Customer feedback feeds success

As the Managing Director of GlobalConnect, Pushkar Taneja* has one abiding aim for the company and that is customer satisfaction. He even goes as far as saying that’s why they are there. Voice&Data’s Merri Mack spent an engrossing hour with Taneja to find out what his challenges are.

One gets the impression that Taneja has never been one to rest on his laurels after gaining a degree in engineering from the University of Western Sydney and starting his career at Davox as a support engineer. His career has included a relocation to Singapore as the channel manager and later the regional VP covering all of Asia for Lake Corporation.

He joined GlobalConnect as the Managing Director in 2006 and finds the contact centre/IP telephony, and the many permeations of the solutions, exciting. “No two environments are the same, as every customer has unique requirements, so we design and customise solutions for every customer.”

Under his leadership the company has grown from 45 to 200 customers including some very large enterprises that have thousands of seats. Taneja consider his role as stimulating. “It is a dynamic environment, whether its technology, the customers or the company, all are on the move. That’s what excites me.

“We have to make sure we have the people with rights skills set and we make sure the technology we offer is leading edge too. It is not for the faint hearted, the challenges that it throws up, but the number one aim is customer satisfaction and that’s why we are there.

“I am glad when customers come to us with problems and we can work to address it and customer satisfaction goes up, and sometimes we even get a thank you for addressing the problem.

“It’s no good if customers are not providing feedback. I would far rather know and be able to fix it. This is our culture and it starts at the top.”

Oh yes, Taneja did have his Blackberry in his top pocket but not once did he sneak a look, even though it had been vibrating away during our meeting. I had to be flattered by his restraint.

Taneja observed that things have changed as a result of the GFC. “There has not been such an effect in Australia, but if global multinational companies are based here they are effected.

Companies are now doing their sums and working out what the value of the solution is to them and when they will get a ROI. The ROI is more demanding and has to be justified and should be realised in a 3-5 year cycle.

The company has recently launched a managed services offering which he will drive. This will require a tailor-made solution and a financial model designed to suit the customer’s needs.

“Not all customers have thought of managed services yet, but one of our larger managed services customers has a GlobalConnect support engineer on site.”

A fit and lithe person who ate a salad sandwich while we talked, he competes in 24-hour mountain bike races, rides a road bike and, when there is no time for cycling, runs - but he says that hurts more than cycling. He also supports his two sons in their sporting endeavours and encourages them to try a variety of sports.

So he will keep exercising. Riding a bike is like the new golf, which he used to play badly when he was in Singapore. I can’t see Taneja doing anything badly!

* Pushkar Taneja has been the Managing Director of GlobalConnect Australia, an Avaya IP systems integrator specialist since 2006. Taneja has over 17 years of experience in sales, marketing, operations and customer relations management in the contact centre, IT and information communications industries.