National College

Stratford Career Institute

Beaconsfield Highschool

CEGEP - John Abbott College

Call Center Management @ GFL Environmental Inc.  -  Columnist "The Art of Finding Work"  -  Bilingual (French)  -  DMs are open

Greater Toronto Area, Canada

GFL Environmental Inc.

Call Center Operations Manager

I write a weekly column called "The Art of Finding Work", in which I offer real-world advice, based on my years of having sat on both sides of the hiring desk, on how to navigate today's hiring processes keeping in mind no 2 employers hire the same way — There is no universal hiring process.

Chestermere Anchor Newspaper

Columnist (weekly) — The Art of Finding Work

I write a monthly column called "The Art of Finding Work", in which I offer real-world advice, based on my years of having sat on both sides of the hiring desk, on how to navigate today's hiring processes keeping in mind no 2 employers hire the same way — There is no universal hiring process.

The Shoreline Journal

Columnist (monthly) — The Art of Finding Work

Social Media Coordinator developing 5n2's social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn & Twitter), building its audiences, engaging with the social media communities, and maintaining 5n2's social media content calendar.

Social Media Coordinator

I write a monthly column called "The Art of Finding Work", for the Hi-Rise Community Newspaper (Val Publications Ltd.) in which I offer real-world advice, based on my years of having sat on both sides of the hiring desk, on how to navigate today's hiring processes keeping in mind no 2 employers hire the same way — There is no universal hiring process.

Val Publications Ltd.

- Digitized Koffee With Nick" is a monthly column of all things regarding social media, from how to stay safe, create engagement, building your following, presenting yourself as an SME (Subject Matter Expert) — I cover everything that's "social media".

Bluffs Monitor

Columnist (monthly) — Digitized Koffee With Nick

CSPN (<a href="http://www.mycspn.com">www.mycspn.com</a>) is a membership based group focused on helping companies provide the best possible customer experience. CSPN is led by Dolly Konzelmann and guided by the Advisory and Executive Board. The organization delivers high value training (including E-Learning and customized onsite sessions), certification, and consultation. CSPN also provides individuals and organizations with valuable tools, resources, insights and opportunities to help them develop their expertise in this evolving field. CSPN membership offers customer service professional from all industries an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals, exchange ideas / best practices and learn.

As CSPN’s Social Media Director I oversee:

-  Creating and implementing CSPN’s social media strategy.
-  The creation of action items per social media channel and allocate auctioning amongst the board members.
-  Exploring which social media platforms the CSPN should be utilizing.
-  Recommend changes in social media strategy direction as required.

CSPN - Customer Service Professionals Network

Director of Social Media (Executive Board Member)

Own end-to-end solution delivery and SLAs. Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and with the required quality.

- Along with a Team Leader, oversee the projects.
- Facilitate a Monthly Business Review with the client (client-facing).
- Work closely with the architect and the delivery Director during the concept phase of the project to define the project delivery approach, methodology.
- Accountable for the technical leadership from project initiation to implementation. Ensures that a sound and future proof architecture is planned and its implementation meets the technical quality standards.
- Ensures that standard and best practices for project and program management processes are applied to plan.
- Completed month-long assignments in Arizona and Florida to hire/onboard content moderators.

Cognizant

Senior Service Delivery Manager

Leading 3 Team Leaders/38 Consultants to capture approximately 600,000 annual inbound calls from merchants inquiring about Moneris Solutions' various payment processing options. 2017 revenue target for the call center is $45 million.

- Provide leadership and guidance to Team Leaders.
- Understand and underpin the implementation of IT Service Strategies supporting the customer’s environment, as well maintain a sound knowledge and understanding of current methodologies, POS technologies, services, and tools.
- Monitor the Sales Consultant’s productivity and motivation to reach daily revenue goals.
- Ensure OLA’s and SLA’s and any third-party supplier agreements are in alignment with and capable of delivering services within contracted time-frames.
- Work to mitigate the impact of service failures and improve quality processes.
- Conduct bimonthly 1-on-1 coaching with IB Sales Consultants to support their individual revenue target.
- Actively participate and manage the service delivery meetings with internal customers and also with IT teams.
- Utilizing Tableau reporting, compile KPI’s, Sales, and Forecast reports for strategic planning and Senior Management presentations.
- Created outbound lead follow-up team, increasing bank lead conversion from 23% to 47%.

