WILMINGTON, NC – With more than 100 digital commerce searches each year, EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the NRF, B2B and IR-1000 communities. To opt-in to our popular “Ecommerce Job of the Day” email, click here. (Simply unsubscribe at the end of your job search.)

One of the coolest CX jobs around!

HARRY’S COMMENTS: We are working with REEDS Jewelers in their search for a Head of Customer Service based in beautiful, beachy Wilmington, NC.

Let me start out by saying that we have an absolutely INSANE amount of information on this position. Our market research includes a diamond industry report from DeBeers, plus we have reports from First Research and IBIS World as well.

On top of that, the notes from our kickoff call with this role’s hiring manager exceed 6 pages! Applying for this role without this information will be like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

If you are a qualified candidate, this information is yours for the asking.

Now then: REEDS Jewelers is the largest family-owned retail jewelry chain in North America. The firm sells diamonds, watches, and a large selection of fine jewelry from top designers in over 85 retail stores across 18 states as well as online at Reeds.com.

Headquartered in Wilmington, REEDS is a 75-year old company that started selling on the web in 1996. Think about that. Peronally, I didn’t buy online until 1997.

Amazingly, back in 2015, REEDS co-developed the world’s first luxury Android smartwatch with LG Electronics, the LG Urbane Luxe, and in 2018, the firm began accepting Bitcoin.

These people don’t just talk about the future. They create it!

While the jewelry retail business took a beating last year due to you-know-what, many industry observers are noticing the return of the jeweler. Yes, COVID transformed retail, and, by extention, REEDS’ omnichannel initiatives. But not necessarily in a bad way.

Omnichannel affords REEDS’ clients optionality in terms of how they buy. Some clients prefer to buy online only. Others want to buy online and pick up in-store. Others still, are retail only — though they might call REEDS later with a question about their purchase.

But some things never change: In every case, the REEDS customer wants to feel better about herself because of her relationship with the brand. And this is a huge opportunity for the contact center.

Traditionally, REEDS’ contact center was mostly about service.

But recently the firm has generated many of its leads online, for example assisting brides-to-be with building their dream ring, for example. Imagine the caller’s excitement! Her optimism! Her desire for everything to be perfect!

As REEDS’ Head of Customer Support, you’ll want every client interaction to reflect those things without being presumptuous. There are 10 people REEDS’ contact center, and although most of the call activity is inbound, occasionally your team will need to follow up with clients outbound to ensure a personal touch.

We’re looking for a future oriented rising star in the area of CX …

… someone who knows how things work in a contact center, yet can grow in the other roles elsewhere in the company as their impact spreads.

We’re looking for someone who can …

• Make it easy for people to do business with REEDS. That means having smart, implementable ideas that don’t always cost a bundle to implement.
• Understand that customers aren’t just buying a product, they are also buying the experience of buying it, owning it, and using it.
• Understand that the manner in which the sale is performed must be congruent with REEDS brand — which is high touch and world-class.
• Understand that “sales choreography” can be psychological as well as physical, and when properly designed and executed in the contact center, it can have a measurable impact on everyone.

The job is totally doable, but it’s not for everyone. We’ve given a lot of thought to this, and we’ve come up with a short laundry list of traits and abilities you’ll need to succeed in this position.

Can you answer “YES” to most of these questions?

• Decision quality: Can you make good decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment?
• Customer focus: Are you truly dedicated to meeting the expectations of both internal and external clients? Can you use clients as a source of ideas for improvements across the business? Are you relatable? Are you typically happy and positive outcome-oriented? Are you a doer?
• Integrity and trust: In your past positions, have you been seen as a direct and truthful person who can present the unvarnished truth in a helpful manner? We’re looking for someone who’s hard on the issues and soft on the people. You can’t be blamed-based in this role. There is no “I” in TEAM.
• Dealing with paradox: Are you highly flexible and adaptable? Can you act in a way that sometimes seems contradictory while conforming to both REEDS values and the customers?
• Organizational agility: Are you knowledgeable about how a company functions? Typically, do you know how to get things done through both formal channels as well as an informal network? Can you understand the origin and reasoning behind certain policies, practices, and procedures?
• Developing subordinates: Typically, do you provide challenging and stretching tasks and assignments to your direct reports? Are you usually aware of a DR’s career goals? Can you construct compelling development plans? Do you bring out the best in people?
• Building team spirit: Can you create strong morale and spirit in your team? Do you share wins and successes easily? Are you known for fostering open dialogue, while letting others finish and be responsible for their own work?

We are looking for a smart, driven, friendly, business-oriented, go-getter who knows how to manage each interaction in a way that makes the client feel better about themselves because of their relationship with REEDS. Because in the luxury business, you don’t find customers for your products. You find products for your customers.

Bottom line: You’re in the EMOTIONAL BOND business.

As usual, we spent a ton of time on the phone with this client teasing out exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things we can share with highly qualified candidates include …

1. The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
2. The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every CX job has these — whether your typical recruiter wants you to know about them or not!
3. What your average day / week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard job posting … then there’s reality. We’ve got the reality.
4. The top KPIs that will determine your success in this role. In a nutshell: How you keep score.
5. The major projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this CX job.

We have a massive amount of proprietary intel to share with qualified candidates. Our industry research for this assignment exceeds 50 pages! Be sure to TEXT Harry Joiner for this info at (404) 281-2025.

Or simply use the email link when you apply for the role below.

View Harry Joiner’s profile

Primary Responsibilities:

• Support and further develop a high-end customer service experience
• Develop and lead a sales channel supporting contactless commerce through a virtual concierge team
• Take ownership of customers issues and follow problems through to resolution
• Analyze statistics and compile accurate reports
• Recruit, mentor and develop contact center agents and nurture an environment where they can excel through encouragement and empowerment
• Keep ahead of industry’s developments and apply best practices to areas of improvement
• Control resources and utilize assets to achieve qualitative and quantitative targets
• Adhere to and manage the approved budget
• Maintain an orderly workflow according to priorities

Position Requirements:

• Proven working experience as a customer service manager or retail manager
• Experience in providing customer service support
• Excellent knowledge of management methods and techniques
• Working knowledge of customer service software, databases and tools
• Awareness of industry’s latest technology trends and applications
• Ability to think strategically and to lead
• Strong client-facing and communication skills
• Advanced troubleshooting and multi-tasking skills
• BS degree in Business Administration or related field