At Helm, we pride ourselves on our top-notch customer service and support. The bedrock of our support team are our Client Services Associates, and they are incredibly important to our customers. So what exactly is a CSA? What do they do? This week I sat down with our Client Support Manager, Haider Salih, to learn more about his role here at Helm Operations and what a day in the life of a CSA looks like. (By the way, if this sounds like the right role for you, we’re hiring!)
Amanda: How long have you been with Helm Operations? What is your role there?
Haider: I have worked here for four years as the Client Support Manager. My job is to manage the support team and act as a voice for the customer in the management group.
A: What is a Client Services Associate (CSA)?
H: A CSA is three important things. First, they are a friend to the customer. Second, they are the face of the company. And finally, they are an integral part of maintaining the customer relationship.
A: What does a typical day look like for a CSA at Helm?
H: We start off the day by reviewing tickets that have come in overnight and triage issues by priority and impact. The higher the impact on the customer, the higher the priority assigned to the issue. In addition to this, we spend our time helping people internally with their varied questions and communicating with customers via email and phone to help them with their issues and ensure they are successful in their use of our software. Ultimately, ongoing customer success and happiness is our goal, and we do everything we can to ensure that.
A: What is the most challenging part of this job? Do you have any examples?
H: Helping a customer resolve a problem when they are up against a deadline is particularly challenging. Recently, one of our customers, that was still in implementation, had a training session scheduled for 9:00 am and needed over 20 computers ready to go with Helm CONNECT installed. They started the installation process the morning before and things were taking longer than usual. After patiently waiting, they reached out to our team after hours asking for help. We wanted to ensure their success and happiness with the product, so we stayed up late and worked with them through the night to resolve the issue and have them ready for their 9:00 am training session.
A: In your opinion, what is the most rewarding aspect of this job? Do you have any specific examples?
H: The most rewarding part of being a CSA is having a customer or internal person show their appreciation for a job well done on solving a difficult issue. We have been recognized for this by getting standing ovations from the company and even a personal ‘thank you’ from the CEO. It is particularly rewarding when we get great feedback on our support tickets – here’s one customer quote:
“Honestly, I was expecting to have to wait until the next business day, as I’m in Hawaii, which means I’m typically behind everyone else’s schedule. However; I was quite pleased with the quick response. Support … was very clear in their response. I am very satisfied with the assistance I received. Thank you again!”
A: What are the top three skills a CSA needs to have to be successful, and why are they so important?
H: Ability to empathize with a customer is vital in this role because you are their advocate. You need to see things through their eyes to be able to attach the appropriate priority to the issue. Having patience and knowing how to remain calm under pressure are also important skills. Sometimes things get busy – customers are under a deadline for a solution and there may be some frustration expressed. Remaining calm in these situations is key to delivering good service. The last skill needed to be successful as a CSA is attention to detail. Externally you need to ensure you don’t miss a critical piece of information that may delay the resolution of the issue, while internally you need to be able to document an issue well enough for someone else to be able to follow along.
A: What advice would you give someone who’d like to apply for this position?
H: Attention to detail is key in this role, and for the application (hint). If you apply, make sure you include examples of where you demonstrated the skills we are asking for. Also, brush up on your movie references. Know the difference between the Millennium Falcon and the USS Enterprise!
It just so happens that Helm is hiring for a CSA! If you or someone you know is interested in this position, you can apply here. Thank you to Haider for taking the time to enlighten us on what a CSA does!
