position-spotlight-customer-service-team-lead
Customer Service
Jun 8, 2017

Position Spotlight - Customer Service Team Lead

GetYourGuide
Careers Team

Our Customer Service team is expanding! We spoke to two Customer Service Team Leads, Rui and Alessia, all about department growth, leadership styles and what it takes to be a Team Leader at GetYourGuide!

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Can you give us a short summary of what your job entails?

Rui: Being a Team Lead in Customer Service means doing your best to not only keep your team happy, motivated and performing but also, at the same time, never losing focus of the overall goal: providing our customers with amazing experiences. I think there are many different ways to lead a team, but for me, the important thing is to be genuinely committed to the growth and development of the individuals that make up your team. Therefore, I spend a significant amount of time facilitating that personal growth in my team. We also actively liaise with practically every other department in GetYourGuide on a regular basis, to not only be up-to-date with our constant product innovations, but to also share with the organization the voice of our customer. As GetYourGuide is a fast-growing organization we also focus on actively recruiting passionate individuals who meet our core values.

Alessia: As a Customer Service (CS) Team Leader I take care of a team of about 13 people. Our agents are on the floor with customers every day, answering questions and making sure they have an excellent experience with us. As a Team Lead of such a team, our job is to ensure that the team feels at ease and that they have a good environment to work in in the first place. We take care of their development, coaching, training and, of course, personal goals and performance. Everyone should have an overview of common goals and what we want to achieve. On the other side, being a CS Team Lead also means being a project manager and carrying out different projects to improve our internal and cross department performances and processes, etc. Being innovative is a must for us and taking daring bold steps to improve our service is our goal for excellence.

What does an average day in your role look like?

Alessia: When I come in to work I check that everyone is in and if there were any changes from the previous shift (CS can be very variable in processes according to the needs of a customer) which I need to communicate to the team so that they are prepared for the day. I take a look at the numbers and do a mental or written to-do list for the day. My day is usually characterized by one-to-one meetings with the team members to talk about their performance, ideas, success and things to improve. I also have meetings that concern cross department projects or internal projects, where Team Leaders are involved to find solutions together for further improvement.

Rui: For me it is important to start the day by having a look at my calendar and checking what the most significant initiatives or meetings on that particular day are. Then, all of the Team Leads on site get together to quickly discuss and share what we will be focusing on that day or what the potential challenges are.  We spend most days focusing on being present for our team members, holding performance one-to-one meetings or meetings with other GetYourGuide departments. It is important as well to have some time to concentrate on tasks or projects that require you to be focused so I try to schedule at least 1 hour per day where I will not be interrupted or have any distractions. Working for GetYourGuide also means being committed to celebrating success so it is not uncommon for the team to finish a work day with a couple of beers in a bar near our office.

Why did you choose to work with GetYourGuide?

Rui: The opportunities for learning and growth in GetYourGuide are immense. GetYourGuide is quickly changing the industry of Tours and Activities with its initiatives driving this industry forward in terms of meeting higher customer expectations. This is extremely motivating for me.  If you are passionate about personal growth and keen to learn and try new things, you will find all this, along with a work environment that constantly challenges you, at GetYourGuide. At the same time, I love the clarity element to GetYourGuide: everyone is kept up to date with the performance and strategy of the company, and, if you have any questions you can actually speak directly with board members.

Alessia: I joined GetYourGuide in 2013 and was lucky enough to have been chosen to be part of this young company. Even at that time, GetYourGuide showed values like no other startup, and have still preserved these values, despite growth. In many startups in Berlin, core values were really unknown but I had the feeling that GetYourGuide could be an environment in which I could grow as a leader, and that was the case.

Has your position changed since joining GetYourGuide?

Alessia: Yes, I was leading a team of only 8 people in the beginning and when I got back from maternity leave, it had already grown to 80 people. Our team as Team Leaders grew and it was a completely different department. And now it’s even bigger!

Rui: I actually started at GetYourGuide in Sales as the Account Manager for Portugal. It was an absolutely amazing experience. It was very rewarding working with Suppliers in making sure that our customers get the best tours and seeing the growth that our suppliers were able to achieve when they focus on providing outstanding tours and activities. With time I began to miss developing a team and therefore applied for a position as Team Lead (based on my previous working experience too). This promotion happened about 17 months after joining GetYourGuide which shows how there are plenty of opportunities for those seeking quick progression and learning.

What is the most challenging aspect of your role?

Alessia: Having a team means being present and available for them and focusing on their development and motivation. The challenge is to combine all this with your role as a project manager, putting everything together and maintaining good results in all aspects.

Rui: Dealing with people is always challenging. In many aspects, we humans are completely unpredictable and very complex. As a Team Lead I may feel that I am doing the right thing with a team member and only later discover that I am absolutely wrong. Therefore, I believe that it is key to take a step back and truly listen to my team members before making any assumptions.

What advice would you have for someone who wants to work as a Team Lead at GetYourGuide?

Rui: You have to be flexible and passionate about change. Working for GetYourGuide requires the capacity to embrace the constant flow of change with positivity and a risk-taking approach. In a way, we all are entrepreneurs, so it is vital to be committed to our mission and willing to take risks.

Alessia: Bring positivity and creativity, be focused on results, keep in mind the big picture and focus on people and their development.

What is your favourite thing about working with GetYourGuide?

Alessia: We still have same values we had at the very beginning, we grew so much in size but our values grew along with us and this is a huge asset. We have an amazing environment and everyone counts. The company puts a lot of effort in building a healthy and friendly culture.

Rui: The feeling that we are all together in a mission to turn trips into amazing experiences! There is this genuine feeling that what we do does actually makes a difference in the world.

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