Select

Find similar resumes

Customer Service Manager

Work Experience

Professional Experience

02/2006 - (self-employed)

Assignment as consultant/expert working with a team of consultants from one of Germany’s leading international consulting firms. Client was a private utility company. Mandate was to optimize customer service operations, resulting in a reduction of 200 FTE and 12.5 million Euros annual savings.

Free-lance facilitator for Pritchett Associates, Inc., Dallas/Texas.
Conducted “Change Management” workshops for 180 Senior Man-agers of an American company in Germany, focusing on the human side of change, presenting tools on how to lead people through change.

Mandated to restructure the telemarketing activities for a Swiss-based international consulting group: Analysis of present activities in various countries in Europe, proposal for to-be operational struc-ture, invitation of tenders from outsourcing providers; presentation of shortlist; negotiation of contract for a pilot, supervising and monitoring the pilot with the provider to successful completion.

Customer Service Training and Management Coaching for an automotive supplier (customer care, customer retention, managing customer expectations, ease of use, management principles and models, the three levels of performance, the human performance system, etc.)

Cooperation with QMI, Quality Managing International (recruiting, consulting, coaching, outplacement, training), Germany, as their Managing Director for Switzerland and France (on an independent and part-time basis).

Project work for a private investor:
Investigation of service quality and profitability shortfalls of a 40-room hotel in Hungary. Conducted mystery shopper and cost analysis of all service areas, in cooperation with the director of the hotel, assessment of marketing activities and presentation of re-sults lead to the decision of the investor to sell the property.

Translation projects for Deutsche Post World Net, Norgren Auto-motive GmbH, „Swiss Classics“ magazine and Palexpo in Geneva.

1999 - 2006 DHL Express (Deutsche Post World Net Group)
Transport/logistics/express courier service
Sales DHL: 17 billion Euro, DPWN Group: 60 billion Euro
Employees DHL: 285.000 DPWN Group: 500.000

2003 – 2006 DHL, Global Coordination Center, Brussels, Belgium
Change Manager Customer Service Integration Europe
Description:
Three different customer service organizations of the former entities DHL Worldwide, PostExpress and Danzas, now forming the new DHL Express, are to be merged in all European countries into one consistent operation offering one face to the customer under a one stop shopping concept. Implementation of centralized call centers, assuring best-in-class service to all customers with a comprehensive knowledge of the overall product and services range. Project scope: 21 countries, 4.000 employees.

Responsibilities/results:
• In the capacity of a consultant responsible for supporting customer service directors in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland;
• Adaptation of the global strategy to local requirements;
• Setting up of business cases, follow-up and control together with the countries;
• Establishing a project plan for the respective country and reporting progress to Headquarters;
• Supporting directors and local project teams in their decision making process regarding sites for new call centers and their set-up;
• Coordination of implementation of new customer service IT systems;
• Determination of as-is situation and development of to-be scenarios in the countries; process documentation and improvement;
• Liaison between countries and the Global Coordination Center;
• Drafting and establishing uniform guidelines for claims and complaint management for the region including a training concept;
• Introduction of change management principles for managing the human side of change;
• Representation of Customer Service Europe in two board sponsored projects for the definition of the values of Deutsche Post World Net Group;
• Posted to England for three months to oversee local „Ease of Use“ project across customer touch points.

2002 - 2003 DHL Express S.A., Geneva, Switzerland
Executive Marketing Communication
Responsibilities/results:
• Developed first ever corporate brochure for DHL Switzerland in four languages in cooperation with a German agency;
• Executed direct mailings (between 100 und 3.000 recipients) to various customer segments;
• Achieved cost reductions of 150.000 CHF within a year by combining direct mail campaigns;
• Final linguistic approval of all marketing communications in German and English;
• Development and introduction of a customer newsletter, partial responsibility for the contents, in cooperation with an agency (400 subscribers after 3 months).

1999 - 2002 DHL Worldwide Express GmbH, Monheim, Germany
Manager Customer Care, Germany
Description: Consolidation of 15 decentralized customer service departments of various sizes all over Germany into one new call center with 300 FTE. Daily incoming call volume: 10.000.
Responsibilities/results:
• Centralized and managed the tracing and customer care (claims & complaints) departments in Monheim and Hamburg with 60 FTE, also responsible for training, processes and quality (7 FTE);
• Harmonized and standardized all customer interface processes within customer service;
• Increased call-back commitment from 70% to 95% (customers initiating the tracing of a shipment had to be called back within one hour after contacting customer service);
• Established central handling of all customer feedback (claims & complaints) for DHL Germany for the first time;
• Set-up monthly reporting of key performance indicators and cost incurred due to service failures for senior management and involved departments in the form of a balanced score card;
• Conducted assessment centers in cooperation with an agency for 250 new hires;
• Coordinated regional mystery shopper program for Germany;
• Assumed overall responsibility for customer service in Germany for 6 months after the incumbent’s resignation.

