Sam Jones runs NoteMachine’s Service Desk department and she has a wealth of experience around the intricate operations of the business.
Hi Sam, when did you join NoteMachine?
I joined the business 26 years ago, my first job was manufacturing change machines and working on the build and production.
In 2002, NoteMachine bought their first ATMs, programmed for the leisure industry. In my subsequent role as Customer Services Manager, I would signpost engineers to resolve issues with change machines and ATMs and also manage spare parts. After an eight-month break, I moved onto the sales side, selling change machines to vendors. As NoteMachine diversified away from change machines, I went into account management, then into the Service Desk role, where I’ve been for at least 10 years.
How does the service desk operate?
There are over 20 people in our department, including the night desk team. They work a 12-hour shift pattern of four days on, and four days off. The service desk is available 24 hours, seven days a week.
Our primary task is to monitor the ATM estate. We do this by remotely checking the ATMs’ state of health using an automated fault ticketing system via our in-house software. With industry-leading ATM uptime and fix rates, this enables our support team to provide a comprehensive service for our customers.
In addition, the team proactively monitors ATMs using a system designed to generate a case for any machine that has not transacted within a pre-set time frame, without generating a fault code. The Service Desk sees a fault resolution through to completion, providing end-to-end support for every customer and managing their expectations.
The service desk team also support end-user enquiries, using real time transaction data to handle the call correctly and provide accurate advice. Resolving the ATM user’s issue will take first priority for these queries, however, once assisted our advisors are trained to investigate each failure and log issues on the system. This ensures that any potential problems are quickly highlighted, investigated and resolved in a timely manner. It’s all about enabling the team to read the information they get and respond to it in an appropriate manner.
Our helpdesk staff are always on the end of the phone to speak to our customers. We’re proud of the fact that over 95% of service desk calls are answered first time, in an average of 16 seconds.
Why is experience so important?
The helpdesk staff manage a diverse estate and many different scenarios, ranging from a customer with one ATM (for example, a corner shop), to large corporates with hundreds of machines. Our staff are trained to handle a huge variety of enquiries and deal with multiple ATM manufacturers. Everyone gets the same personal service.
I manage the team and the escalation process, making sure we have enough staff to cover each shift, and keeping everyone up-to-date on any developments. The department is very process-driven, and things can change rapidly. With so many staff working out of hours, it’s vital to make sure everyone is very clear on the processes for any kind of situation, including escalation processes for out of hours.
The Service Desk is generally an entry point for the company. There is a turnover of staff, but generally not because they are leaving the company but because they are moving on into other departments, and we actively encourage this. Whether they move into finance, technical, IT or engineering, if an opportunity arises in the business that fits what employees are looking for in their career path, we will do our very best to support them.
Many staff members have been at NoteMachine for a long time, so their experience and insight is hugely valuable. This wealth of resources has always given me the assurance that whatever the situation, there is always someone who is able to help. If we can continue to ensure that people stay in-house, it secures that knowledge.
We regularly carry out internal training. If, for example, the software teams have made changes, the service desk needs to understand how that might impact the end user so they can respond to enquiries with a deep understanding of the technology. Understanding the tools available and interpreting the data, such as live feeds coming from the machines or transaction information, is crucial.
What else does the service desk do?
On a personal level, I do quite a bit of investigative work. If there are any transaction anomalies, I try to work out what’s going on and find solutions. Unfortunately, odd patterns of behaviour can often be indicative of fraud.
We have an internal group, involving engineering, IT, tech and finance, who will flag any issues and concerns. Our collaborative approach means we can get things resolved a lot quicker and more effectively, not wasting any resources. My perspective is all about customer behaviour patterns and monitoring.
The department takes on many varied tasks. At the moment, we are onboarding a new estate, so the team is supporting migration calls, ensuring that merchant refill sites are available when the ATMs are migrated.
Final thoughts on Service Desk…?
I do enjoy my job and there’s always something to learn – no day is ever the same! Technology moves at speed and NoteMachine has had to keep pace, so our tools are always evolving and we have to be adaptable. We have a really good, collaborative relationship with all departments and we work tirelessly to ensure that customer satisfaction is our number one priority.
Thanks for your insights, Sam.