What does it take to be a chief customer officer?

Chief customer officer at AXA PPP International, Andy Edwards, on why empathy is crucial to his role, and talks about the potential pitfalls of automating the customer service space.

How would you describe what you do and what does an average day look like?

I’m responsible for the delivery of global customer service and lead teams across a variety of functions, making sure that we're always on hand to support our global health insurance customers.

A typical day involves a lot of meetings. Given the global nature of my team, which stretches from Chicago to Singapore, these can start as early as 7am and finish as late as 10pm. I also spend a lot of time sitting with team members who are talking to our customers, usually in different languages.

I also listen to customer calls and spend time understanding and influencing our insight programme. Using all this knowledge, I lead numerous projects to improve the service that we provide to our customers.

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What professional and personal skills does someone need for this role?

A logical outlook and the ability to solve problems is vital. We assist people with unique medical circumstances. They could be anywhere in the world, experiencing a variety of different health systems.

When presented with many different scenarios at once – each of which may require a different approach to resolve – we need to be able to prioritise and respond to challenges quickly, to ensure that our customers get the best service. There’s a huge amount of variety in my role, which keeps me motivated. I like that no two days are the same.

It’s also important to be able to empathise both with customers and staff. Being taken ill overseas, even if it’s a country that you have been based in for some time, can be a frightening experience. We have to remember at all times that our decisions have a very real impact on our customers’ health and wellbeing.

What has been the most important moment in your career so far and why?

When I took a job in a start-up and realised that I actually enjoyed being involved in all areas of the company more than being restricted to a purely financial role. I discovered that while I have an eye for accounting, which certainly helps me in my role now, it wasn’t the be-all and end-all.

I get a great sense of satisfaction from being involved in the core operations of the business. That’s ultimately why I enjoy being a chief customer officer (CCO), because my responsibilities are at the very heart of the company.

What trend, behaviour or technology on the horizon is going to most affect your role?

Automation is a topic of much discussion at the moment, with the prospect of robotics and artificial intelligence in the workplace feeling like more of a reality every day. But while the prospect of using such technology to deliver rapid and attentive customer service seems very appealing to a CCO, I need to make a judgement on how to use it appropriately.

Ultimately, my role is to ensure that we’re there for our customers, so it’s not good for us to work with technology that doesn’t actually enhance that experience.

When a customer needs to speak to us, it’s because of a medical situation. It’s important that we’re there and easy to reach. There’s a lot to be said for automation, but in situations such as these, the human touch is often best.

What’s the biggest misconception about your role?

That being a CCO means you’re responsible just for the running of a contact centre. The customer experience is more of a journey, starting way before and ending a long time after making a call for support.

Which person, place or thing, has really influenced your role and why?

A British expatriate customer of ours, living in Hong Kong, who regularly contacts me to talk about his life abroad. Hearing how our service provides him with the security to live his life overseas helps me to contextualise the real impact of our work.

How would you describe being a CCO in three words?

Challenging. Rewarding. Tangible.

Andy Edwards is chief customer officer at AXA PPP International