“Be authentic. Be consistent. Be honest.” – Coda Kyle, Customer Experience Specialist, Biztec
Authenticity, consistency, and honesty are three of the most important factors in Biztec’s approach to customer support.
Why?
Because by making the customer’s journey and support a priority, Biztec’s team is able to better understand the challenges they face, provide customizable solutions, and forge meaningful relationships. In doing so, Biztec ensures that every customer feels confident in the managed services provider (MSP).
The question is, though, how does the IT company do this regularly and effectively?
Each member of Biztec understands the value of a solid relationship and clear communication with customers. However, doing this takes more than just developing a relationship through the sales cycle. To maintain a positive relationship with customers and build the Biztec community, Coda Kyle – Customer Experience Specialist (CES), fosters these relationships by staying engaged, proactive, and attentive to customer needs long after the initial sale. Through regular check-ins, personalized support, and a genuine commitment to solving challenges, Coda ensures customers feel heard, valued, and confident in their partnership with Biztec.
To better understand her role as a CES, Coda answered a few questions about why she’s passionate about building strong customer relationships and how her approach aligns with Biztec's mission to deliver exceptional service. Here's what she shared:
Interviewer (I): What do you do at Biztec? What are some of your responsibilities?
Coda (C): I am the Customer Experience Specialist at Biztec; over the last year I have been creating this role and my responsibilities have been ever evolving. My number one priority as CES is to support the success and satisfaction of our customers. Technically, I am responsible for performing quarterly reviews, ensuring effective communication and creating a successful onboarding process.
What I actually do can be perceived as “busy work” for a lot of people. I am constantly monitoring helpdesk tickets, being CC’d in email communication, acting as a liaison between our internal departments, writing SOPs, answering the phone, etc.
My favorite responsibilities are shopping for personalized onboarding gifts, taking coffee and donuts to our customers, as well as delivering delicious sweets during the holiday season.
I: As a Customer Experience Specialist, what do you feel is the most important thing about your job?
C: To ensure that our customers know they are valued, they are heard, and they are getting more than IT support when they choose to collaborate with Biztec. I get to be the face that follows through with Joe and Emily’s vision. I get to show the customers their heart for people, for small business and for community.
I: Since entering this role, what have you learned?
C: I have learned more about IT than I ever knew before. Network stacks, the Cloud, firewalls, etc. never meant anything to me prior to entering this position. However, according to our Technical Services Lead, there’s a lot I should be able to comprehend after a year that I just...d o n ‘t.
I’ve also learned so much more about the community I live in. Throughout my former career, I never actually worked in my home state. There are so many local organizations, small businesses and things going on here that I didn’t know about. There are truly amazing people working diligently to improve our city and the lives of people who live here.
I: How did your background prepare you for this role?
C: I am a Licensed Social Worker who spent years delivering treatment and therapy to persons affected by substance use and mental health disorders. I also helped create new programs and supervised several others. I believe that my empathy for people, de-escalation skills and ability to just listen made this career change a pretty seamless transition.
I: How have you seen your impact?
C: Honestly, when I joined Biztec there were several areas in which day-to-day operations were disorganized, communication was ineffective and there were some dissatisfied customers. I’ve been able to go in and do the “busy work” that the technicians didn’t have time for. The follow-through, the consistent contact and the time that I put in for our customers has not only prevented customer turnover but has resulted in 100% satisfaction during last quarter’s customer review meetings.
This is not to say that I am solely responsible—I am just an extension of a really great team of people who CARE about each other and our customers.
I: How have Biztec’s relationships with customers improved since you’ve come on board?
C: I believe that the customers who have allowed me to come into their workspace and take up some of their busy time, have been able to get to know Biztec and “feel” our mission in a way that they hadn’t before. Previously, engagement primarily occurred when there was a problem - a fire that needed to be put out. Now, I have customers who I truly consider friends.
I: Do you think you have been well-received by customers? Please explain.
