Customer experience manager marks 2 decades of support

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

In any given month, any agent on Reid Heffele’s team handles between 600 and 700 phone calls from Midco customers.

Behind the scenes, Heffele is leading, coaching and encouraging his 20-person team to deliver outstanding service every time.

“My role is really about helping our team make sure they have what they need to be able to do their job and help our customers,” said Heffele, who has served as a customer experience manager since 2012.

“We get questions on anything – and even if it’s not something we typically do, we’re going to help as much as we can and at least get the customer pointed in the right direction.”

Helping people – from hearing their stories to fixing their internet, phone or video issues – has driven Heffele to work in customer experience for more than two decades.

The Minnesota native began his career in the age of dial-up internet, working in tech support for an early provider of internet service.

In 2004, he joined Midco, where he began answering calls himself and then moved into a management role.

“It’s a similar story for almost all our managers,” he said. “We maybe took different paths to get here, but almost all of us have come up from within the company. Promotion from within is very common here at Midco.”

In two decades, Heffele has learned that when it comes to technology, the only constant is change – especially because Midco continually invests in cutting-edge products and services for customers.

But one of the most powerful changes has been in the workplace itself as Heffele’s team began remote work during the 2020 pandemic, and now most of the customer experience team works remotely across the region.

“My entire team is supporting customers over the phone, and they bring a range of skill sets,” he said. “Some might be troubleshooting our internet product; others might be addressing billing, video or phone issues. Most are trained in everything.”

He also works with team members to continually improve the experiences they provide customers. The group will listen to past customer calls together “to make sure our troubleshooting steps are done correctly and look at how we’re interacting with customers to ensure we’re giving the best service possible,” Heffele said.

To keep the team engaged remotely, he organizes video game-style activities “just to have some fun and keep people talking and allow us to get to know each other,” he said.

The customer care team always is looking to add talent, he said.

“It’s work from home and training from home, and we’re always looking for great people who enjoy helping people,” he said. “Culture-wise, Midco is very inviting. Everyone is friendly and willing to help, and the different teams work together well. It’s not just you doing your job on your own. We know that what one department does affects the others.”

There also are multiple opportunities to connect outside of work and give back to the community, he added.

“I’ve done everything from Rake the Town events to painting at the Great Plains Zoo, so there are many things to get involved in through Midco,” Heffele said.

In his case, every workday also represents a chance to serve the community, he added. It’s a big reason why he has stayed in customer experience at Midco as he has grown his career.

“I’ve always really enjoyed the conversations with customers,” he said. “You don’t necessarily know them, but when it comes down to it, they’re your neighbors too. They live in the same town or the town over, and being able to help has always been something I’ve enjoyed. Now, I get to pass on my knowledge to others, and that motivates me. Midco has always been very good to me, and hopefully it’s been good for both of us.”

To learn more about customer experience roles at Midco, click here.