Customer service experts Echo Managed Services see a bright future for Kick Start colleagues

Driving process improvements and expanding service offerings to meet the ever-changing needs of the customer is the easy part; finding, training, and developing the skills of individuals who can deliver those promises can be a bit more challenging.

“Customer service is a vocation” says Danielle Rothero, team manager at Echo. “Watching people grow in confidence as they settle into the working environment, begin to understand the value of the service we provide, and develop the skillset to engage with customers is amazing. It’s a real journey, and a pleasure to be part of it”.

Danielle joined Echo with a background in hospitality just over four years ago. She found her feet quickly and set about moving up through the ranks to her current role. As Echo takes part in the Government sponsored Kick Start scheme, Danni is an inspiration to three new joiners.

Like Danni, Tyla Miller, Raqiba Khalid, and Charlie Taylor are keen to carve out a career with an employer who recognises their talents, provides structured training, and opportunities for the future.

Charlie said “I was doing a carpentry course at college when the pandemic set in. My course was put on hold and, like a lot of people, I struggled to get back on track as the restrictions eased. I worked in retail for a while but didn’t feel like it was the right fit for me. We had a baby on the way so I needed to find something I could settle into for the longer term. My daughter arrived, fatherhood and family life are amazing, and my role at Echo is the icing on the cake.”

Raqiba felt her career in customer service had stalled so welcomed a new opportunity. “I was surprised when I started looking into Echo and found out a bit more about who they were and what they did. Being part of a much larger group means there could be lots of different opportunities to explore – but it’s still early days! I’m really enjoying my training and I’m part of a great team so fingers crossed for the future”.

“I had always thought my future career would start with higher education, so I applied for a place at university” Tyla said. “I soon realised that I find being hands on and actually doing something more satisfying, so academia just wasn’t the right path for me. I’m learning so much from my team, and Danni is always on hand to point us in the right direction when we need it”.

Rachael Merrell, customer services director at Echo, is happy to have the new recruits on board. “Choosing the right people to join us and then providing the training and ongoing support they need is paramount to delivering the exceptional service our clients expect. We can teach new starters all they need to know about the water sector, our clients, and the services we provide, but being able to engage with customers is an innate skill which we value highly. Raqiba, Charlie and Tyla have already started to make a name for themselves among their colleagues so I’m really looking forward to seeing how they progress over the coming months.”

We’ll be following the new recruits as their training continues and, hopefully, sharing a celebration when they join the team on a permanent basis. If you’d like to know more about in a career in customer service with an innovative business that is expanding its global footprint, contact Sandeep Kaur, People Business Partner, at sandeepkaur@echo-ms.com for more information.