'Finding a solution to somebody's problems is a satisfying achievement. A simple "thank you" at the end of a call can give you the energy you need.'

Nicole Handelé is a lecturer in Communication at Leeuwenborgh Opleidingen Regional Training Centre, one of Customer Service Valley's covenant partners. Every Wednesday, Nicole teaches fifteen enthusiastic students on the Contact Center Employee course in their third year of intermediate vocational education at Customer Service College. This is an eighteen-month course and is regarded as a fully valid intermediate vocational education degree. Lesson times alternate per week, lasting from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM the one week and 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM the next. Amongst other things, they focus on gathering and analysing information, conducting sales conversations, and maintaining client relations, including handling complaints. Alongside this, the course also covers subjects such as English, Dutch, Citizenship, and Arithmetic. Those attending the course are already working as agents.

Nicole Handelé is a member of the business community, in which she has worked for companies such as Vodafone and VGZ, a health insurance provider. She has fifteen years' worth of experience in the field of customer service and has also gained experience in teaching courses and training sessions. Equipped with this knowledge, Nicole was able to move smoothly into an educational role in which her extensive experience in customer service is proving extremely useful. 'It's a brilliant subject; no one conversation or person is the same. You are constantly having to deal with requirements, needs, and different motives. It's all about identifying the best way to help someone. Finding a solution to somebody's problems is a satisfying achievement. A simple "thank you" at the end of a call can give you the energy you need. Of course, you are also confronted with challenging conversations, but you just have to remember that it's never meant personally.' Each week, Nicole looks forward to her Wednesday classes. 'I am very happy with my class, which includes fourteen women and one man. This ratio is pure coincidence and doesn't reflect the real number of male and female agents. As they all work in a call centre, they are motivated and eager to learn. Unfortunately, however, the customer service field is still widely underestimated. As an agent, you need to be a good listener, empathize, structure the situation, and remain flexible. Many people have a wrong idea of the nature of this work. This bad image is mainly linked to aggressive outbound telephone calls. Despite this situation dating back ten years, customer service still conjures up negative images. People think back to those moments when they've just put dinner on the table and the phone rings with somebody on the line shamelessly trying to shove a product down their throat. Customer service made a mistake by adopting this approach. It's a shame and the negative image is unwarranted, as the current working method is totally different from that past approach. It is a challenging and interesting subject which revolves around one thing: the customer.'