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Hear from him on what is coming next for WadzPay, and how he ensures that the goals are aligned with the global company strategy for WadzPay fully here: Interview with Syed Mohammad Arshad: Why Operations and Customer Service is Important for WadzPay
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Can you share your role and how important Operations, and Customer Service are for WadzPay?
Thank you and greetings to all the viewers. As a Vice President of Operations and Client services, my role is to develop Client Service processes and set up a world-class customer support system. Customer service represents our brand image, missions, and values. Customers expect highquality service, and they will refer to others if they are happy. Also, excellent Customer service is a competitive advantage. It is not just being courteous to our customers; it is a vital element of business operations that can impact the bottom line and affect how an organization is viewed in the public eye. The good news is that it is simple to implement a customer service improvement plan, and that is what I am doing here at WadzPay.
What and who has motivated you the most throughout your career?
Helping others and empowering people motivates me the most. Whether it is a colleague, friend, or relative, it does not matter. There are times when people around us need that extra drive to get going. I think that I get most motivated by my team.
How do you deal with the unexpected?
I think the first step to dealing with the unexpected is to understand and accept that it can happen and not just to you, to everyone. These changes or events could be small, but they could be significant. What I would try do is make them a learning opportunity because unexpected events give the best learning possibilities. So, we need to think positively before acting; what I would do is work on a plan and try to make an informed decision.
The whole idea is that when we remain composed and take time to think before responding to a situation, we are in a much better position than immediately reacting based on emotions.
How do you see diversity in our current company culture?
A culturally diverse workplace imparts people to develop their talents and skills, and we get a range of ideas and expertise from a more varied collection of colleagues. It helps in problem-solving; I mean that it boosts problem-solving capabilities and increases the happiness quotient and productivity in the end.
I feel WadzPay is an organization that encourages diversity, and it is a wonderful place to work.
What would it be if you could change one thing in your life up until this point?
That is a tough question, but you know, whatever I have learned and wherever I am today, is because of my past.
Trying to change something in the past could undoubtedly result in something good, but it can take away many learning experiences from my life. I am incredibly grateful and happy with my past. But if I had no other option than to change something, then I would try to change my overthinking attitude, even toward insignificant events in life.
Power Hour
What is the most critical part of the Operations cycle in WadzPay?
Several services jointly constitute our product offering. So, I believe maintaining a seamless operational service offering the right to our clients. That is the most critical part of the operation.
What value would you bring to WadzPay, and what is your department objective?
I have been in client services for some time now, with rich experience in defining support roadmaps and setting up high-performance client service teams. We are currently working on reengineering and implementing our support processes, toolsets and monitoring capabilities. Our departmental objective is to achieve 100% SLAs that we agree with our clients, and deliver customer delight to them.
What if tomorrow, WadzPay took a completely different direction? How will you reorganize and restructure?
As I mentioned earlier, it is an unexpected situation. So, I would think, reflect, I would plan and work on restructuring the processes in line with the organization's objectives. It could be a tough decision at the time. But to handle situations, we will have to make informed decisions. I will plan for myself. I will prepare a road map and then align it to our organization objective so that we make better and more informed decisions.
Tell us about your leadership style?
I believe in a democratic leadership style. Usually, what I do is listen to my team members. I will include them in the discussions and get their inputs, and then we will jointly decide. Of course, the final decision would be mine, but having buy-in from the team members would always help in effectively implementing the decision. So that is how I work.
How do you deal with various delicate situations requiring sensitivity, but operations and customer service departments still need to run smoothly?
I would try to analyze, investigate, and then respond to delicate situations. What often happens is that we need to understand the more comprehensive picture; we cannot take decisions in haste. Also, staying consistent with policies on workplace conduct is the key in such scenarios. So, I need to be open-minded and objective and understand the bigger picture before making any decision. At the same time, we need to ensure that our client services' functionality does not get affected by putting appropriate measures in place.