We wanted to share with you an interview Karran has recently done for an upcoming Customer Service LinkedIn Article…

A bit cheeky, but we are interested to find out, how old are you?

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Running & Keeping Fit
Reading – mainly personal development books at the moment
Love socialising, going out for a few drinks or a good meal
Travelling – I did a round the world backpacking trip after Uni and the bug never leaves you. Next major trip for me is Peru to do the Inca Trail.

Why did you start Brightside?

I have always wanted to be able to help others to develop and achieve their goals on a day-to-day basis. Having worked at Insights in people development for 5 years gave me the platform to do that in my very own business. I love seeing people achieve things they never thought were possible.

What advice would you give to someone starting up in business?

Surround yourself with positive likeminded individuals. Being in business is tough, however, having people who have been there to support is crucial. Business Coaching has been fundamental to my success and I would suggest you invest heavily in the right levels of advice and support from the outset.

We know you love all things customer service, what is the most crucial element to delivering excellent customer service?

Making it simple to do business with you. So many organisations are run through operational processes that have been established for years that are no longer fit for purpose! If your customers want to buy online make the landing page they are directed to fool proof. Always respond quickly and make it a pleasure to do business with you. Customers should be treated like VIPs at all time, they are the ones paying the wages!!!

Having the right people in front of your customers is also vital. If you have even just one disengaged member of your team this can provide a potential customer with a very negative impression of your business. Positive, motivated and well trained staff make all the difference to your customers’ perception of your business.

What is your favourite quote?

I am going to be cheeky and go for two…

‘The harder you work, the luckier you get!’

‘What’s for you, won’t go by you.’

I live by both of these, consistent hard work is the root of all success! Don’t give up when things get tough – it’s just time to work even harder!

Do you have any exciting plans to share for the second half of 2014?

It just so happens I do!!! Having been in business for 16 months we have decided to refine our offering and focus on supporting businesses with Customer Service Expertise. Business Process Mapping, Staff Development/Training & Customer Communications are amongst the key services we will be offering. We are currently refreshing our website for a re-launch later this summer…so watch this space. Brightside partner with businesses just like yours to help you design and deliver amazing customer service to every customer! Organisations who look after their customers are always those who are most successful – it’s simple yet so many businesses fail to focus enough on they way they service their customers.

We would love to hear what is the most element of customer service for you personally, please comment in the box below.