5 Minute Read
At Incorporatewear, we’re constantly looking at ways to better support our customers, whether it’s through our industry-leading, robotics-powered warehouse or our investment in circular economy solutions.
At the core of any customer-focussed business is the Customer Services team, and we see ours as an integral part of the Incorporatewear offering. With a team of over 20 highly trained operatives with in-depth knowledge of every account’s requirements, they’re with you every step of the way.
So, to give you a deeper insight into our Customer Services team, we sat down with Nicola Wain, our Customer Services Manager, to see what she enjoys about working at Incorporatewear and what she feels is the key to great customer service.
David: Nicola, please could you give me an introduction to yourself and your career so far?
Nicola: Well, I’ve worked in retail for around 15 years and I’ve achieved quite a lot in that time, such as overseeing the Netto conversions (ASDA Supermarkets), I was supporting regions to ensure all store openings were successful.
I’ve also worked in the freight industry, supporting a new call centre opening and giving great service to our customers. As an energetic, loyal, driven, and dynamic individual with the drive to succeed and push myself to be the best, I pride myself on the influence and coaching I give to others through my communication and energy to deliver a great job the first time around.
My path in life has given me the determination to succeed and lead people through experiences.
David: That sounds amazing! After such a diverse career, what attracted you to join Incorporatewear?
Nicola: Incorporatewear operates in a different industry and I love change, it keeps things fresh and gives me growth opportunities. All whilst wanting to make a difference when it comes to customer service, adapting my skills to implement change and have a real, positive impact on customers, making Incorporatewear the best by giving world-class service.
David: What would you say are some of your proudest career achievements so far at Incorporatewear?
Nicola: A lot has happened in my short time here, but there are a few things I’m really proud of. We rebuilt the customer service team and implemented a new structure to ensure we are giving our customers the best of the best service.
We transitioned from one warehouse to another without impacting any of our customers as well. We’ve even rolled out our new AutoStore system too, so we can do even more for our customers whilst cutting our emissions. I’ve only been here for 6 months but the team that I have makes my job so much more fulfilling and we all love what we do!
I’ve only been here for 6 months but the team that I have makes my job so much more fulfilling and we all love what we do!
David: That is quite the list of achievements for such a short amount of time! Going forward, what’s your vision for the future of Incorporatewear, and the Group as a whole?
Nicola: With Incorporatewear joining the wider Workwear Uniform Group, we’re already seeing many visions come to life. During the transition, we were still able to offer the same level of service with our talented, friendly, and proactive customer support team, but we’re now also seeing the benefits of the state-of-the-art technology that’s able to rapidly deliver products to customers whilst providing detailed management information.
Now that we’ve joined the Group, we’re able to make the most of our skills, taking the most robust customer service systems, processes, learnings, and approaches from each brand within the Group, and amalgamating them into an even more effective function, meaning we truly give our customers the best of the best customer service.
David: What do you feel differentiates ICW from competitors?
Nicola: We’re personal and unique. We believe that our clothes have a deep psychological impact on people and their performance. Every uniform has to both encapsulate the brand and empower the wearer to achieve their best! I think that’s what separates us from others offering bespoke uniforms.
We believe that our clothes have a deep psychological impact on people and their performance.
David: That is very true! What do you think is the most important aspect of effective customer service?
Nicola: To me, the important qualities of customer service are responsiveness, professionalism, empathy, patience, and problem-solving paired with excellent communication.
David: How do you see ICW’s customer service offering evolving over time? Are there any examples you can give me of any initiatives in the works?
Nicola: Well, I won’t reveal too much, but I will say I think our increasing focus on self-service for our customer portals is already giving our customers more control over their accounts. It will also allow our customer services team even more bandwidth to delve deeper into other areas where our skills are needed while enabling us to further analyse the data we have and improve the service we offer based on these insights.
David: That’s great, thank you. Now for a couple of quick questions away from the realm of work. What’s something you’re passionate about outside of work?
Nicola: Well, I absolutely love spending time with my family, having a 7-year-old and a 23-year-old means there is never a dull moment at home!
David: That sounds lovely! What’s one fact about you that surprises people?
Nicola: That would have to be the fact that I have a lot of tattoos, which is just another form of artwork to me.
