This week, we caught up with Liam Pollard, our Senior Zendesk Engagement Manager, to discuss his role at Route 101 and the exciting projects he’s been part of. Dive into Liam’s insights and get the lowdown on all things Zendesk!
Could you tell us about your role as Route 101's Senior Zendesk Engagement Manager? What are your key areas of focus?
I've been part of the Route 101 Zendesk team for about two and a half years now. Since joining, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of customers, spanning from large, well-established companies to small start-ups across a range of industries.
In my role, I navigate between implementation and project management, switching hats as required depending on the project and internal resources. Working alongside the existing team has been a rewarding experience, and I've contributed my expertise to help foster the growth and development of our practices.
Peter Thompson, our Head of the Zendesk Practice, encourages the team to take ownership of our processes and has developed a collaborative environment for process improvement, which allows us to deliver best-in-class service to our customers.
The big focus when implementing Zendesk is business transformation through automation, making life easier for the administrators, agents, and end users. This is an area I particularly enjoy as it allows me to witness first-hand the significant benefits it brings to our customers.
Can you share a noteworthy success story from a recent Zendesk project you've worked on? Were there any innovative solutions or customisations you've applied?
We're currently engaged in several projects that involve integrating Zendesk's AI suite into existing instances. These have been incredibly interesting and exciting ventures because they showcase the technology of the industry's future.
As these are ongoing projects, I can't share any specific details. However, Route 101 frequently publishes case studies of our success stories, so keep an eye on your inbox for updates.
What are you most excited about when it comes to Zendesk?
Having worked with various tools in my previous roles, I must say that working with Zendesk is an absolute pleasure. Unlike other tools, Zendesk simply works – it does everything our customers need it to do and more.
In my past experiences with different systems, I often had to devise workarounds and bend systems backwards to meet client requirements. Zendesk is an excellent tool as it's feature-rich, intuitive, and incredibly flexible.
During each implementation, we effortlessly meet all requirements and strategically decide which features to roll out initially to avoid creating too much change.
What is the one piece of advice you’d give someone who is just starting their journey with Zendesk?
Keep things simple and straightforward to begin with. There’s no need to overcomplicate things. Find a balance in Zendesk’s functionality but keep it simple enough to scale up as your business grows. I believe that in the future, AI features will play a significant role in this process.
What are your three top tips for Zendesk users?
There are so many resources available for Zendesk users to lean on. Here are my top three:
1. Keep track of the upcoming Zendesk events, including webinars showcasing new features. You can find the latest ones here.
2. Regularly refresh your training to keep up with the latest features and stories of how customers in your industry use them. You can view our upcoming training courses here.
3. Access Early Access Programmes (EAPs) that interest you. There are always new features available for early access using Zendesk's EAP. I make it a point to access them as soon as they are released. It allows me to understand the product's direction and contribute feedback to help shape its development. You can learn about new Zendesk updates here.
