On the business imperative of diversity

Q: How does Microsoft customer service and support (CSS) fit into the overall business?

A: Microsoft’s customer service and support (CSS) organisation is recognised as a strategic business unit that differentiates the company from its competitors. In some ways, as we engage with customers, we become the face of the brand. From Microsoft’s perspective, this is the tipping point of a great brand experience for the customer. It also allows us to capture up-to-date customer intelligence and represent customers’ voice within Microsoft.

Within CSS in Asia Pacific and Greater China (APGC), the organisation can be further divided into four parts. First is the customer service and consumer support aspect where pre-sales, post-sales, loyalty programmes and campaigns take place.

Second is the provision of commercial technical expertise to enterprises with a complex and complicated IT environment. With our highly skilled customer service staff, we are able to provide trouble shooting services quickly and effectively.

Third, to enable greater efficiency and continuous improvement, we have engaged the services of our HR division to provide the necessary training and programmes that will enhance our team’s level of customer service.

And finally, with 75% of our resources used to support customers in APGC, it is absolutely critical that we maintain a variety of capabilities and perspectives on diversity. This is in addition to our strong Partner Support mechanisms that help Microsoft’s partners in servicing of their customers.

Q: Would you say CSS is the front line of the company?

A: We like to say is that CSS is the first line of contact for Microsoft to the outside world, whether it is a partner, a customer, or anything marketing or technical-related. We are the first line of contact for anyone trying to reach into Microsoft and the last line of resolution when we try to reach out to a customer with whatever information they need.

Q:How important is a good employee to the CSS business?

A: When we try to recruit and attract employees, our expectation is that they have to be like a Swiss Army Knife – where they have to be a bit of everything.

The employee needs to have a strong and deep technical knowledge for technical support. They also need to have a service mentality. At the same time, we need to have different language skills and culture awareness because we support a diverse culture in Asia as well as globally.

Our people also do a good job with the different skills sets they possess, and there are certain skills that they can develop and enhance through training.

Q: What are some of the employee training programmes out there?

A: The first type of training that employees get is professional training in presentation skills and customer satisfaction culture by our own HR department.

As we serve a complex IT environment, we put emphasis on technical skills of our employees. We provide intensive training to our people on all technical aspects of a product before it hits the market.

But training makes up for only 20% of overall people development, with another 70% comprising on-the-job training. For workers who demonstrate excellence and show high potential, we put them on different projects and programmes to enhance their skills.

The last 10% is mentoring and coaching from their peers or managers. Through mentoring, we broaden ourselves to a bigger scope and it becomes more about what our customers need, and how we meet those needs and anticipate future needs.

Q: How does cultural diversity play a part in CSS?

A: The diversity in Asia is different from diversity in North America or other countries.

In Singapore itself, we have Korean, European and American colleagues amongst us. When you serve a diverse customer base, you need be diversified yourself to understand where your customers come from and what they want.

So both from moral and business perspectives, diversity is important and something that Microsoft tries hard to accomplish.

VITAL STATS

Wing-Dar Ker is general manager of Customer Service and Support, Asia Pacific and Greater China Region for Microsoft. He provides leadership and direction for the Asia Pacific and Greater China operations that includes strategic business initiatives, customer satisfaction improvements, business and budget planning, and people management plans.