1998 - 1999 Federal Express Europe Inc., Frankfurt, Germany
Manager Customer Service Germany
Sales worldwide: 34 billion USD Employees: 265.000
Transport/logistics/express courier service
Responsibilities/results:
• Managed call center operations for Germany;
• Increased calls answered within 20 seconds from 80% to reach worldwide goal of 90% without additional headcount;
• Implemented Interactive Voice Response system which reduced calls to be answered by customer service agents by 10%;
• Coordinated regional project to determine core competencies of a Fedex customer service agent which were then incorporated into a standard job description for all of Europe;
• Introduced new software including work flow management to enhance claims & complaints handling;
• Considerably improved relationship with works council and amoung different departments within customer service, by continually focussing on human factors in how to manage change;
• Conducted mystery shopper program (quality analysis) with an agency.

1991 - 1997 Delta Air Lines Inc., Frankfurt, Germany
Executive Customer Relations and Sales
Sales: 15 bilion USD Employees: 70.000 (2004)
Airline Description:
Delta bought Pan Am’s transatlantic routes. This constituted a so-called transfer of a going concern according to German law. Therefore, all employement contracts were transfered to Delta. Two different organizational structures had to be combined.
Responsibilies/results:
• Definition of the functional areas of the new department acting in the capacity of a consultant for all stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in all aspects, including legal advice, of customer relationship and claims and complaints management;
• All station, marketing and sales managers in the three countries had to comply with the instructions of the departement and needed to obtain approval for payments of compensation to passengers;
• Conducted trainings for stations managers and employees;
• Translation and localization of European-wide advertising campaigns for the German speaking countries in cooperation with an advertising agency;
• Oversaw corporate communications during the 1996 Olympics;
• Managed a reengineering project (3 months full-time) for the marketing department in cooperation with McKinsey that identified 40% cost savings by scrutinizing all work processes and cost structures;
• Acted as Key Account Manager for major accounts such as Deutsche Bank and American Express and achieved an increase in sales of 20% within a year;
• Established credit of frequent flyer miles to program members as a claims & complaints settlement tool and thus avoided cash spending.

1989 - 1991 Pan American World Airways, Inc., Frankfurt, Germany
Manager Customer Relations, Atlantic Division
Sales: 9 billion USD Employees: 35.000
Airline
Responsibilities/results:
• Established and managed a central Customer Relations department
• (12 FTE) responsible for handling customer contacts, claims and complaints for 42 stations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Atlantic Division) with sites in Frankfurt and London;
• All stations of the Atlantic Division had to comply with the department’s instructions and to obtain approval for the settlement of claims and complaints;
• Introduced proactive distribution, directly at the airport, of travel vouchers to passengers in case of major delays. This resulted in a decrease of complaints by 80% and saved cash settlements of 300 Euros per passenger while only 40% of the vouchers were actually redeemed;
• Established credit of frequent flyer miles to program members as a tool to settle claims and conomplaints and avoid cash spending;
• Supported the CEO in the negotiations for the sale of intra-German routes to Lufthansa in my capacity as court certified interpreter;
• Prepared and secured smooth transfer of departmental activities to Delta Air Lines.

1986 - 1989 Linguistic Services, Kronberg, Germany
Translating and interpreting (self-employeed)
Subject Fields: sales, marketing, advertising, general economics, business, management, tourism, transportation, law.
Clients included: Burlington Industries, New York; Palastine Affairs Center, Washington; Reuters, Frankfurt; Dun & Bradstreet, Frankfurt; ADAC, Stuttgart; Federal Ministry for Research & Development, Bonn.

1983 - 1986 Gewibau Consult AG, Leonberg, Germany
Executive Assistent
Consultant and contractor for housing projects

1982 - 1983 Schmidt Consulting, Stuttgart, Germany
Office Manager
Recruiter, Temp agency

1981 - 1982 Luwa Berleburg GmbH, Kronberg, Germany
Executive Assistent
Manufacturer of stainless steel products

1978 - 1980 Famatex GmbH (subsidiary of Deutsche Babcock), Kornwestheim, Germany
Executive Assistent
Construction of 5 turn-key textile factories in Algeria including hiring and training of all staff

1977 - 1978 Zenker Häuser Walter Zenker KG, Höxter, Germany
Secretary
Prefabricated houses and camps for construction sites

Education

1972 - 1977 Diploma: translator and interpreter for the English language and translator for the French language (court-certified by the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1986)

Skills

My Personal Headline
Extensive experience and expertise in the strategic positioning and customer
orientation of customer service units in global companies, including the
establishment and operational management of call centers.

My personal profile
I am offering more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of customer service management and operations in multi-national companies, mainly in the field of transportation, logistics and airlines. This includes the set-up, management, cen-tralization, integration and consolidation of various customer service units and call centers, focusing on key processes and on human factors in managing change. I have been particularly specialized in claims and complaints manage-ment, leading people through change and post-merger integration. I have been successful in managing customer expectations and in establishing long-term and profitable customer relationships through my natural selling and influencing skills. My many years of international experience, cultural sensitivity and multi-lingual skills, allow me to work effectively within international teams and environments. I am available for mandates worldwide.

Languages

English, German, French

 Select