What makes ResultsCX stand out in its field as a customer experience solutions provider is its deep-rooted people-centric approach. One might assume any similar organisation would focus on that above anything – it seems like a no-brainer – but the thing about IT is that, for many working in that sphere, technology is all they’ve known. And while IT expertise can be taught, empathy is trickier to grasp. Jamie Vernon, SVP IT & Infrastructure, knows that better than most.
Vernon’s mother was in IT and his father was in music, working at the same university. That mix of technology and creativity laid the foundation for Vernon, creating, in his words, a “more well-rounded person”.
“I was talking recently to someone about how many people in IT are very much about ones-and-zeros, hard facts, hard math – they forget how to talk to people,” he says. Vernon honed his artistic side as well as his technical skills throughout his education, studying engineering and participating in orchestra and marching band. And this, for him, has been vital for his personal brand of leadership.
“Engaging with others, needing to coordinate, working across groups and teams – those kinds of skills are critical.” As Vernon’s career progressed along the technology route, something he learned is that IT professionals need to remind themselves of why they have followed that path, and that there’s a bigger purpose at stake.”
Customer care in the modern world
What’s interesting about customer service right now is that customer loyalty isn’t the same as it used to be believes Vernon. The landscape across every type of consumable and service is saturated, competition is too fierce to measure, and customers’ standards are sky-high.
“It used to be that there was multi-generational loyalty to very specific things – newspapers, vehicles, and so on – and those loyalties were based on timeless values like trust and quality,” he says. “However, consumer choice is greater than ever before. Not only do we have options that our parents didn’t have, but the pervasive nature of the internet has brought those choices to our doors.”
