This is a paid piece from Midco.
Simplified: Director of Customer Experience Operations Noelle Tieszen, the dynamic force behind Midco's Customer Care team, works daily to meet customers' needs in a way that's personal, efficient and done right the first time, every time.
Why it matters
- Customer Care is the second-largest department at Midco – trailing only Field Operations – with around 250 people, all of whom work under Tieszen's leadership.
- Midco invests in local customer service, which sets the company apart from other broadband competitors, Chief Operating Officer Benjamin Dold said. People on the team are committed to being warm, inviting and getting things right the first time.
- In addition to her work in supporting the folks who directly support customers, Tieszen has found creative ways to make customers and team members feel special.
- She's also an Officer of Belonging at Midco, the company's diversity, equity and inclusion council, and her team of Customer Care leaders is itself incredibly talented and diverse.
"We don't have people reading scripts," Tieszen said. "We genuinely want our team to be their true and authentic selves when they're interacting with customers. We want the customer to feel like, I’m talking to my neighbor, my friend – I’m talking to somebody who lives in my community and truly cares."
Tell me more about Tieszen
Tieszen grew up in Yankton, and she went to college in Omaha where she studied photography. To help pay her way through school, she got a part-time job at AT&T.
- That part-time job led to an 11-year stint with the telecommunications company, until she moved back to South Dakota and eventually began working for Midco's Customer Care team in 2018.
Today, she leads the Customer Care managers for the broader team – which fully supports customers once they've purchased Midco services.
- The team does everything from helping with billing questions to troubleshooting products and services to setting up an in-home visit if needed.
"Noelle's constantly looking for ways to continuously improve how we support our customers," Dold said.
For example, Tieszen recently shifted how Midco onboards new members to the Customer Care team by designating a specific manager to work with them. That's already shown "tremendous results," Dold said.
How Midco customer service hits different
Midco's award-winning Customer Care team focuses on meeting the customer where they're at, which means people can reach out online, via text, calls, Facebook messages, wherever they need.
In addition to being an all-local team, Midco also focuses on getting the customers the right solution the first time they reach out.
"We're not trying to herd customers like cattle," Tieszen said. "Yes, we want to be quick and efficient, but we would rather take a little bit more time than having our team feeling rushed to get to the next person."
Midco also has its "surprise and delight" initiative where Customer Care team members can find small ways to go above and beyond.
- For example, one customer recently celebrated her 88th birthday. The Customer Care team collaborated with field operations to deliver birthday flowers.
"It speaks to the culture of caring for our people," Tieszen said. "It helps our customers feel like we're local people just like you. We live in your community, and we're here to support you."
To learn more about Midco and the services they provide, visit Midco.com.
