The newbie and the veteran: Alexis Lambert and Michael Fromme give a behind-the-scenes look at the Windsor Call Center

Whether on the job for just a few months, or several years, Customer Service Representatives Alexis Lambert and Michael Fromme at the Windsor Call Center are there for our customers when needed. Michael, who started his career more than six years ago, has helped train Alexis, who joined our team six months ago. Both want customers to know they're more than just a voice on the other end of the phone - they care about working through any questions or issues that arise and making a difference for everyone who reaches out for assistance. During National Customer Service Week, Eversource is recognizing our more than 8,000 employees who, like Alexis and Michael, work every day to take care of Eversource's customers.

Time in position: About 6 months

How long have you worked at Eversource? What led you here/what did you do before?

I've been here just about six months, it's very fresh. I started in hospitality and I was looking for a change from the food and beverage world. I'm used to the face-to-face interaction with customers. I wanted to try something different. I wanted to be challenged. I saw the link to the job post and I said, 'let's try this, I can do it.'

What keeps you coming to work every day?

For most of us it's the challenge. This is a totally new world, especially for myself. I really like being pushed and learning new things every day. That's really what it's all about.

What surprises you the most in your job?

For most people when you think of someone who works in the call center you think of someone sitting there and only answering phones, but we are so much more than that. Yes, we take payments. Yes, we explain bills for customers but sometimes we get customers that just want to call and have someone to talk to. Or you have someone -who wants to share a good experience they had with Eversource. We are that communication not only with dispatch, but with our line crews and others in the company. And we're so much more than just answering phones.

What are the big differences in your job since you started? What was the first day on the job like?

The difference that I see in myself from my first day is my confidence. The customer experience really drives what we do. I have to be confident and know what I'm talking about to give the customer the right answers and the best experience.

What is your most memorable day on the job?

I had a customer call a few weeks ago that I thought was going to be about a high bill call. The conversation turned into a personal call asking me about supply and delivery- and I'm rattling off all this information for him and I have this a-ha moment like, I'm finally really comfortable with what I'm talking about. Then the customer told us that we did a great job on recent work we did and he wanted to thank us and the crews. It's nice to make that connection.

What do you think it takes to be a successful customer service representative?

The biggest component for me is patience. Patience with the process, patience with myself, and patience with the customer. Sometimes they're calling to pay their bill or sometimes they're calling to say they can't pay a bill because they don't have the funds. You must hone into what they need and figure out the best direction to steer them in to solve their problem.

If you could share one tip with customers based on some of the most common questions you receive, what would it be?

I did my own energy savings plan when I first started here and I found that personally helpful. I agree with Mike, there are so many tools that customers can really utilize on our website to help them better understand their bill and more.

What's your favorite thing to do outside of work?

I go kayaking with my family and boyfriend. I think not only does that get you up and moving but it's time spent with family and friends.

The veteran: Michael Fromme.
Time in position: More than 6 years.

How long have you worked at Eversource? What led you here/what did you do before?

I've been here 6 ½ years. My mother started with CL&P and has been with the company for 27 years. I had previous customer service experience and there was an opening here, so I decided to join the team.

What keeps you coming to work every day?

This sounds kind of cheesy, but I really love working with everyone here. I've been given a new opportunity to assist with the new hires and it's nice being able to develop relationships with them. I enjoy being able to teach them things. Alexis is part of that new hire training group, so I've been getting to know her too.

What surprises you the most in your job?

I learn something new every day. We handle both gas and electric and you're not always getting the same questions every day. It's nice to be able to come in and work with people you can bounce ideas off of and work together to get the right answer for the customer. There are so many different hats we wear throughout the day.

What are the big differences in your job since you started? What was the first day on the job like?

The greatest thing for me has been the information that we've been able to provide the customer. When I first started, it was before the big October snowstorm that we had and that was a trying time. But now, we have outage alerts and two-way texting, and better information from the field and that makes our lives so much easier which in turn, makes the customers happy.

What is your most memorable day on the job?

The October snowstorm was one I will always remember because there was six feet of snow and we were here 16-hour days answering phone calls. That was when I started to come out of my shell. That experience was a good bonding experience with the team. We were basically in the front lines communicating with thousands of people.

What do you think it takes to be a successful customer service representative?

It's how you convey the message. Sometimes we're delivering information that they might not want to hear. Then it's about, what are the options you can give to fix it. Whether it be something with payments, gas, whatever it may be, you want the customer to be happy.

If you could share one tip with customers based on some of the most common questions you receive, what would it be?

I'm on the billing specialist team so people call with escalated high bill complaints. I stress to people all the time that there are so many tools and programs out there and on our website available and lot of times people just don't know where to go.

What's your favorite thing to do outside of work?

I'm a huge sports fan. I love soccer. That's my favorite thing to watch.

Eversource is proud to have dedicated employees like Alexis Lambert and Michael Fromme working for the company and is committed to providing excellent customer service.