Sarah Kennedy
Bellbird Park
Summary
Personable and solution-oriented, with strong aptitude for fostering positive business relationships. Possesses understanding of business development and client engagement, combined with skills in communication and problem-solving. Capable of driving client satisfaction and contributing to organizational growth.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Relationship Manager/Client Services Manager
Yurika Metering
09.2017 - Current
- Commitment in monitoring regulatory landscapes ensured compliance with industry standards.
- Build strong, sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders including key installers, suppliers, the management team and across various parts of the business
- Built rapport with prospective clients through effective networking events, conferences, and industry gatherings.
- Responded to customer inquiries and resolved complaints to establish trust and increase satisfaction.
- Performed effectively in self-directed work environment, managing day-to-day operations and decisions.
- Maintained open lines of communication with stakeholders at all levels of the organization, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability.
- Establish and maintain close working relationships with Business, Retail and Direct Customer’s and to exceed customer expectations.
- Manage, control and report on project status, customer risks and market conditions.
- Business, Retail and Direct Customer Segments contract renewals are identified and prospected and highlighted to Business Development for the deals to be re-negotiated, so that the agreement documentation can prepared, and sales closed.
- Identified opportunities for process improvements, resulting in increased efficiency and cost savings.
- Strengthened client relationships by consistently delivering high-quality service and support.
- Commitment in monitoring regulatory landscapes ensured compliance with industry standards.
- Interstate travel on a frequent basis to represent Yurika Metering as a subject expert, investigate opportunities, build relationships with Customers, Channels and Retailers.
Customer Relations Coordinator
Energex
09.2012 - 09.2017
- Acting – during periods of leave
- Investigate and resolve complex customer enquiries/complaint, guaranteed service level claims and monitor process for compliance to Electricity Industry Code
- Manage and lead a team in a manner that promotes Energex values and will provide direction and guidance to drive business efficiencies and strong customer outcomes and solutions
- Ensure workgroup adherence to legislative and regulatory requirements (e.g
- Equal employment opportunity, code of conduct, privacy and workplace health and safety etc.)
- Contribute to the development and review of assessment criteria to audit, measure review, and manage team and individual performance against agreed KPIs
- This is achieved through monitoring, coaching and developing individuals to consistently achieve goals
- Where necessary, implement performance management processes to facilitate performance improvement
- Be an active participant and positive agent in leading cultural change aligned to corporate staff engagement initiatives
- Develop plans to improve staff competence through learning and development opportunities
- Ensure staff clearly understand the link between their individual, team, CCS results and the Service Delivery and Energex business plans
- Monitor and evaluate significant incidents/issues impacting on Energex’s relationships with customers and provide recommendations on continuous improvement strategies
- Develop and recommend effective and efficient strategies for providing awareness, access, management information and reporting on the resolution and trends of customer’s complaints
- Other duties as required
Customer Relations Senior Investigation Officer
Energex
06.2012 - 09.2017
- Investigate and resolve complex customer enquiries/complaints in accordance with performance standards and the Australian Standard for complaints management (AS ISO 10002 – 2006)
- NECF compliance and auditing to be delivered and documented
- Identification of potential breaches of Life Support requirements not met prior to outages to ensure Business obligations are achieved
- Able to use knowledge and experience to monitor workloads and able to prioritise proactively rather than reactively to deliver outcomes regarding all compliance and potential breaches
- Driving and educating the team of the importance and regulatory requirements, actions and reporting relating to all NECF and AER breach reporting
- Manage Guaranteed Service Level claims, including investigation and resolution
- Ensures timely payment of GSL’s and proactively develops strategies to reduce future GSLs
- Manage and coach others to manage a broad and diverse range of basic and complex distribution network enquiries across various communication channels to deliver required service outcomes
- Work with the Customer Relations Coordinator to ensure the optimum functional and responsive performance of Customer Relations team
- This includes general administrative duties, analysis of customer trends, providing a secondary escalation point for the Customer Relations team, monitoring team performance and quality and ad-hoc reporting
- Individually manage and coach others to respond to simple and complex enquiries to ensure Energex brand as a trusted corporate entity is maintained and enables Energex permission to operate in the community
- Resolve escalated internal and external customer queries by producing an outcome that is satisfactory to both the customer and company
- Influence and drive CSOs to active participants and positive agents in a performance based culture
- Actively participate and influence process and system improvement, drive improved customer and staff engagement surveys and team activities
- Participate in the Emergency Event standby roster and respond to Emergency events as delegated
- Report on emerging community trends identified through customer feedback that improves operating efficiency or that may threaten the corporate brand and strategic direction – identify systematic causes and potential solutions
- Coach CSO’s in processes and system usage to ensure a consistently high level of customer focus that delivers the customer experience objectives of the organisation
- Assist Contact Centre Team Leaders in the operational management of Emergency events as delegated
- Supervise when minimum staff required for post event follow-up
- Other duties as required
Contact Centre, Team Leader Development Pool
Energex
02.2014 - 09.2017
- Acting as Contact Centre Team Leader during periods of leave
Customer Advocate Senior Officer
Energex
08.2011 - 07.2013
- Succession Planning - 2 days per week
- Acting – during annual leave periods
- Directly investigate, negotiate and resolve escalated customer complaints received via internal (Office of the CEO, Executive, Chairman) and/or external channels (EWOQ and Government representatives) in accordance with legislation and performance standards