C: Yes. And No. As our CEO has reminded me several times, for our customers, IT is not on their mind until it doesn’t work. This has been a barrier for me at times in being able to engage with some of our customers. Especially if they have been a long-term customer and are not used to my role or understand my goal. Striking a balance between being available to customers and avoiding coming across as pushy or intrusive has been challenging, especially since they have other priorities in managing their business or organization.
In general, there have been so many customers who have embraced me, and I now have a very healthy relationship with them.
I: What steps do you take to ensure every customer interaction feels personal and genuine?
C: One of our Executive Vice President’s goals when she hired me was to overhaul our customer onboarding process. This sets the tone for the ongoing relationship the customer has with us. My priority during onboarding is to oversee all communication, keeping the customer informed and ensuring that their voice is heard, and their needs are effectively met. The icing on the cake is that as I get to know the new customer, I get to surprise them with an onboarding gift of items specifically chosen for that individual.
I am a very casual, open person in general and that’s the tone I try to set with every meeting and interaction I have with our customers.
I: How does fostering strong relationships with customers contribute to creating a sense of community?
C: Our customers are an extension of our Biztec family. This plays out by showing up to their events, providing sponsorships, donating when the non-profits have a need and even volunteering at their sites.
I: In what ways does Biztec encourage community-building beyond the business-customer relationship?
C: Biztec is an active Partner in Education at two local schools, has sponsored multiple benefits throughout the year, has donated uniforms to local youth several times, provided donations for local non-profits that serve our community... I could go on and on. I’ve actually been working on creating a list of all of the charitable acts and ways that Biztec has invested in others. The list is impressive, and it is just another example of how our small business owners are truly good people who truly show up for others.
I: What role does customer feedback play in shaping Biztec’s approach to customer service?
C: We take feedback very seriously here at Biztec. It is something that we try to gather consistently from all of our customers. If there is an issue, we do everything within our power to make it right. We have also been able to make improvements to our operations as a result of customers’ suggestions and requests.
I: How do you collaborate with other teams at Biztec to deliver a seamless experience for customers?
C: Daily. I work alongside our HelpDesk technicians, monitoring the tickets, assisting with follow-up communication, reviewing their phone calls for quality assurance and assisting with facilitation of a monthly staff meeting. I joke about how annoying I must be with my frequent nagging about forgotten tasks.
I: In your opinion, what sets Biztec apart?
C: The mission of Biztec is not just something flowery to be displayed on our website. We are all mindful that we are a part of something special and are intentional in how we provide services to align with the values of our CEO and EVP.
Internally we have a saying “The Biztec way” which is our way of holding ourselves accountable for doing things right, owning up to our mistakes and staying consistent in our brand.
I: How has the community aspect of Biztec impacted you personally and professionally?
C: 2024 has been a very difficult year for me personally. There were so many unexpected challenges that I don’t know how I could have overcome in my last career. I am embraced as a person here; I am cared about, and my family is cared about. For example, when I suddenly was without a vehicle, Biztec allowed me to use a company car so I could still get my kids where they needed to be. I have been able to bring my child into the office and I have been given a flexible schedule to accommodate her special needs. I could go on and on about the way we truly take care of each other here.
Professionally, I have had the opportunity to become involved in our community by volunteering, attending events and have even become a Board Member at the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg.
I: What advice would you give to someone entering a similar role about building meaningful customer relationships?
C: Be authentic. Be consistent. Be honest.
I: What excites you the most about the future of customer experience at Biztec?
C: I am currently working on taking my role into our other departments after focusing primarily on our managed IT customers throughout 2024. I am excited to get to know more of our customer base (phones, physical security, marketing). Eventually, I hope that I am so busy, so involved with our customers that my role will become a team of people focused on customer success.
About the CES
Coda joined the Biztec family in August 2023 to ensure that you (our customer) know that you are valued and are receiving the best customer service.
She graduated in 2009 from the University of Rio Grande and spent thirteen years as a Licensed Social Worker. Coda’s career change allows her to prioritize time with her two beautiful daughters while also continuing to support and help others.
Comments