changes they want to in their lives. We get some great testimonials as well, which makes it really worthwhile.
HomeSwapper’s come such a long way since I’ve been working here. When I joined, the Customer Support Team wasn’t really established; it was just me and Debbie. We used to get 1000 emails per weekend, so turnaround time was 2 weeks – we just tried to do the best we could! It was crazy, then 3 years ago we got a team in and Customer Support Team was established.
How did you get into the job?
I moved to the UK just over 5 years ago and got the job at Housing Partners in April. Back in South Africa I was also a Team Leader, but in the call centre industry. I only worked on UK brands though, so it was easy for me to get into something similar here at Housing Partners.
It’s all customer service; with HomeSwapper we’re all about supporting landlords to support their tenants to use the site in the best way they can.
Why is HomeSwapper important?
It’s directly helping people to make the improvements they want in their lives. We’re giving them that platform so that they know they can do something to help their situations. Swappers do give feedback on how easy it was to find a swap with the support we’ve given, which is great to hear.
What do you love about your job?
Its ever-evolving, never the same thing and always improving. I love knowing about all the tenants that we’re able to help.
It’s also great to know that we’re part of an environment that’s changing all the time; working in the tech space means we’re always working on keeping up-to-date with developments. Five years ago, I would never have known how all of this worked; I just wasn’t tech-savvy. But it’s been a learning curve – it’s good to learn and to know about both the tech and housing industries.
What are you most proud of about your team?
They’ve held the fort while I’ve been away. It’s been amazing – with everything that’s changed over the past year, they’ve been able to adapt.
They’ve thought on their feet and managed themselves really well. They’ve also kept all our customer satisfaction statistics in order, nothing fell by the wayside! I feel really lucky to have that team around me.
The HomeSwapper Customer Support team are always on hand to give advice and tips on how to get the most from HomeSwapper. They deal with Swappers every day and have a unique insight and view on the thousands of successful swaps that take place on HomeSwapper.
