How experience in customer support can benefit your career
October 16, 2020
Customer service is at the heart of any major organization, and it is key to building human, trusted connections between brand and consumer. At Bloomberg, our Customer Support (BCS) team is essential to the focused service we offer our clients, providing industry-leading technical and operational support worldwide.
BCS is the perfect place to start your Bloomberg journey, as it gives you exposure to various departments and enables you to learn more about the different elements of the organization. BCS roles are dynamic and multi-faceted, requiring extensive product knowledge, excellent communication skills, and technical know-how – all of which can help build a solid foundation for a long and rewarding career with Bloomberg.
Here, four BCS alumni tell us how their experience in the team equipped them with the necessary tools to succeed in their subsequent roles.
A comprehensive company overview
Linn O’Connor, Head of Data, London
When Linn joined Bloomberg back in 2004, she spent four months working in BCS as part of her induction program – an experience she says gave her a comprehensive overview of the company. “It was a great place to learn about Bloomberg and its different departments. It had great camaraderie and really gave you a good understanding of the company’s unique culture, while helping you make connections around the business,” she shares.
These insights have certainly come in handy for Linn, who has worked in various departments over the course of her Bloomberg career – from Analytics to Sales and now, Data. “My previous roles have provided me with deep insight into the opportunities that Data has for Bloomberg,” she says. “[In particular, my time at BCS showed me] how the company is structured, how different departments work together, and that every part of the business is important for our overall success.”
Communication and technical skills
Raluca Ioana Taleanu, API Workflow Specialist, London
Former Installations intern Raluca joined BCS in the summer of 2017, eventually moving on to become a Workflow Specialist in Bloomberg Product Oversight (BPO). “In my current role in BPO, I review the workflow of Bloomberg users in order to understand their needs and uncover licensing gaps,” she explains. “This involves client communication and knowledge of the licenses and products we offer. It also requires collaboration with many other teams, such as Desktop Build Group and Sales.”
She credits her time in BCS with helping her to develop the skills needed for her current role. “BCS involved client communication on an ongoing basis. It gave me the ability to handle difficult conversations, which requires negotiation skills as well as assertiveness,” she says. “I also learned how our products are licensed and how to troubleshoot technical problems. Most importantly, it gave me exposure to all the departments and teams within our company.”
Leadership qualities
Mary Au-Yeung, BCS Team Leader, Hong Kong
Mary’s career with Bloomberg has, in many ways, come full circle. In 2005, she joined Global Customer Support (the predecessor of BCS) before taking up roles in Analytics and then Sales. In 2019, she seized the chance to return to BCS – this time, as a Team Leader.
“BCS has evolved so much. The department now plays a significant role in installing clients’ Bloomberg Terminal licenses, troubleshooting login issues, and more,” she reflects. “The infrastructure of the phone system has also developed immensely. A higher volume of call data is now available, allowing the team to better forecast and analyze call patterns, and in turn offer better customer service.”
Mary’s role sees her nurturing new talent, which has enabled her to hone her managerial skills. “My daily workflow consists of managing the team, looking after the call queue, ensuring sufficient language coverage during the day, acquiring new talent, writing reports and forecasts, and more,” she shares. “This has helped me to refine my mentoring, probing, coaching and analytical skills. Understanding people and helping them grow gives me a sense of joy.”
A customer-centric mindset
Mohamed Bah, Data, New York
Prior to joining Bloomberg, Mohamed worked in logistics for a major retail company. When he discovered that Bloomberg was hiring French speakers for BCS in 2017, he jumped at the opportunity. “I joined at an exciting time – the Global Customer Service (GCUS) and Installations team had just merged to form BCS, meaning that my job scope expanded beyond that of a typical customer service role,” he shares. He stayed at BCS for two years before joining the Data team, where he covers Mergers & Acquisitions and IPOs.
While Mohamed’s current role might seem markedly different, he feels that the customer-centric mindset he developed during his time in BCS has aided him immensely. “For instance, after joining my new team, my first project was to do some analysis to uncover clients’ pain points. As a result, we were able to minimize clients’ inquiries about certain topics,” he says. “Clearly, being customer-focused is one of the most vital skills that I’ve obtained from BCS, as it ensures the survival of a business.”
Learn more about global job openings in BCS here