Jobs at the Customer Center that Utilize and Draw Out 'Passion' — From the Front Lines of Customer Communication —

What kind of work is done at a customer center?

―SKY Perfect JSAT has several customer centers nationwide. What kind of work is performed at this center?

K-san: We handle everything from general inquiries to questions about equipment like tuners and antennas, and recently we've also started handling chat and LINE inquiries. We also create the 'Today's Recommended Programs' list that is shared during the morning assembly to inform CSRs (operators) nationwide about program information, so we do a wide variety of things.

―I see. ...Though, actually, we used to be in the customer department ourselves, so we are quite familiar with it.

K-san: Is that so?!

―Yes, it is. I've participated in the morning assembly a few times too (laughs).
(Both Tantan and Yama moved to the note editorial department after working in customer-related departments.)

Yama: I also came to this center for call-receiving training* about the year before last.
(*Young employees at SKY Perfect JSAT undergo training where they take calls from customers at the call center.)

K-san: Then we might have passed each other back then (laughs). How was it taking calls?

Yama: I went for training at the beginning of my first year at the company, so honestly, I didn't fully understand the service yet, but I felt that there were many very warm customers.
It was good because I started to be more conscious of customer reactions in my work afterward.

―Before I took calls, I was also very nervous, thinking, 'What if I make a mistake in front of an actual customer?' but there were really many warm people, and I felt that many customers understand the SKY Perfect JSAT system very well.

K-san: There are many customers who have been using (SKY Perfect JSAT) for many years, so there are many people who have been with us longer than we have.
It might be a characteristic that many customers know our history (laughs).

―That's something to be grateful for...! Could you also tell us about your specific work?

K-san: My role is as a 'Unit Head,' which is a position like a manager within the call center.
However, I love the front lines, so I often go to the CSRs and talk to them.
A-san assists the supervisor while also taking customer calls, so she is the person who is in touch with the front lines more than I am. How is it actually talking to customers?

A-san: Recently, I really feel that there are many people who love professional baseball, and because of the influence of BTS, there are many people who love Korean entertainment, and many of them are also starting to try out dramas.

For each person who calls,'What kind of programs do you specifically like?'I try asking that, and since I can connect it to suggesting a channel addition, I am very grateful that customers tell us about the content they love.

―Indeed. It's great when they talk more and more about what they love, isn't it?

K: That's right. We have many customers with a great deal of passion, so almost every day we get requests like 'I want to see that!' or 'I want you to continue that show.' On the other hand, we also receive feedback that we need to take seriously, such as 'Aren't there a bit too many reruns lately?' or 'It would make me and others happy if you did it this way.' We make sure to pick up such opinions as the voice of the customer.

—Even when looking at social media, I sometimes see comments like, 'When I called the SKY PerfecTV! Customer Center, we ended up having a great conversation about the content.'

K: Many of the CSRs at SKY PerfecTV! are very knowledgeable about entertainment content. Some are extremely well-versed in Japanese cinema, and others are huge fans of overseas dramas. We even provide training for those who aren't as familiar with certain genres.

—Oh, there's training! For example, are there specific training sessions like professional baseball training or K-POP training?

K: In the case of professional baseball, it's popular, so we do have professional baseball training. We also have e-learning tools where you can learn about various genres, including K-POP.

—That sounds interesting! I wish I had received that kind of training when I was a new employee (laughs).

A: The content is actually quite thorough. You can study a genre and then take a test on the next page.

K: Also, a great many CSRs look at the websites for each channel, and many use their free time or time spent waiting for customers to look at those pages and study.

—So there was some behind-the-scenes effort for smooth communication...! But I have the impression that many CSRs at the SKY PerfecTV! Customer Center were already fans of entertainment content to begin with. When I visited the customer center before, I often saw everyone decorating their desks with merchandise of their favorite characters (laughs).

K: Haha, yes, there are (laughs). Actually, for many people, one of the reasons they joined SKY PerfecTV! is because they love the content.

A: Almost everyone has content they love, don't they?

K: When we get asked about something complicated by a customer and can't answer, sometimes we ask someone who is an expert in that genre, and that can lead to a solution (laughs).

—That's the kind of expertise that comes from passion.

K: That's true. One CSR who is a huge F1 fan compiled a document on this year's F1 trends and how things are different from last year, and shared it with the rest of us.

—Amazing! Your hobbies are really coming in handy. By the way, K, do you have any entertainment you're passionate about?

K: Professional wrestling, I suppose. I also like occult topics, ghost stories, and urban legends.

—What! Occult and ghost stories...! But it's true that ghost story tellers are popular on podcasts and YouTube right now.

K: That's right. I like them enough that I do that kind of thing myself personally.

—You do it yourself?

K: I do (laughs). I've even participated in competitions to decide the best ghost story teller in Japan.

—That's amazing. I'd love to hear more about that.

K: Haha. I'd love to tell you (laughs).

Since there are quite a few hardcore fans when it comes to pro-wrestling, the moment I heard the word 'pro-wrestling,' I'd start monitoring and say things like, 'You can watch that American organization's show on this channel,' and just smoothly guide them (laughs).

—It's reassuring to have experts in each genre!

The rewards of the job, and the honest challenges.

—Are there any aspects of your current job that you find rewarding, or conversely, any that you find difficult?

A: Because programs from so many different fields and genres are broadcast every day, I do feel the pain of my own lack of knowledge when inquiries come in about fields I'm not very familiar with.

However, on the flip side, I'm really happy to be involved in things I'm passionate about, and above all, when I can end a call with a 'thank you' after making a customer happy, I feel glad to be doing this job and glad to be working at SKY PerfecTV!.

—Thank you for that 120-point answer...! (laughs) I certainly remember when I was in training, a music lover called in, and it was fun to have such a lively conversation. How about you, K?

K: Listening to A just now reminded me of when I was a CSR. I think it's great that our customer center has an attitude of being able to respond flexibly from a customer-first perspective, such as 'valuing the customer's time' or 'valuing their feelings.'valuing the customer's time' or 'valuing their feelings' from a customer-first perspectivethat attitude is something I think is great.
Conversely, what I find difficult is that with the increase in bots and AI, it's becoming harder to read the quality of communication with customers that you can feel through their voice.
I think figuring out how to grasp that will be even more in demand in the future, so as a manager, that's a point of concern when it comes to training.

—It's certainly difficult to grasp the customer's emotional temperature through text, isn't it?

K: There's a lot of information you can understand through sound. It's not just the voice; there are parts you can understand from the customer's background noise as well.

—That's true. But it seems like the world is shifting more and more toward non-phone media like chat in the future...

K: That's right. So, I think it's necessary to convey what we are careful about in phone support more clearly, so that text interactions don't just become 'yes' or 'no' exchanges.

—There are some inquiry desks that feel warm even through text. I'm rooting for your future efforts!

(Reporting/Writing: Tantan)

Continued in the second half ▼