Role: Contact Centre Agent
Company: Translink
Track Record: Jennifer Clear completed a degree in Psychology from UCD and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Studies from the Smurfit School of Business in Dublin.
Jennifer’s first full time job was a retail buyer and then she ran a portfolio of specialist e-commerce businesses. She currently works as a Contact Centre Agent at Translink’ s Contact Centre.
5.45am
An early riser, I am always keen to start the day promptly. At the Contact Centre, we work a shift pattern so the working day can involve starting at 7am or finishing at 8pm. When work begins at 7am, I need to be well organised the night before to be out of the starter blocks that early. I have three sons at school so any uniforms, PE kits or lunches need to be ready to avoid panic phone calls from home.
6.30am
I need to be out the door by 6.30am to catch a bus to work. My journey takes me 10 minutes and a brisk walk takes me past the busy train drivers who are already half way through their shift at that early hour.
6.45am
I like to arrive to work early to get briefed on new information about special offers or products and familiarise myself with information which may affect Translink services that day. It is essential to be well organised, as once the day starts the pace of information and the volume of calls is fast moving.
My current role involves working as a customer service agent at Translink’s contact centre, one of the nerve centres of the company. For many passengers the Agents are the first point of contact with the company. We provide help and information about our great range of services and products across Translink’s brand portfolio including Metro, Ulsterbus, Goldline and Enterprise – we’re a one stop shop for passenger issues or queries. Customer Service is paramount and good communication is vital, not only with customers but also with internal departments such as Metro and NI Railways Control.
8.00am
The nature of queries is varied and comes from internal sources, passengers and businesses. I just took a call from a passenger who wanted to know the best route to travel from Lisburn to Bangor. With the new Journey Planner app now available to download, passengers can access next departure information and door to door journey planning using address and map based planning.
10.00am
I receive a call about an item of lost property and resolve the situation quickly and effectively. At Translink, we remind passengers to take their personal items with them however with many people leading such hectic lifestyles it is not uncommon occurrence for passengers to leave personal items or belongings on bus and train services.
11.00am
My role also involves handling any feedback or queries which come from the website or social media communications via Twitter and Facebook and processing all e commerce sales – this is becoming very busy particularly with great value fares available on line such as Enterprise tickets to Dublin from £10.
12noon
Normally, I try to take my lunch break around midday – when we have time, the team will sit round the table and catch up for half an hour. The craic and banter is always good!
1.00pm
After lunch, I receive a call about signing up for the Senior Smartpass. The application is quick and easy and provides a great way to travel anywhere in Northern Ireland with frequent bus and rail services and connections to key tourist attractions for the ultimate day trip.
2.00pm
At this time of year, it is very common to receive calls about taking a summer day trip or departure details for Airport services for people heading aboard on holiday. I inform passengers about Translink’s great range of special services and summer offers such as the friends and family ticket; the Metro Day ticket; iLink passes and the summer bus rambler tickets which are great for ‘daycations’ to places such as the North Coast, Newcastle or Derry~Londonderry.
3.00pm
The rest of the afternoon is fairly busy – I complete an Enterprise First Class booking and group booking for a Newry Primary School taking a day trip to Belfast.
I am currently involved in managing Eco friendly policies and Biodiversity projects – at Adelaide depot a Swift nesting box was recently erected and we were delighted when we spotted our first Swift darting around the area.
4.00pm
I tend to leave the office around 4.00pm and take the train back home where I begin my second job. My youngest son in particular is bursting with stories about his school day and we generally tackle his homework while getting tea ready. There is rarely an evening where Mum’s taxi is not out driving one of the kids to Cub Scouts, tennis or drama.
7.00pm
The evening flies in, however I usually try to fit in a run either before work (if I am working a late rota) or after work. I work every second weekend but when I can, I do a 5k Park Run on Saturday morning with my family. If I am lucky enough I even try to take a trip to the theatre or catch up with friends during the week.