New Delhi. With social distancing continuing to be the norm, Customer Service (CS) remains to be an integral part of a company’s customer strategy. Over the last few years, companies across industrieshave expanded their teams to support customer needs and deliver personalised experiences. This in turn opened avenues for those looking for growth and flexible work opportunities in the corporate world. While many have embraced these opportunities to earn a steady income, there are women who have looked at it as a gateway to shaping their careers.
Take for example, Coimbatore-based Vishama Shanti and KeerthikaJayachandran, Customer Service(CS) Associates with Amazon India. Both come from different backgrounds, and have had different life experiences yet they share a common dream – to build a career. While both faced their fair share of challenges, they did not stop looking for opportunities. Vishama was looking for flexibility with financial independence, while Keerthika was looking for independence, learning empowerment and not let her life be defined by paralysis.Although their aspirations couldn’t be more different, both found their dream jobs with Amazon India’s CS teams.
A single mother, Vishama was a DJ but was forced to look at other professions to support her family during the lockdown. While this was a financial set back, she did not let this deter her. She continued to look for roles that enabled her to interact with others. Having joined Amazon’s CS team in July2020, she is already one of the top performers in her team. Exemplifying Amazon’s leadership principles, Vishama adopts solution-oriented thinking and a customer-focused approach in all that she does.
A multilingual associate, Vishama’s commitment has seen her cross train herself on a variety of skills to help customers.The success she has witnessed in the last few months, has enabled her to regain confidence and earn a steady income to support her family.
Vishama says that the support that she has received from the company and the team is unparalleled. “I’m grateful to be able to continue interacting with people from various backgrounds and help them with their shopping experience. Each interaction is a learning opportunity that enables me to build a better future for both, my child and me. With Amazon, there is no looking back.”
Having joined Amazon’s Customer Service (CS) team nearly 3 years ago, Keerthikais a core member of the team who operates as a bilingual CS associate.Her role sees her supporting both English and Tamil speaking customers and she always goes the extra mile to deliver smiles to customers.Keerthika has not let her situation stop her; she is driven by a relentless customer focus approach and she also supports colleagues whenever required.
Speaking about her experience, she says, I am grateful to Amazon for encouraging me to grow professionally and exploring every possible avenue build my skillset. The team has been welcoming, supportive and always encourages me to keep going. Her never give up attitude is not limited to the corporate world. Keerthika is also a wheelchair basketball players and is a national level winner.
These stories of empowerment are not just about two women but thousands of women who want to explore their potential to be successful, earn a living of their own, and uplift others in the process. This momentum is also indicative of the progress women are making in breaking stereotypes and actively participating in strengthening and positively impacting the country, at large.