Moneris

Manager Inbound Sales, National Sales Centre

Crocs is so much more than a clog! They come in over 300 styles and sold in over 130 countries. Comfort is in Crocs DNA. Crocs mission is to bring profound comfort, fun and innovation to the world's feet. In 2012 Crocs celebrated its 10-year anniversary.

Responsibilities:

-  Plan, organize, direct, manage, and evaluate customer service activities and budget.
-  Liaise with field sales reps and upper-management to determine customer service strategy and tactics to ensure all customer service activities support and strengthen the overall objectives of Crocs.
-  Utilizing <a href="http://Salesforce.com">Salesforce.com</a> develop key performance indicators to determine and improve the effectiveness of all customer service / call center activities.
-  Provide CSRs with guidance in handling difficult or complex issues or problems so they can be resolved effectively and efficiently. Provide guidance on how to escalate
complaints / disputes within Crocs.
-  Analyze customer service related information and evaluate the results to choose the best resolutions and alternatives to customer service challenges, and to identify opportunities to improve the customer experience being delivered.
-  Work closely with shared services in Mexico (order entry) and team in Boulder, Colorado (Crocs head-office) to ensure SLA deliverables are being met.

Crocs, Inc

Customer Service Manager

As Social Media Director for International Customer Service Association's Toronto chapter, I developed and maintained an organic Social Media strategy that created a constant buzz around the organization, leading to awareness of its existence and the benefits of joining the ICSA.

International Customer Service Association - Toronto Chapter

Social Media Director (Executive Board Member)

The Travel Corporation is the owner of well-known brands such as Trafalgar Tours, Insight Vacations and Contiki Holidays. Managed The Travel Corporation’s call centre (primarily inbound) in Toronto selling to travel agents throughout North America.

Responsibilities:

-  Collaborated directly with top level management to determine sales strategy and tactics.
-  Managed, tracked and monitored call center goals; preparing/analyzing reports to drive sales.
-  Monitored the outcomes of daily calls; perform forecasting and analysis of call trends.
-  Collaborated with marketing departments to ensure a healthy ROI from marketing campaigns.
-  Championed the call centre throughout the organization; act as the head cheerleader for my managers, supervisors, and agents.
-  Reported and analyzed call centre productivity results against the current plan (targets).
-  Monitored customer satisfaction.

Key Accomplishments:

-  Developed and implemented an incentive program/bonus structure resulting in the call centre’s culture migrating from simply taking orders to proactively closing business resulting in a dramatic increase in revenue.
-  Created a home-based agent program (telecommuting); reducing operating costs while significantly improving productivity and offers agents a work/life balance option.
-  Developed a call centre scorecard, linking performance to the overall business strategy, keeping initiatives in line with corporate strategic direction.

The Travel Corporation Canada

Call Centre Manager

E3r is a Los Angeles, California based international outsourcing provider in the contact centre industry. I joined E3r to oversee and grow their blended (outbound/inbound) call centre located in Chandigarh, India.  As with <a href="http://Wonderfulbuys.com">Wonderfulbuys.com</a> I worked on-site and was very much involved (hands on) in the call centre’s day-to-day operation.

Responsibilities:

-  Collaboratively worked with my direct reports (2 call centre managers, 6 team leaders, 5 administrative staff) with the focus of having the call centre consistently functioning at optimum efficiency.
-  Identified the call centre’s training requirements and coordinated the fulfillment of those needs with the Training Director.
-  Responsible for the on boarding of new clients/campaigns, along with scheduling, budgeting for new hires and creating contingency forecasting models to maximize resources quickly for volume changes and objectives.
-  Directly accountable for making certain service level agreements (SLA), established by the client, were being met and exceeded.