- Accurately and reliably maintain a register and record of all correspondence
- Regularly meet with stakeholders internal and external to Energex to engender a strong and cooperative relationship focussed on timely and effective resolution of customer complaints and other concerns
- Provide a direct interface to major industry groups that represent Energex industry partners, including the Solar PV industry and electrical contractor organisations
- Remain informed on practice customer complaint services, and maintain compliance to relevant Codes and Legislation through awareness and training
- Establish and manage the operation of the Insurance Claim Review Panel, responsible for ensuring the fair representation of the customer position in instances of escalated complaints
- Actively communicate and seek feedback from stakeholders, managers, staff, customers, customer advocacy groups regarding our broader Customer Service performance, including the coordination of working meetings and information sessions
- Work closely with other areas of the business in the role of providing a customer insight into the development and delivery of corporate policies related to customer services, providing a customer insight into our work and decisions
Customer Relations Investigation Officer
Energex
09.2005 - 06.2012
- Support the development and enhancement (as appropriate) of ENERGEX’s interface with internal and external customers and relevant stakeholders
- Investigate and resolve complex customer enquiries/complaints in accordance with performance standards
- Report on emerging community trends that threaten corporate public image and strategic direction – identify causes and potential solutions
- Monitor and evaluate significant incidents/issues impacting on ENERGEX’s relationships with customers and provide recommendations on continuous improvement strategies
- Participate in planning activities as required for the effective and efficient operation of the Department
- Investigate and adjudicate on all Guaranteed Service Level and Electrician Reimbursement claims and monitor process for compliance to Electricity Industry Code
Project Analyst
Energex
07.2008 - 03.2009
- Identification and presentation of key improvement opportunities for Network Programming and Procurement
- Identifying financial and operational improvement opportunities that support business objectives
- Research, analysis, development, testing and implementation of improvement opportunities aligned with business objectives
- Developing and establishing project plans, resource strategies and communication plans to deliver business improvement
- Proactively identifying and managing business risks
- Actively communicate and seek feedback from stakeholders, managers and staff to ensure targets are being met and satisfaction is attained
- Manage effective relationships with peers and managers
- Actively participate in team activities to support the achievement of group and divisional objectives
Customer Relations Senior Investigation Officer
Energex
09.2007 - 07.2008
- Preparation of reports with a high level of written communication skills and accuracy
- Analysis of customer complaints, identify trends and target areas
- Highlight improvement initiatives and take action to address areas of concern
- Reduce escalation of complex customer issues escalating to Government agencies
- Monitoring and reporting of team performance against internal and corporate goals and objectives to relevant stakeholders
- Investigating and resolving complex customer complaints and Guaranteed Service Level (GSL) claims
- Ensure performance and legislative targets are met
- Highly developed knowledge of Queensland legislation relating to Electricity and Gas Acts and Regulations
- Regularly reviewing Customer Relations work practices to ensure compliance to appropriate legislation
- Providing continuous improvements recommendations to improve Customer Relations team performance
- Liaison with ENERGEX Management, all levels of Divisional and departmental staff and service providers throughout the ENERGEX Group
- Provide training, coaching and mentoring of new staff
- Work with the Customer Relations Coordinator to ensure the optimum functional and responsive performance of the Customer Relations Group
- Monitoring team performance and quality
- Developing and recommending effective and efficient strategies for providing awareness, access, management information and reporting on the resolution and trends of customer’s complaints
E-Commerce Customer Service Representative
Energex
06.2004 - 09.2005
- Answer customer’s general and complex enquiries received via the ENERGEX website
- Provide written and verbal responses to customer enquiries
- Comply with legislative responsibilities
- Assist Team Leader with supervision of a team of 4 staff
- Conduct random assessments/audits of staff correspondence
- Meet specific performance and customer service targets
- Administration of records, including end of month reporting
- Supervised and organised staff
Customer Service Representative
Energex
01.2002 - 06.2004
- Answer customer’s general and complex enquiries
- Resolve customer complaints
- Complying with legislative responsibilities
- Achieve set customer service and sales targets
- Effective promotion of ENERGEX services
- Work within a team to achieve goals and objectives
- Training and mentoring new staff
- Negotiate payment arrangements with outstanding debtors
- Create service orders, initiate action and update customer’s information in response to customer requests
- Arrange the rectification of customer supply problems
Education
Energy Queensland
Certificate III and 3.1 - Telecommunications
Energy Queensland
01.2002
Diploma of Recreation - Fitness
TAFE Queensland
QLD01.1999
QLD Senior Certificate -
Kenmore State High School
01.1995
Skills
- Written and verbal communication
- Relationship building and Stakeholder management
- Regulatory compliance & Risk mitigation
- Balancing Commercial & Customer Focused Decisions
- Workload and time management
- Critical thinking and Analytical problem solving
- Customer portfolio management
- Balancing Commercial & Customer Focused Decisions
- Power BI, MPIS, SOMS, MAIMS, FlowTalk, SDR, TOHT
- Windows & Microsoft 365 based programs
Timeline
Business Relationship Manager/Client Services Manager
Yurika Metering
09.2017 - Current
Contact Centre, Team Leader Development Pool
Energex
02.2014 - 09.2017
Customer Relations Coordinator
Energex
09.2012 - 09.2017
Customer Relations Senior Investigation Officer
Energex
06.2012 - 09.2017
Customer Advocate Senior Officer
Energex
08.2011 - 07.2013
Project Analyst
Energex
07.2008 - 03.2009
Customer Relations Senior Investigation Officer
Energex
09.2007 - 07.2008
Customer Relations Investigation Officer
Energex
09.2005 - 06.2012
E-Commerce Customer Service Representative
Energex
06.2004 - 09.2005
Customer Service Representative
Energex
01.2002 - 06.2004
QLD Senior Certificate -
Kenmore State High School
Energy Queensland
Certificate III and 3.1 - Telecommunications
Energy Queensland
Diploma of Recreation - Fitness
TAFE Queensland
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