Meet Denise, Mira, Isabelle, Mei-Shaan, Maggie and Pranav, the team that is present for companies when they embark and complete their Great Place to Work certification journey. The work mantra that they live by: a high regard for customer success and meeting the needs of companies during their certification process. Often perceived as a serious group, we take them on an introspective Q&A to find out what makes them tick and what tickles their funny bone.
Q: If someone asks: “What is Customer Success and how is it related to Great Place to Work?” What would your response be?
Denise: I enjoy getting to know the clients and to help them get that certification badge. If we’re lucky enough, we get to witness them make it to the top of the list. The level of fulfillment we receive when we genuinely help our clients is amazing. I know I’ve established relationships that will last a long time, and it’s the people such as the clients and our team members, etc. that make it worthwhile!
Mira: Customer Success involves developing long-term business relationships with clients that enable them to get the most out of their partnership with Great Place to Work. This involves understanding their business, their goals and anticipating potential questions or challenges, and proactively providing answers and solutions; in short, setting clients up for success!
Isabelle: Customer Success is exactly as the name is – we partner and support clients to ensure their success in this Great Place To Work journey and eventually creating a great workplace culture for their employees.
Mei-Shaan: I help our clients evaluate their company culture through our platform, identifying blind spots and maximising strengths to build a high-trust environment. Also, it’s in the name – my mission is to help companies “succeed” in their endeavour of becoming a great workplace for all!
Maggie: Customer Success – it means helping the customer to achieve his/her goals and to be successful. Companies come to Great Place to Work for different purposes and goals. For us, we will be here to guide them and to offer suggestions or solutions to achieve those goals.
Pranav: One of the best parts of Customer Success is interacting with all the amazing people with the varied life experiences. I would say it is one of the most underrated parts of the job as more often than not, someone might say that it is tiring but it’s not. It is really energising to interact with people that are so passionate about making their organisation a great place to work.
Q: What do you relish the most as part of the Customer Success team and what is the most underrated part of the job?
Denise: I enjoy getting to know the clients and helping them get that certification badge. If we’re lucky enough, we also get to witness them make it to the top of the list. The level of fulfillment we get when we genuinely help our clients is something else. I know I’ve established relationships that will last a long time and for me, it’s the people (clients, team members, etc.) that make it all worth it!
Mira: The excitement when a client is certified is my favourite part of my role. The most underrated part of my job is being empathetic. By putting yourself in the client’s shoes and being able to understand what it’s like to be on the other side of the call can help me properly address any concerns and helps to build authentic working relationships; creating genuine connections with people is priceless.
Isabelle: You get to be there for the client at the very beginning – helping them set up their surveys to understanding their results which eventually allows them to take the next step forward in becoming a better workplace for their employees. It may seem very operational but it is the very first step that a company is taking to better their workplace culture which will eventually impact the lives of their employees.
Maggie: Helping your customer to achieve the goal to be recognized as one of the Great Place to Work-certified companies. Or simply helping them to find out more about their company’s culture, and creating a better workplace FOR ALL™. There is a lot of work we do at the back-end, so the work behind the scenes may not be known by many people. For example, the back-end work to ensure the survey runs smoothly and the successful implementation of it, and to be prepared for any last-minute changes or corrections.
Pranav: One of the best parts of Customer Success is interacting with all the amazing people with the varied life experiences. I would say this is also one of the most underrated parts as more often someone would that that it is tiring but it’s not. It is really energising to interact with people that are so passionate about making their organisation a great place to work.
Q: Describe a Customer Success working moment that most people do not realize or see but you wish that they did.
Denise: Obviously the technical parts of the job can be very stressful at times (rows and rows of data on Excel sheets) but conquering these things also gives me a rush that can’t be matched. It takes a lot of grit and persistence to work on things that takes a lot of focus. I do think that you need a high level of tenacity and perseverance to be part of this team. The tedious tasks scratch a very specific itch in my brain that makes me very happy at the end of the day
Mira: I will never forget the first client I was assigned as a Customer Success Manager. When they got certified, I was so excited I announced it on our Teams chat and did a little happy dance. It still gives me a buzz when I see how proud businesses are when they reach Certification or recognition on our Best Workplaces List.
