Meet Shelly: Customer Advocate
Team Member Interview
Name: Shelly Wagner
Role: Customer Advocacy Manager, Marketing
Time spent at Persolvent: 12 years
What do you do at Persolvent? What would I come to you for?
As Customer Advocacy Manger, my job is to listen to customers and come up with programs to delight them. It’s all about getting that customer feedback, identifying the trends, needs and favorite features and then taking that consolidated information back to the team. Based on feedback, two programs I have worked on recently are Welcome Kits and advocating for more customer training.
Growth at Persolvent: I started as our CEO’s executive assistant, then moved into role as Application Specialist supporting the team processing our applications, which were manual at the time. After that, I moved into Sales, handling e-commerce sales and partnerships. In 2016, I moved into a Customer Experience Specialist role.
What would you tell a new team member on their first day?
Go ahead and ask all the questions you want. Nobody is going to look down on you for asking questions. Ask away. If you’re curious, let us know, let us help you.
How would you describe Persolvent’s culture?
Family. Welcoming no matter who you are or when you joined the team. Sometimes new team members are surprised when I invite them to join me and coworkers eating lunch in the office, but inclusion is really part of our culture.
What’s a professional skill you’re currently working on?
Customer journey mapping. I have been watching webinars and I am working on it for Eleyo, taking it from the New Customer Interview to the Implementation survey to the Annual User Experience Surveys. I’m gauging hiccups and issues. It’s a huge spreadsheet and it will take some time, but it will give us the information we need for a plan.
What’s your favorite thing about your job?
I love doing new customers interviews. I joke that I have the easiest job in world because mainly I’m talking to people who just joined Eleyo and are loving it. A customer interview typically takes under 30 minutes. Two essential questions I ask:
What makes your program stand out? That gets them talking about themselves and their program. You see the use of the software and need from their perspective.
What is Eleyo’s secret sauce? The people always end up being the secret sauce. Clients often brag on support and say how impressed they are with our entire team - sales, support and implementation. I like to brag on the support team, saying that they are so good because each team member is handpicked, not anyone can get a job on the team. You have to like helping customers in order to be hired.
What’s your superpower?
Encouragement. Lately as I’ve been reaching out, chatting and checking in with team members, they will say that I am so good at cheering them on. I always like to tell the team, “No matter what happens, you know I’m going to be behind you, cheering you on and supporting you in whatever way I can.”
What is a movie that inspires you?
Mom’s Night Out. There’s a scene where Trace Atkins, a burly, tattooed biker guy gets into how moms beat themselves up and how precious they are. It’s such an uplifting speech; sometimes when I have a bad day, I will turn it on just for that speech.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
I haven’t gone to many exotic places. My most favorite place is where my family and friends are. Whenever I am with my family, I’m in love with that moment. Well, most days. 😀
Are you a coffee or tea person? Favorite way to enjoy it?
Definitely a coffee person. I worked at Caribou, so I became a bit coffee snobbish. I prefer South American beans and light roast to get all the nuance of flavor. I only drink it hot and I have it with sugar-free hazelnut syrup, stevia and half and half.