Get To Know: Jo-Lynn Jackson
March 3, 2023
The friendly voice you hear belongs to an even friendlier person.
And her name is Jo-Lynn.
If you’ve ever called Hydro’s toll-free number, there’s a chance you’ve talked to Jo-Lynn Jackson, one of Hydro’s outstanding Customer Service Representatives (CSR). In addition to being one of the kindest, most caring people we know, she’s an expert at helping customers every single day—and the best person to give you an inside look at life as a Hydro CSR.
How I got started in customer service:
I’ve been working in customer service for a long time—about 16 years! Six years ago, I saw an opportunity to join Hydro, and instantly knew it was exactly the kind of role and organization I was interested in.
What attracts me to customer service:
I love helping our customers. It’s always interesting—there’s always something new and something to learn. While it can be challenging at times, it’s what makes the job so interesting and fulfilling.
What qualities makes a good customer service representative:
First, to be a good listener. It’s so important to hear and understand people. What do they need? What are they looking for? How can we help? And when we finish the call, are they satisfied? We want our customers to be happy.
Second, understanding and empathy. You need to be able to put yourself on the other end of the phone and have a good understanding of the person’s needs. A little empathy can go a long way.
Third, patience. As a CSR, you’re always dealing with several issues and customers at once. For example, you might be fielding calls from customers about a program, their bill, to request new services, or to set up e-billing while there are unrelated power outages in different parts of the province. The important thing is to focus on the customer’s needs.
The main “mission” of Hydro’s Customer Service team:
To assist our customers as much as we can. People are counting on us to do our best for them and go the extra mile when necessary. We want our customers to be satisfied and know we value and care about them.
What the Hydro CSRs are responsible for each day:
We’re the front line. From calls about outages, new connections and transferring service when they move, bill payments, requests to trim trees close to power lines, applying for energy efficiency rebate programs, to scheduling disconnects and reconnects when replacing home meters —we get it all. And while we may not have all the information on hand, it’s our job to follow up and dig, if necessary, to get answers.
What’s most rewarding about the job:
When a customer is happy. It’s all about caring. It’s all about the customers and doing your best to help them when you take that call. That’s what we strive for and that’s what makes it rewarding for me.