Role: Customer Experience Manager
Company: SSE Reward
Track Record: Work hard, give 100% and you’ll do well in your chosen industry
A desire to work in music venues and arenas prompted Nichola Reid to pursue a qualification in events management, but it was having the relevant work experience that helped secure her current role.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I have worked within the events industry since I was 18. I began at Eventsec, stewarding at events all over the UK and Ireland. After graduating from university, I worked as a sales and conference executive at a Belfast hotel, while also working part-time at the then Odyssey Arena. From there I moved to this position as the SSE Reward customer experience manager at The SSE Arena, Belfast.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I enjoyed many subjects at school but I was always most keen on English and Drama.
Did you go on to further/ higher education, and if so what did you study and where?
After my A-levels, I went on to study a Foundation degree in Events Management with Tourism at the University of Ulster/ Belfast Met. After completing this, I did an Honours degree in Events Management at the University of Greenwich, London.
How did you get into your area of work?
I was working full-time as a sales and conference executive in a local hotel while working simultaneously in a part-time position at the Odyssey Arena, as it was then called. Following the new partnership between the Odyssey and SSE, my employers at the arena contacted me to see if I would be interested in applying for a fulltime role as the SSE Reward customer experience manager when the venue reopened as The SSE Arena, Belfast. This means that I am now the face of the SSE Reward scheme, a loyalty scheme that gives SSE Airtricity customers a range of exclusive benefits for The SSE Arena, Belfast. It’s a really exciting programme and a fantastic opportunity, so I was delighted when I found out I had got the job and I haven’t looked back since.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
I always knew that I wanted to work in music venues and arenas, ideally the arena in Belfast. It was the reason I chose to study Events Management at degree level. I have always enjoyed the events scene and its ever changing and exciting opportunities, so when I heard about this role I knew it was the job I had been looking for.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
Experience of working in an arena or similar large entertainment venue was a must. Qualifications were secondary to experience.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
While I found my degree in Events Management useful, given the wide range of skills required for the job, I’d say a background in business, PR, marketing, tourism or music and entertainment would be equally relevant.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Work hard. If you give 100% in any job you do, even if it is not a job you want to stay in long term, it will be noticed and you will do very well in your chosen industry. Show initiative and don’t be afraid to take on new opportunities.
If you weren’t doing this what would you like to do?
That’s tough as I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It’s not often you find a job that doesn’t give you that Monday feeling! I always had an interest in marketing and it was my strongest subject while studying, so a career in marketing would definitely be something that would interest me – especially within the events industry.
Why is what you do important?
My job is important because, along with our team of Energisers, it is up to me to make sure our customers have the best possible experience. We are their point of contact and we’re the friendly faces they can come to for advice and information.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
Being approachable, helpful and proactive are all key qualities in this role. With events changing on a daily basis and new opportunities arising to provide that bit extra for the customer, it is important that the customer experience manager is hardworking, quick-thinking and creative. It is also essential that customer service is at the forefront of the manager’s personal skills, as I am basically the face of the SSE Reward customer loyalty scheme and therefore the point of contact for customers who come to the arena for a rewarding and exceptional entertainment experience.
What does a typical day entail?
There is no typical day in the role of a customer experience manager! Every day brings new and exciting challenges. On days when there are no events there is always plenty do to. These days could begin with a catch up of administration, organising the rotas for our customer hospitality team, the SSE Energisers, planning new PR activities, attending meetings with arena staff, and preparing hospitality and ticketing for SSE Airtricity guests coming to events. This is very different to the day of an event, when preparation is mainly focused around our SSE Energisers, ensuring each of them is briefed on that evening’s event.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Listen and take notes. If you can get off to a good start in any job it will make the weeks that follow much easier and enjoyable.
Describe your ideal day off.
My perfect day off would begin with a nice lie-in before heading to the gym. I’d then spend some quality time with my partner and family, maybe go out for a meal, followed by a movie.