Kevin Barr
General Manager, Call Center Services
"Our clients' customers should feel as if each one is talking to the client's company—because they are. That's the 10,000 foot view of Call Center Services."
Call Center Services (CCS) General Manager Kevin Barr says the goal of his department is simple to describe. "We strive to be the virtual office for our client," says Kevin. "We are representatives of that company and we know, or should know their products and people as well as they do." Kevin is in charge of the growing CCS at Solid Cactus. He runs the show and sets the tone for their client list. The customer service reps (CSR's) answer client phones, perform customer service functions, generate revenue through up-selling and cross-selling and even handle the clients' live chat opportunities. "We have to know our clients if we're going to up-sell their products and answer live chat. We play a key role in our clients' business lives."
Kevin didn't actually begin using a computer until he was in college. "It was hands-on stuff," he recalls. "I just learned how to make it work enough to help me do things faster. I only know the bare necessities."
His experience in call center management, by contrast, seems almost written into his life plan. Kevin graduated with a degree in business and went right to work for a—you guessed it—call center company. "I've spent essentially my entire working career with call center companies or handling executive support within a company," he says. Kevin started as a CSR with Solid Cactus; then he handled some client accounts. Within six months, though he was put in charge of CCS. "If you're in my job you want one thing: client phone coverage 24/7/365. The trick is to build slowly and have great people answering every single phone. That takes time."
Kevin Barr is delighted to be at Solid Cactus. "The company, the people, the products and the clients are all great," he says. "I have no complaints, except for all the weight I've gained from the free food." Kevin says he also loves the company's open management style. "You're heard at Solid Cactus," he says. "They want to hear what you have to say. It's how we started Live Chat. At other companies, when you talk to management they say ‘good idea' and that's where it ends. Here, they follow up. It's cool!"
Going forward, Kevin wants to build on CCS's growth. "In the last 10 months our inbound business is up 400%," he says. "CCS is important to the company today. I want us to be even more important tomorrow."
Call Center Services (CCS) General Manager Kevin Barr says the goal of his department is simple to describe. "We strive to be the virtual office for our client," says Kevin. "We are representatives of that company and we know, or should know their products and people as well as they do." Kevin is in charge of the growing CCS at Solid Cactus. He runs the show and sets the tone for their client list. The customer service reps (CSR's) answer client phones, perform customer service functions, generate revenue through up-selling and cross-selling and even handle the clients' live chat opportunities. "We have to know our clients if we're going to up-sell their products and answer live chat. We play a key role in our clients' business lives."
Kevin didn't actually begin using a computer until he was in college. "It was hands-on stuff," he recalls. "I just learned how to make it work enough to help me do things faster. I only know the bare necessities."
His experience in call center management, by contrast, seems almost written into his life plan. Kevin graduated with a degree in business and went right to work for a—you guessed it—call center company. "I've spent essentially my entire working career with call center companies or handling executive support within a company," he says. Kevin started as a CSR with Solid Cactus; then he handled some client accounts. Within six months, though he was put in charge of CCS. "If you're in my job you want one thing: client phone coverage 24/7/365. The trick is to build slowly and have great people answering every single phone. That takes time."
Kevin Barr is delighted to be at Solid Cactus. "The company, the people, the products and the clients are all great," he says. "I have no complaints, except for all the weight I've gained from the free food." Kevin says he also loves the company's open management style. "You're heard at Solid Cactus," he says. "They want to hear what you have to say. It's how we started Live Chat. At other companies, when you talk to management they say ‘good idea' and that's where it ends. Here, they follow up. It's cool!"
Going forward, Kevin wants to build on CCS's growth. "In the last 10 months our inbound business is up 400%," he says. "CCS is important to the company today. I want us to be even more important tomorrow."
