About the position: In this leadership position, you'll coach, develop and manage employees, and run the day-to-day supervision and scheduling of Customer Service Representatives. Your focus? Delivering excellent customer service. As part of this experience, you'll be responsible for general branch administration, and product launches and campaigns. Where you've been: You have a university degree or community college diploma and a minimum three years in a retail or financial services environment, with one-year previous supervisory experience. You are an excellent communicator and have proven problem-solving, decision-making and time management skills to do this job.
Where you're going: You'll have the opportunity to build your skills, and learn and grow with the guidance of a coach who will give you the benefit of his or her experience and unqualified support. You'll also take part in development and training programs.
8:00 a.m. I check my e-mail while having my first coffee. Decaf. I don't need the buzz in my job. Every day is different — and busy — and today is no exception. I have 12 Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) to schedule and supervise, each with a unique profile of strengths. 8:15 a.m. Join colleagues for the daily team huddle just before opening. It's a great opportunity to make sure everybody knows the day's priorities — and to discuss any outstanding issues. 9:30 a.m. Review next week's schedule. We have a flexible, co-operative staff, but covering shifts can be tough. In the past, the planning took up a lot of time. But thanks to our StaffSmart software, people organizing is a lot easier today. 10:45 a.m. Scheduling is finished. I go out to lend a hand on the "front line." Mary, one of our newer CSRs, has a lot of questions. I take the time to answer and encourage her to keep asking questions. That's how you learn. 11:20 a.m. I have a closed door meeting with the Branch Manager to discuss how well we have performed on the Customer Satisfaction Index, TD Canada Trust's company-wide customer survey. Our numbers are good. But we agree that there's room for improvement. We talk about how we can make our customers even more comfortable by working smarter, not necessarily harder. 12:15 p.m. I take a run around the indoor track at the fitness club across the street. I feel righteous enough to plan a night watching TV. Grab a sandwich to take back to work. 1:30 p.m. Meet with three CSRs who have volunteered time to work with a local food bank. I go back to StaffSmart to juggle the schedule to accommodate everyone's needs during the food drive. I show my results to my colleagues. Everyone's happy. 2:00 p.m. An incredibly busy — and challenging — afternoon. I overhear Mary talking to a customer who is concerned about his statement showing an ABM cash withdrawal he insists he never made. When it looks like Mary is about to take the machine's side, I intervene. She's dealing with a very good customer. And machines can make mistakes too. Mary and I promise to investigate the problem and report back to the customer. Everybody seems happy with the plan. 3:00 p.m. I chat with a few CSRs at a time to discuss new branch sales objectives and a product launch. We throw ideas back and forth — an approach that works well. We have a great staff. 3:15 p.m. I take time to review new accounts and look after other administrative duties before tidying up my desk. 4:45 p.m. One last item on the agenda. I call one of my CSRs who is returning to work after child care leave. She says she is looking forward to it. I hear her baby crying in the background and smile to myself.