Kicking off our Cameo team Q&A series, we speak to Account Manager, Maisie Bradley, who talks us through her career so far, what it takes to deliver first class customer support, and why more people should jump out of their comfort zone when it comes to facing new challenges.

Describe your role at Cameo in no more than 100 words

As an Account Manager, I am responsible for maintaining and exceeding the highest standards of customer service and professionalism. My role involves prospecting and generating new business as well as strengthening relationships with existing accounts. This enables me, not only to have a full understanding of customer needs and requirements but also to tailor a package to suit their model. During my time at Cameo, my confidence has grown in many areas (including my approach to new leads, meeting customers, and holding presentations), which has, in turn, had a positive effect on my overall performance.

In your own words, what makes Cameo different from other companies?

We have been a true, white-label, channel-only partner since 1989. We offer a 24-hour manned service, undertaken by our own in-house engineers, ensuring fast response times and skilled diagnoses. At Cameo, we pride ourselves on being a trusted partner with our Resellers and meeting their customer expectations.

Give us a brief timeline of your career so far – where did you start, how did you move on?

I joined Cameo in November 2017 as a Quote Analyst. During my time in this position, I became fully knowledgeable of the process from learning about the different kit types we support, understanding the change in market pricing and managing the customer’s expectations with deadlines. This background helps me today in my current role when receiving opportunities and managing customer expectations.

In 2018, I was promoted to the role of Account Manager. In the first 6 months, my work was mainly internal, learning all about my key accounts and my approach to maximise the business. I then undertook Account Plans for each customer, attending customer meetings, presenting their service reviews and taking on board customer feedback.

To this day, I am frequently arranging meetings with new and existing customers; to introduce Cameo and our services, maintain a strong relationship, and to ensure the service they are receiving is to a high standard.

In your experience, how are the hardware support needs of channel partners evolving?

As technology is rapidly growing, the demand for support on older hardware is increasing. Therefore, Channel Partners require a vendor that can offer this support. I think this is a great industry and Channel Partners can only keep expanding on their support services.

What is the key to delivering first class customer-centric support in the modern IT channel?

At Cameo, we pride ourselves on our customer service, and it’s important to not only develop a great relationship with customers, but to also make their business priorities become our priorities. That includes:

Approachable Account Management
A reliable and Responsive partner
Strong communication
Having a partner that will deliver on their promises
Setting realistic expectations
Regular customer engagement

What’s the one piece of advice would you give to anyone wanting to join the industry?

I love this industry as there are opportunities for everyone. My advice to anyone wanting to join the industry would be to embrace learning and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. All you need is a positive attitude, the drive and determination to succeed and grow both personally and in your career. Please don’t be put off if you haven’t got an IT background, as you can learn anything as long as you put your mind to it.

Where do you see the biggest opportunity for channel partners to improve IT hardware support services for the end user?

Ensure there is strong communication throughout the chain when an opportunity is received so that the end user receives detailed information.

Frequent customer engagement and service reviews / managed surveys

For Channel Partners to pay attention to feedback received from an end user, taking onboard strengths and areas that are not as successful – which could lead to potentially changing their processes to adapt to the End users requirements.