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It’s probably not often that a customer service agent at a postal delivery company receives a call from a customer who’s in tears. Sure, it likely happens in other industries like insurance or healthcare, to name a few. But, that’s exactly the sort of call Saif Jehangir Sayed, Call Monitoring Agent with Emirates Post received.
As a call monitoring agent, Saif’s main duties revolve around quality control. But he also serves as a traditional agent during times when call volumes are high or when certain calls escalate.
Here’s what happened. Saif introduced himself on the call. The customer was distraught; he was panicking. He literally was in tears. This customer had mailed a letter containing two different documents that were intended for two different recipients: one document had to be mailed and one document had to be hand-delivered by courier instead of mailed. It was Thursday night, nearing 9:00 PM, the formal end of customer service hours for Emirates Post. To complicate matters, the company is closed on Fridays. And the document — the one that was to be couriered — was due to the recipient on Sunday.
The customer, let’s call him Ahmed, was praying for a solution. Instead of leaving at the end of his work shift, Saif agreed to help. He didn’t have a solution yet, so he offered to call Ahmed back in 30 minutes with an update. And Ahmed was literally waiting next to the mailbox, which are called Red Lettermail Boxes in the United Arab Emirates, where the document was accidentally deposited.
Saif knew just who to call — his manager, Faraj Aidha Al Tamimi. “My manager makes it easy for me to solve problems because he is always willing to offer support,” said Saif. “My manager always empowers me to find solutions for impossible things. He’s available to me 24/7,” he added. And, as usual, Faraj gave Saif approval to chase down the letter.
Saif was known as a problem solver and had made many contacts throughout his organization, including the Courier Manager, the person with the keys to all the mailboxes. Saif presented his case, but the Courier Manager was unable to help without approval due to the strict security protocols in place — it simply was against the rules to open a mailbox and return a letter to the sender. Saif pressed on, “How could we make it possible?” he asked.
The Courier Manager outlined the conditions in which it could be possible. They’d need to verify that the customer calling is the actual sender. They would need to document the sender’s identity and would require his signature to confirm return of the letter. Saif knew he could make all of that happen.
He called Ahmed back, as promised, with a plan. However, nothing could be done until Saturday, which was fine with Ahmed because the document wasn’t due until Sunday. In fact, the customer vowed to wait next to the mailbox until Saturday, which Saif quickly suggested was very unnecessary.
So Saif reported to work on Saturday, his day off, and traveled to the mailbox with the Courier Manager to find the errant letter. They unlocked the box and found the letter, marked with the customer’s company letterhead and name. Saif then met Ahmed at the Emirates Post Customer Happiness Center, scanned his ID with his smartphone and signed the document stating he received the letter.
Before this moment there was no process to retrieve a misdirected letter. But, with careful consideration and a focus on customer empathy, Saif knew he could help. “To solve issues makes me feel good in my heart. If you have a good heart, people will support you,” Saif said.
“He is a person I rely on when I know something needs resolved,” said Faraj, Saif’s manager. “Saif is good at handling difficult situations because he feels empathy for the customer and those on our team. He likes to help and is known throughout the organization as a go-to person for assistance.”
Empathy is a key ingredient in every CX Heroes story. Another ingredient is the willingness to find a workaround. It’s not about breaking the rules; it’s about creating new processes and finding solutions to help others while still complying with the rules. And that’s exactly what Saif did for his customer.
The Genesys Heroes program celebrates agents, just like Saif Jehangir Sayed, who go the extra mile for their customers. Nominate your company and customer service representatives today for the Genesys Heroes program.
