Remember the last time you called a customer service representative? You were likely braced for a maze of automated prompts, long wait times, and multiple transfers before hopefully reaching a real person who could address your issue. In contrast, encountering a prompt, pleasant, and helpful support person on the other end of the line feels like a breath of fresh air in today’s highly automated, AI-driven world.
For restoration professionals navigating urgent and high-stakes situations daily, exceptional customer service from vendors is not just a luxury–but a necessity. To honor those who excel in this essential role, we established the Customer Service Elite Award! After receiving dozens of nominations and narrowing down the finalists, we are thrilled to announce Brandon Christie, Customer Success Manager at Encircle, as the 2024 Customer Service Elite Award winner by popular vote!
Brandon’s Journey to Customer Service
Brandon’s first job out of college was in a customer service role at a call center. It didn’t take long before he began to feel limited in his role due to the lack of opportunity to build quality relationships with his customers. Seeking a position that would allow for more meaningful relationships, Brandon found himself working as a Customer Success Manager at Encircle.
With degrees in psychology and business, Brandon admits that he had little knowledge of the tech world or restoration when he started at Encircle. Fast-forward seven years, and he now plays a key role in revolutionizing restoration processes through Encircle’s innovative software.
Finding Fulfillment as a Customer Success Manager
What has remained consistent over the years is the fulfillment Brandon gets from building relationships with his customers and seeing them have their “Aha” moments. Brandon describes this as the instance where the client truly understands the software and how it can benefit their business. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of building rapport and seeing customers at a tradeshow. I like that relationship side rather than being a customer service monkey, so to speak. It’s more than that. You have to have that relationship in order to have trust in your customers and ultimately use the product the way they should.”
As a people person with a steadiness and levelheadedness that makes his customers feel at ease, generating these meaningful relationships comes fairly easy to Brandon. But what about when challenges arise?
Navigating Customer Challenges
Brandon understands the high-stakes environments that his clients operate in, where timely and effective solutions are essential. “Our customers are like first responders. They are the ones getting their hands dirty; they’ve got to be on the ball, so we kind of reflect that back at them at Encircle. When they need someone, they need them right away, so we’re trying to be the industry leader on that end.” From a practical level, this involves keeping schedules open enough to be available for their customers in a timely manner and digging into a problem until a solution is found, even if that means admitting you don’t initially know the answer.
Transforming Customer Feedback to Innovation
One of Brandon’s favorite parts of working at Encircle is the company’s commitment to acting on customer feedback. “We’re a small enough company that we can take product feedback and incorporate it into our products, whereas some of the big guys, you’ll send a feedback request, and it’ll go into the ether, never to be seen again,” Brandon explains that he has made it one of his missions to collaborate with his product team to help them understand the perspective of the client and what their priorities are so they can continue improving and developing their product to better serve their customers.
A particularly memorable experience for Brandon was attending The Big Flood event, where he had the opportunity to see the software he helps customers utilize every day come to life. “Getting in the customer’s space and understanding what they go through and understanding the problems they face every day. They don’t want to be on their phone the whole time. So thinking about ways we can make it easier to optimize their job in the field.” This constant innovation and improvement keeps Brandon excited about what he does.
The Lasting Impact of Exceptional Customer Service
Brandon Christie captures the essence of exceptional customer service, demonstrating how the role extends beyond positive interactions to include responsiveness, honesty, and a proactive approach to customer’s needs. This dedication to the success of his customers has allowed Brandon to help play a part in shaping the future of restoration by changing how projects are conducted–an impact that reaches beyond restoration contractions and to the thousands of individuals, families, and businesses they serve.
Lauren Etherington
Lauren has been utilizing her writing expertise as C&R Magazine’s Associate Editor since 2023. After gaining a degree in legal studies, she ultimately chose to channel her writing capabilities to help support small businesses in the construction and restoration industries with their marketing efforts. Her ability to ask insightful questions helps uncover the core essence of each business, generating content that enhances brand identity and fosters genuine connections. Lauren calls Des Moines, Iowa home, where she resides with her husband and three children.
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