When an employee celebrates a decade with the same company, it’s a big occasion, and we are very pleased to announce that not one, but three members of William Russell’s customer service team have recently celebrated ten years of service with the Company, and they have each been recognised with the company’s ‘Big on Service’ Award.
As a specialist provider of international insurance plans for expatriates of all nationalities, William Russell prides itself on consistently delivering the highest standards of customer service and personal attention, and has nurtured a culture of care and compassion amongst its workforce during its 17 years of operation.
To celebrate employees who go the extra mile to deliver excellent customer service and commitment to their job, William Russell has bestowed its first ‘Big on Service’ Award on three members of the customer services team for each completing 10 years of service - Carole Pearce, Despatch Co-ordinator, Julia Terry, Customer Service Adviser (Corporate), and Natalie Harris, Customer Service Adviser (New Business & Renewals).
Inez Cooper, Managing Director, William Russell says:
“Many employees at William Russell have been part of the family for a number of years. I am delighted to congratulate Natalie, Carole and Julia for helping the company to grow and develop over the last decade, and we thank all three of them for their dedication to customer service and the professional manner with which they have fulfilled their duties.”
Rosanna Turner (RT), Marketing Manager at William Russell, asks the three members of staff some searching questions about their 10 years with the company.
RT: What is the biggest change/s that you have witnessed over the last 10 years?
Carole Pearce (CP)/Julia Terry (JT)/Natalie Harris (NH):
(In unison) Expansion! Back in 1999 we were a humble family oriented operation with a handful of employees working out of a small office in Knaphill, Surrey. The company has expanded exponentially over the last 10 years and has seen our UK headquarters move twice, settling in the large Lightwater offices it now occupies in Surrey.
We have also established international outlets in this time, with the first of our global offices established in Hong Kong in 2004 to support our brokers in Asia Pacific, then our Malaysia office in 2007 to support sales in the region and to provide a regional claims service, and more recently, our collaboration with Dubai Insurance Company in 2008.
We are now a global workforce of around 55 employees, and today the company insures over 20,000 individuals world-wide.
With expansion also comes advancement, and we have all witnessed phenomenal changes in the ways that we market and administer our insurance plans. None more so, than the technical developments to software applications and the Internet that has enabled us to move from paper-oriented manual processes to faster and smarter ways of fulfilling customer applications.
RT: What’s the funniest moment you can remember?
NH: That’s got to be the missing medical dictionary! Many years ago, the medical dictionary that we referred to on a day-to-day basis went missing. As this was the only copy we had, it was important to locate it quickly. The whole department searched high and low whilst our Sales Director, James Cooper, questioned individuals and jokingly warned that wages would be docked if it wasn’t found.
The search continued for a few days when it was finally found on a day that I was out of the office moving house. With the co-operation of the whole department, James planted the dictionary in my drawer along with a plate, some cutlery, and some office stationery. When I returned to work, I was told that the dictionary still hadn’t been found and that the manager had checked everyone’s desk drawer personally, and would now have to check mine in my presence.
On opening the drawer, I was mortified to discover the dictionary staring back at me. Everyone accused me of stealing office property to kit out my new home… only when I clocked the plate, cutlery and stationery, did I realise that the joke was on me! If anything goes missing now… it’s always my fault!
JT/CP: Poor Natalie! We had such a laugh at her expense. We still dine out on it, and the joke playing between James and the customer services department continues to this day.
RT: What’s the saddest moment you can remember?
NH/JT/CP: (In unison) Shirley! Most definitely the saddest moment for all of us, was when Shirley passed away. Shirley was a much loved member of our team. She was always bright and breezy, and had a great rapport with customers.
She bravely battled with ovarian cancer until her death in February 2008. We all miss her greatly.
RT: What does the future hold for each of you?
CP: I’m retiring. Although I look forward to my retirement, I will miss the comradery of our office environment. I have many fantastic challenges and activities to look forward to in my free time though. I’ll be busy training for the Moonwalk in April, and organising my daughter’s wedding in August. I also hope to take my elderly mother on a European cruise this year, and immerse myself in volunteer work for my local community.
I very much appreciate the recognition that William Russell has bestowed on me, and wish all William Russell colleagues, customers and partners all the very best for the future.
JT: My role continues to develop and offer me new challenges and responsibilities. I am currently embarking on creating and delivering a training programme for other members of the team, to share the knowledge I have accrued over my 10 years with William Russell.
NH: I’m looking forward to developing the renewals department. We have already appointed Sian Le-Mare to assist me, and together we will undertake to upgrade all client documents to ensure that we offer the most transparent and professional service that we can.
Inez Cooper continues:
“We employ caring and efficient staff to ensure that customers and partners receive the best attention, and Natalie, Carole and Julia have been prime examples of this policy.
“Just last month, a broker wrote to Natalie to express his thanks saying, ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the outstanding service you provided through the years, and specially your personal care and genuine interest in a client and his family. William Russell should be very proud of you.’
“We are very proud of Natalie, and of Carole and Julia and all our staff who really put 100% into their jobs.
“Training and staff fulfilment are high on our agenda, and both Natalie and Julia will continue their personal development over the coming years. We also wish Carole the very best on her retirement. She can take a well earned rest, confident in the knowledge that she made a tremendous contribution to delivering excellent customer service throughout her time with William Russell.
“We are proud to differentiate ourselves as an award-winning insurance provider that’s Big on Service, who promotes fair and prompt decisions on claims, and who supports expatriates around the world with care and empathy.”
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