Welcome to Let’s Talk Service! My name is Eve Ward, host of the Let’s Talk Service podcast and founder of move concierge and relocation service Bond and Des Voeux. My work in customer service and finance has helped me see a lot of the world, which has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of what customer service really is and how each of us play a different role. Join me in discussing these topics and more on this very first episode of the podcast.

This episode, we discuss:

[0:53] The inspiration behind this podcast

I have worked in the customer service industry since I was 16 years old. I started in the intense training and onboarding world of fast food, where you had to complete many qualifications before even stepping in front of a customer. I was then led into the hotel trade in the late 80s, where my excitement and love for customer engagement only grew. The company I was working for opened a roadside restaurant arm, and so I took on the role of training manager, trying to instill the same sort of passion into restaurant management that I felt myself for the industry. It was an entirely new experience, but ultimately a fun challenge. My next challenge came in the form of a training management role in the financial services industry, and I absolutely loved it. It helped me see a lot of the world, giving me plenty of opportunities to travel before I found my home in Boston, Massachusetts, where I now run a move concierge and relocation firm, Bond and Des Voeux.

I created this podcast not just because I’m passionate about the industry, but also because I’m interested in the thoughts of people within the industry and the people experiencing customer service on the receiving end.

[2:00] What I mean by ‘customer service’

When we talk about customer service here on the podcast, I’m not just talking about the general hospitality of bars, hotels, or restaurants. We all receive customer service, whether it’s while we’re in the supermarket, selling a house, visiting your doctor’s office, or purchasing something in the retail world. Whoever is providing you with customer service, the fact is that we’re all experiencing it in some way, shape, or form.

[2:55] How customer service connects us all

We are all customers. At any point in time, we are all receiving customer service. So, I’ll say it again – we are all customers. And as we are all connected through customer service, I think we can explore this together and ask the important questions: What is the goal of customer service? What do we think about it? What are our expectations? There’s a lot of data and feedback out there that gets collected, and I believe it’s important for us to remember that there are real people behind the scenes on either side.

[4:50] What to expect on future episodes

We will be discussing a number of topics in the coming weeks, covering everything from tipping culture to technology and what motivates employees and businesses to put varying emphasis on customer service. We are setting off on our own exploration of customer service, where we may find ourselves with more questions than answers. This is what will bring us together in our search for explanations as we begin to bring on guests, and listen and learn from their experiences.

Thank you for joining me for the first episode of Let’s Talk Service! I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message if there’s any topic related to customer service that you would like to cover and join me here for a new episode every other Tuesday. We’ll hear from our guests and get their perspective on fabulous customer service. If you’re interested in more information, check out Bond and Des Voeux on Instagram!