Key Accomplishments:

-  Through the implementation of benchmarks, policies and procedures increased the call center’s revenue from $300,000/month to $750,000/month.
-  Created and implemented incentive programs that increased employee recognition and retention while promoting an achievement-oriented culture.
-  Grew the call centre to 96 seats (2 shifts) by year-end (2003).
-  Improved daily attendance from 82% to 95% within the first six months.

Operations Director, Call Centre

<a href="http://Wonderfulbuys.com">Wonderfulbuys.com</a> was the world’s largest e-tailer of As Seen On TV products based in Mississauga, Ontario. I was brought on board to establish Wonderfulbuys.com’s multi channel (inbound calls, web chat, e-mails, contact via the website) call centre in Pune, India, where I worked on-site. After setting up the call centre I focused on training that would give the customer service representatives (CSRs), all whom I personally hired, the necessary skills (and tools) to handle calls in a way that would result not only in an order but capture opportunities to up-sell. It was during my time in India I strengthened my training/mentoring skills. Working/living in India for the length of time I did was an amazing professional learning experience, as well I discovered myself in ways I would not have otherwise.

Responsibilities:

-  Managed on-site an operational team of 45 CSRs, in a 24/7 multi-channel inbound call centre environment, located in Pune, India, along 5 CSRs based in Mississauga, Ontario, making sure the customer experience being delivered was world-class as well as sales focused.
-  Ensure customer contacts (inbound calls, e-mail responses, and live chats) were capturing selling opportunities.
-  Handled escalated issues.

Key Accomplishments:

-  Coached CSRs to improve their call handling, communication, and selling skills increasing the conversion rate to 65%, and the average order value to $205.
-  Repeat customers: 68%

Wonderfulbuys.com

Director of Sales, Call Centre

Myron Corporation is a manufacturer and end-distributor of promotional items. It was here I learned the fundamentals of call centre/sales management, how to align key performance indicators (KPIs) with sales efficiency, creating incentive programs that reward the right behaviors and results and develop my management and coaching style.

Myron’s call centre is 100% outbound, calling directly to businesses (B2B) that were either past clients or had lapsed (not purchased in the past 1 -2 years). The call centre is purely sales focused with the Telephone Sales Representative (TSRs) compensation being 30% base and 70% commission. Consistent sales training, coaching, mentoring and motivating was the key to achieving sales targets.

Responsibilities:

-  Hands-on managed a team of 20 - 25 TSRs in an outbound call centre environment.
-  Held daily (pre-shift) team meetings (approximately 15 minutes) going over previous day number, updating on policy changes marketing campaigns and most important acknowledging (recognition) individual outstanding performance.
-  Directly involved in forecasting and setting sales quotas, while coaching TSRs to reach their fullest potential.
-  Prepared various reports to uncover selling opportunities and see how the team/individuals were trending towards achieving annual sales target(s).

Key Accomplishments:

-  Completed a 9-month assignment in Europe (United Kingdom) establishing a multi national call centre operation in Slough, UK.
-  Piloted calling Australia at night from Toronto (when the call centre was not being utilized) thus breaking into a new market without having to incur the overhead cost of setting up a call centre in Australia.
-  Annually meet and exceed sales targets (earning a bonus).
-  Developed and wrote a call guide, which increased sales by 20% while reducing the average length of a call.

Myron Manufacturing

Street-level outdoor advertising billboards.

-  Responsible for company's entire operation (i.e. acquisition of sites, installation of frames, selling of advertising space, etc…) in Ontario and throughout western Canada.
-  Established entire Ontario network from 876 outdoor frames to over 5,000 frames.
-  Coordinated the changing of advertisement throughout through a network of 60 freelancers.
-  Reduced operational costs by 27% through implementation of installation standards, performance measurements, control systems and financial objectives

Nick Kossovan

Nick Kossovan