05/09/2023
We are excited to welcome, Gilanne Del Rosario, to our customer success team! We sat down with Gilanne for a brief Q&A to learn more about her journey as a Customer Success Specialist:
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in customer success, and how has your experience prepared you for this role?
A: I truly enjoy building relationships and helping others achieve their goals -- Customer Success allows me to do both! Prior to working at XKL, I spent 7+ years in customer service, sales, and account management. For example, when I was working to build out my territory in Northern California, I was tasked with trying to open a district-wide partnership (13 programs) with a school district we had only done 2 programs with. By building strong rapport with those 2 administrators and ensuring those programs ran as seamlessly as possible, I was able to use those sites as evidence on how our program could improve the remaining 11 schools.
Q: What are some of the key industry trends or insights that you have been following closely, and how do they inform your work?
A: I've always been really interested in the environment and our impact on it. Many companies are looking to reduce emissions, but as the need for more data increases, typically, so does energy usage. I'd love to one day partner with an environmental group and do a case study with XKL's products.
Q: How do you approach problem-solving and innovation in your work, and can you share an example of a time when you applied this approach to achieve a successful outcome?
A: Whenever I'm problem-solving, I find that communication is KEY. I'm not afraid to ask for help when I need to, and oftentimes a fresh pair of eyes and a new perspective is just what's needed to bring forth a solution. It's important to make sure the customer feels informed every step of the way, but it's also critical to make sure the issue and the steps taken are well-documented so your team/company (or future colleagues) can see the entire story of the account.
Q: What advice do you have for others who are interested in pursuing a career in your field, and what are some key skills or qualities that they should focus on developing?
A: Communication skills are extremely important, but so is being a hungry learner. I suggest following , , and other industry-related hashtags on LinkedIn. I've also found value in following LinkedIn accounts like Carly Agar, Erika Villarreal, and Jasmine Reynolds for tips on how to break into the field and succeed. Podcasts like "The Customer Success Channel" by Anika Zubair have been insightful as well. But my biggest piece of advice, is to remain genuine to who you are. It's much easier to build a customer relationship based off authenticity!
