Customer orientation in practice: Interview with Customer Success Manager Patrick

Hello Patrick! Thank you for your time today. Please introduce yourself briefly.

Hi, I'm Patrick, I'm 38 years old now and I've been working for Local Brand X in the Customer Success team for over two years.

What do you do in Customer Success and what does a typical working day look like for you?

Well, the core business is actually to be the interface between the customers and our development. I look at what the customer's requirements are and pass that on to our development team. Often I also have to find out in consultation with the customer what is really needed and how we can solve the requirement. Apart from that, I'm always on hand to give advice and answer minor questions and solve the problems that don't require a developer. That's the daily business for us, but in addition to that we have so-called "strategy and news meetings" with our customers at regular intervals, where we take a closer look in about two hours: How have things been going so far? How is the system running? Where do we still see potential that the customers can perhaps make more available to their customers or their partners again with further advertising measures? That is always a very interesting exchange.
 

So you work closely with our customers on a daily basis, what do you like most about customer contact?

I like having customer contact in general. For the most part, I also have a very relaxed, easy-going relationship with my customers. I think it's really cool to work with customers and see how the use of our platform develops. On the one hand, you have customers who are always fully behind it and always incorporate new ideas. But there are also customers who need a little more support to see what the platform can actually do. And it's also fun to show them the way. I find it interesting to see how the customers then become more and more independent and can achieve even more.

Have you worked closely with customers in the past, or how did you come to Local Brand X?

I originally trained as a media designer at a print shop. I then moved from the graphics department to customer consulting and worked out quotes for finished print pieces. I always had direct contact with customers and I really enjoyed that. Especially when you had to do a little fiddling. In printing, you couldn't always implement all the wishes the customer had. Basically, customer contact is really important to me at work. I just like getting in touch with people, seeing other perspectives and putting myself in the customer's shoes.
 

In addition to the customers, you also have a lot of interaction with your colleagues. Where are you more likely to be found, in the office or at home?

As far as possible, I'm always in the office. We did get a dog, though, and since then I've been making sure that I do my home office once a week. But otherwise, I just like interacting with my colleagues. Above all, I think it's much easier, if something comes up, to discuss it quickly over the desk than to call or write to teams. When I'm in the home office, I try to do more "desk work" on those days. That's when I can use the extra quiet time. But when I can, I always prefer to be in the office.

At Local Brand X we try to organize some things besides work, how do you feel about that?

I find all these possibilities with team events and also smaller events, where you meet in groups after work, really very cool. Even if I can't always be there, I think it's just nice to see that it's so well received, and every now and then I'm also at the start. Of course, the highlights for me are always the Christmas party, the summer party and the office parties. I don't miss those either.
 

And the next event, the annual visit to the Oktoberfest in Mainz, is coming up soon. Until then, we wish you a good working day and thank you for your time, Patrick.