Having worked at Sofology for over a year, Craig Bathgate has fully integrated himself into daily life at Sofology, working in our Escalations team to resolve issues our customers may have. He works tirelessly to live the Sofology values, both dealing with customers and other Sofologists around the business.
We wanted to explore Craig’s journey to Sofology, looking at his beginnings and what brought him to working in our Escalations team, so we sat down with him and asked him some questions to find out more about his journey.
Can you tell us a little about your role at Sofology?
I’ve worked at Sofology for 1 year and 7 months, first joining as part of the Technical Case Management team. This involved providing our customers with product support and knowledge but, since I joined, the department has grown to become the Technical team. Even though the name changed the role effectively stayed the same, giving our customers accurate information in order to help them feel comfy on a sofa they love. We were the first contact point for customer queries or concerns regarding their furniture.
In December 2018 I was promoted to the Escalations team, who are responsible for all priority complaints including Furniture Ombudsman cases and property damage claims. It’s a tough role but I always approach each case with an open mind and the intention to help our customers resolve any issues they may have as quickly and efficiently as possible.
How did your career begin?
Prior to working at Sofology I worked in various retail stores and, throughout my time in the industry, I had countless experiences that improved my customer relations skills enormously. I mostly worked in the entertainment sector, involving Films, TV, Music and Games, and I amassed a number of years of experience building customer relations, as well as task management and self progression.
In retail, the customer is at the forefront, thus being face to face with customers provided many opportunities to develop my skills with complaints handling. The ability to empathise and communicate clearly is incredibly advantageous and this translates perfectly in my role within the Escalations team at Sofology. I find it more helpful to customers when they realise there’s a person at the other end of the phone trying to help them, so being personable and sympathetic to their situation is vitally important.
What attracted you to Sofology?
I was attracted by the core values that every Sofologist lives and breathes - Committed, Progressive, Caring, Trusted, Exceptional and Fun. I could see that Sofology was a company that offered progression and it’s something that really made me interested in working here. I get on really well with my team and the working environment is brilliant - everyone has a laugh, but we’re always working hard to give our customers 110%.
Once I joined Sofology I knew I’d made the right choice - I realised that progression at Sofology involved hard work, but that hard work is rewarded with new opportunities and acknowledgement for the work I did. Having progressed to the highest level in the Customer Services department, my understanding and ability to speak with customers in an honest and caring way has improved exponentially.
What does success look like for you?
For me success is having a happy and healthy family, a job that you enjoy and the opportunity to progress - especially in a business like Sofology that’s always growing. My family encourages me to personally do better, as my wife and I have a 10 month old baby - my desire to give them a happy and fulfilling life is what drives me to always improve. With success comes recognition, and there’s always been an abundance of recognition during my time at sofology.
Appreciation and encouragement from my peers is something that makes it all worthwhile - knowing that I’ve done my job well and that my hard work has been acknowledged.