Picking up the phone – communication is key to customer service

Jane joined SiteZone in 2022, as the business was growing into the company it is today. Originally joining as a Service Co-ordinator, Jane’s seen her role evolve to include new product sales – a natural next step for someone with a real passion for building customer relationships and previous account management experience for big brands like Estee Lauder and Chanel.

We thought it was the perfect time to find out more about Jane, what’s kept her at SiteZone, how she's helping our customers, and what she's looking forward to next.

Jane begins:

“I originally joined SiteZone because I was looking for a local company and something new to get my teeth into. I wanted to work somewhere you’re a name, not a number. Plus, I get to bring my dog Noodle into the office every day!”

Since joining, Jane's role has grown considerably.

“When I first started, I was given different tasks to do, and the role gradually developed. I started with booking engineers, managing inspections, and dealing with service callouts. Over time, I took on more quoting, managing service contracts, reinstalls, and now, new product sales.

The more I do, the more I enjoy it. It's interesting to be involved in every part of the sale, right the way through from enquiry to sale and aftersales service. You get to see things through from start to finish and build relationships with customers along the way.”

So, with years of experience in customer-facing roles, what's the secret to good customer service?

“It’s about communication. I still prefer to pick up the phone and have a conversation. There are too many emails and with our customers being mainly site based often a phone call is easier for them. By talking you can find out what a customer really needs – which isn't always what they think they need!

It's simple, really. Customers want to know what we can do, how much it will cost, and when we can do it. They want the information they need quickly and to be kept informed – particularly when we’re dealing with service calls.

Thanks to ongoing training and experience in the role, I can now answer many customer queries myself without having to pass on to someone else. That's something I want to keep building on.”

Good customer service is about understanding what customers are dealing with in practice.

So, to help with the role, Jane’s been out on site more with the engineers to see the practicalities of the product in use. Recently she visited long term customer of SiteZone - Harrington Builders.

“Getting out on site has been invaluable. Things aren't always how you imagine them to be. You see the different sectors, the size of the machines, the processes customers follow, and the challenges they're facing. It helps you understand why we do what we do and how we can help.

I think everyone should try doing someone else's job for a day! I'd love my engineers to pick up my job on a Monday morning when the schedule needs rearranging to fit in machine deliveries and last-minute customer changes!”

Seeing the pressures on site reminds us why getting machines back up and running matters so much, and how important it is for SiteZone to respond quickly.

And that’s one of the areas that sets SiteZone apart:

“Our customer service is one of the best, and feedback from customers backs up this claim.

The passion for what we do – keeping people safe on site – comes from the top. Our MD, Gary, is about doing the right thing for the customer, not just making a profit. Everyone here wants to get it right and do a good job.”

Looking ahead, what is Jane most looking forward to in her new role?

“I see everything as a challenge and always want to keep learning. Our new products AVA and ZARA are my next challenge.

If you know a product and believe in it you can sell it, regardless of what it is. And I believe in what we do at SiteZone.”

Congratulations to Jane for this new role and supporting SiteZone’s future growth – something Jane now has a direct stake in since the company sold majority shareholdings to an Employee Owned Trust.