From Customer Service to a Managerial Role - A Real Story

If you have just graduated, are about to graduate, or have a few years of experience under your belt and still have no idea what you’d like to pursue career wise, no worries – nobody fully knows. And if they say they know, they are not 100% sure, trust me. There's no shame in feeling lost and finding it hard to select only one profession, let alone only one career path. This is exactly why making great use of your languages, soft skills will allow you to gain some valuable experience in many positions, such as the customer service role. And despite the fact it may sound like not a prestigious position, you would be surprised by how far you can go and the amount of competencies you learn on the way. Customer service positions can lead to a wide range of opportunities, including exposure to projects with top multinationals if you decide to take the plunge. Don’t believe me? Here is a real story of how our guest has gone from customer service to a managerial role.

Eleni Trichaki, only 34 years old, has been interviewed to show you the trajectory of a real person, who has experienced the world of a customer service representative and worked her way to a managerial position at Teleperformance Greece. For those who may not know, Teleperformance is a huge multinational company specialized in designs and advanced business solutions, optimization strategies, customer support, and back-off services.

“The multinational environment and the strong values of Teleperformance, not only led me to them, but also convinced me to change my career path, stay here, and grow,” says Eleni.

Originally from Crete, Eleni has been working for Teleperformance Greece since July 2012, where she first started as an advisor. Today, she’s the Contact Center Manager for one of its Customer Service Support’s accounts.

Eleni has a Bachelor and Master’s Degree in French Language and Literature from the University of Athens. Like most language lovers, she moved to Paris to be more exposed to the idiom, culture, and to continue to develop herself, by earning a Master’s Degree in French Speaking Literature. And it was right after Paris, that she joined Teleperformance Greece – The perfect multilingual and multinational environment to put into practice everything she had learned so far.

“My first role in the company was a Technical Support Advisor position in a French speaking team,” she stated. “Although my background is not technical, I was able to adjust quickly to the demands of the role due to the high level of training and strong team support in Operations,” she added.

While working at Teleperformance and being exposed to different tasks and responsibilities, as well as such an international surrounding, a new passion arose; a curiosity for the Business world. It was this experience that led her to enroll in a Master's degree in Business Administration.

After her first year as an advisor, Eleni got promoted to a Supervisor position. Of course, the position came with many challenges and responsibilities, but she was inspired by her supervisors and after three and a half years, she reached the so unexpected and deserved role of Assistant Contact Center Manager. Her transition from Customer Service Representative to Managerial role was not an easy one, but the rewards have definitely been worth it.

But wait. Her story does not end here.

Eleni made sure to mention the importance of working for a company that respects and values diversity and inclusion, and how that played an important part during her years proudly representing Teleperformance. There is an important detail that many neglect to mention: despite what it seems, the corporate world has not yet fully equaled itself in many areas, such as gender equality. Eleni feared that by wanting to become a mom, her spot would have been taken or that she would have not been chosen to take on a higher position due to maternity leave. Our society continues to face this issue despite the fact that it is absurd to even contemplate. Therefore, it was a great surprise for Eleni, upon returning from maternity leave, to be offered an account’s implementation.

When asked why she decides to pursue her role every day, Eleni said: “Knowing that my Operation’s team supports people and assists them to resolve their issues, it’s what puts a smile on my face. Our daily small victories are what fills me up with pride.” Our guest stressed the importance of believing in and connecting with the mission of the company you work for to keep you going through tough times.

During her tenure as a customer service representative, Eleni was well recognized for her efforts and told us that this type of validation is vital to a successful career.

Eleni explains more about her current position as a Contact Center Manager for those wishing to arrive at the managerial role. Her team consists of 100 Agents, 6 Supervisors, 2 Trainers, 2 Quality Analysts, a Workforce Management Analyst, and an Assistant Contact Center Manager. With such a vast team and many responsibilities, her routine is quite busy. Some of her daily tasks consist of:

Reports with rough deadlines;
Creation and development of presentations;
Meetings with the Client;
Team meetings.

“Balancing it all is demanding,” she affirms. But with the skills learned during her professional development, she highlights the following to be very helpful: time management, prioritization, and organization. With these abilities mastered, everything is achievable!

In this interview, Eleni explained that leaders don't micromanage, but rather guide their teams and inspire them.

What are your thoughts about this? Hopefully, we’ve lit a light for you at the end of the tunnel and you now feel a bit more at ease with feeling lost or indecisive about which career path to take. If you’re looking to become a customer service representative, obtain a customer service role, and join Teleperformance Greece for more opportunities, make sure to sharpen up your language skills and gather all of your abilities. The workforce is awaiting you!