Isabelle: The level of multi-tasking is beyond what an octopus can do. Customer Success supports hundreds of clients (and more as the company expands), and this means being there for each and every single client at every step of the way. This also means engaging with internal stakeholders to ensure the success of the customer and that they are well taken care of throughout the entire Great Place To Work journey.
Maggie: The certified profile creation on the website, the preparation at the back-end involves team work to create company profiles for promotion purposes. The team also works different hours to support the customer across the different time zones.
Pranav: The time and effort we put in to make sure it remains as simple as possible for everyone.
Q: What is your happy hiding spot or an activity that you enjoy doing?
Denise: I’m such a water baby! I love diving (freediving & SCUBA) and swimming whenever I get the chance. Being by any body of water helps me recharge and reset. If I can’t be near water, yoga and meditation would be next on my list. Having specific playlists for any mood I have helps me to decompress too. Lastly, a really good cup of iced coffee can perk me up in a matter of minutes or a really funny meme/video helps as well.
Mira: My happy place is either gardening, having a laugh with my kids or watching trashy reality shows and eating chocolate (I am a chocaholic).
Isabelle: Beer.
Mei-Shaan: Playing the Overcooked game with my sister because the chaos eventually has us in stitches every time we do it.
Maggie: I love staying at home, getting cozy and having a few drinks with some close friends.
Pranav: There is a tiny stretch in the vicinity of Gardens by the Bay where it’s a little gravel path. It’s a quiet stretch along the ocean, which I enjoy.
Q: Tell us if you have another secret ambition besides Customer Success at Great Place to Work?
Denise: My day job would still be in some HR field since that’s where my passion lies. But if I could be free to do whatever I wanted, I would most likely pursue a career near the water, such as a diving instructor or a café owner or a preschool teacher by the beach!
Mira: My grandmother used to say “learning is lightly carried” because you can take it with you anywhere, and one of my mottos in life is to learn everything, not because I believe it is possible but because I don’t want to put limits on what I learn – all knowledge is useful. If I weren’t at Great Place to Work, I would be continuing my journey of lifelong learning, preferably whilst travelling to exotic locations.
Isabelle: To work for Express Teppanyaki so that I can learn the recipe of their sauce.
Mei-Shaan: My not-so-secret ambition is to perform on Broadway. But my skill level keeps me a Shower Soprano.
Maggie: I am thinking of being a painter or drawing something when I retire.
Pranav: Triathlons!
Q: In 5 years’ time, what would the future you say to you?
Denise: I’m so happy you went with your gut and decided to pursue a career aligned with your purpose in life! It can be tough (most of the time) but as long as you’re in the right mindset and you take care of your energy, you’ll be fine! I’m proud of you for being strong and brave enough to go after things that light your soul on fire but don’t forget to drink more water. You can be so stubborn like that but remind yourself that you have come a long way and it’s ok to take time to enjoy where you’re at.
Mira: “Look how far you’ve come!” Great Place to Work ASEAN/ANZ continues to grow and expand every day. When I started, there were just 3 of us, now we have a team of seven just in the Australia/New Zealand team alone. I imagine in 5 years, we will continue to expand, and my hope is that every place becomes a great place to work for all. Hopefully my future self is able to reaffirm this!
Isabelle: Happy 80th birthday … (Because it will definitely feel like that then).
Mei-Shaan: Stop worrying over things you can’t control. You’re where you’re meant to be and the future is in God’s hands, so embrace the moment, learn all you can, and enjoy the ride.
Maggie: I truly hope I will still say:” I like this workplace I am working at – Great Place to Work ASEAN & Australia team.”
Pranav: Sometimes you just have to hang in there!
Daphne Lee
Daphne believes in building community-relatable content, telling stories through narratives that add value in today’s workplace and in culture-building. Her idea of a great workplace is one that thrives on openness, support and inclusivity while building trust and working towards a common business growth and purpose. A journalist, she spent 15 years writing for trade publications, lifestyle magazines and broadsheet supplements. Daphne was also active in the Parent Support Group of her daughters’ school, chairing the volunteer-run committee for 3 years. A mum of two teenagers and two adopted dogs, she enjoys riding on her trusty bicycle to discover new sights and sounds in Singapore.
