Amit Shethia: Bringing Customers To The Center Of Everything
Amit Shethia
Chief Customer Officer
Right from faster installation to seamless connectivity, 24x7 `effective' customer support, and providing easier payment options, subscribers' expectations today boast extremely high standards. In fact, we owe thanks to a bunch of leaders like Amit Shethia, the current Chief Customer Officer of GTPL Hathway Ltd one of the largest digital Cable TV and private Wireline Broad band service providers in the country, for setting such elevated customer experience standards in the industry. With more than two decades of experience in the telecom industry, Amit today continues to set and reset quality benchmarks in customer service paradigms. CEOinsights engages in an exclusive interview with this award winning customer experience maestro to explore more about Amit's journey.
What was the inspiration that guided you to kickstart your professional journey in the Telecom realm?
I originally started my career 28 years ago with an Air Conditioning company called ‘Amtrex Appliances' (now Hitachi Air conditioners). During 1997-98, when Birla AT&T Communications was establishing their Customer Convenience Centers & Back Offices all across Gujarat, I was in charge of designing the airconditioning system for their Baroda office. When I connected
with their team and understood how they are planning for the market entry and how their product is going to revolutionize the communication industry, it was inspiring enough to make a career change to the telecom industry.
Once I joined the company, there were a plethora of roles which opened out. I started from Channel Sales, became a branch Manager, and hence was looking after Direct Sales Team, Corporate Sale Team, PCO Team, Prepaid Team and Customer Service. Once the learning journey started, then sticking on to it was natural. The growth of the company led to growth of the individual in the company.
With more than two decades of experience in the Telecom industry, you are setting new customer service models in the domain that elevate the service standards in the industry at large. What has been that X Factor that escalated you to this level?
There may not be any X factor, but I believe few principles have helped me reach where I am today. This includes taking complete accountability & responsibility for my team's actions, challenging my own limits as well as the team’s working with enterprising people who challenge you, and always connecting with customers through VOC who are the best judge of your products, processes and policies. Moreover, I always trust my team and bet on them to deliver. Additionally, being an engineer also helped me to look at everything in detail, evaluate data, develop processes & build governance. Finally, keeping things simple is the aim.
How would you define GTPL Hathway as an organization? How is it positioned in the industry?
GTPL Hathway Limited is the second largest MSO in India providing Digital Cable TV and the sixth largest Private Wireline Broadband service provider in India. We are the number one Cable TV Provider in Gujarat & number two Cable TV provider in West Bengal. Our PAN India digital cable television services now caters in 1,000 plus towns across Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Goa, Bihar, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Jharkhand, Telangana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu. As on September30,2021, we have approximately 7.35 million
Once I joined the company, there were a plethora of roles which opened out. I started from Channel Sales, became a branch Manager, and hence was looking after Direct Sales Team, Corporate Sale Team, PCO Team, Prepaid Team and Customer Service. Once the learning journey started, then sticking on to it was natural. The growth of the company led to growth of the individual in the company.
Every complaint is an opportunity to delight our customer
With more than two decades of experience in the Telecom industry, you are setting new customer service models in the domain that elevate the service standards in the industry at large. What has been that X Factor that escalated you to this level?
There may not be any X factor, but I believe few principles have helped me reach where I am today. This includes taking complete accountability & responsibility for my team's actions, challenging my own limits as well as the team’s working with enterprising people who challenge you, and always connecting with customers through VOC who are the best judge of your products, processes and policies. Moreover, I always trust my team and bet on them to deliver. Additionally, being an engineer also helped me to look at everything in detail, evaluate data, develop processes & build governance. Finally, keeping things simple is the aim.
How would you define GTPL Hathway as an organization? How is it positioned in the industry?
GTPL Hathway Limited is the second largest MSO in India providing Digital Cable TV and the sixth largest Private Wireline Broadband service provider in India. We are the number one Cable TV Provider in Gujarat & number two Cable TV provider in West Bengal. Our PAN India digital cable television services now caters in 1,000 plus towns across Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Goa, Bihar, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Jharkhand, Telangana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu. As on September30,2021, we have approximately 7.35 million
paying subscribers for Cable TV and 7,35,000 Broadband Subscribers with a home pass of about 4.20 million.
It's been only a few months since you joined the company. What is the kind of role that you are looking forward to playing in GTPL?
It was by mid-2020 the GTPL Management realized and decided to carve out a role for a CCO, which was in line with the customer growth as well as a customer management strategy to bring in customer life cycle management.
We picked up piece by piece, i.e. building a robust Customer Service Structure, including an IVR system, Social Media, Website, and many more to respond to customers through all the possible channels with an improved turnaround time. From building a voice of the customer (VOC) system & redrafting processes based on that to getting CSAT surveys, and pulling in the best resource from the industry, and much more we have completely revamped the customer experience.
The liberty provided by our MD Shri Aniruddhsinh Jadeja and the management to experiment on various customer processes and touch points was something that smoothened and fast paced the process. Although we have not reached the targeted levels yet, we are in the right direction to reach our destination of customer satisfaction.
Going forward, what are your goals and how do you plan to execute them?
Technology integration, linking performance evaluation with customer service, and building sensitivity towards customers as a culture at all levels within the company are some of the goals planned. Our technology integration journey has already started, which is building complaint resolution account ability to the last mile. We are building first level resolution availability at the Call Centre and the complex technical problems can be solved without engineers visiting the customer's location. We are on an amazing journey, and it's a sure bet that everybody's focus on Customer Service and Retention will bring in the right process, attitude and culture in the organization at every level.
Amit Shethia, Chief Customer Officer, GTPL Hathway
A natural people's person, Amit holds more than two decades of experience in the telecom industry and listens to customer feedback, which helps him formulate customer & employee friendly processes & policies.
It's been only a few months since you joined the company. What is the kind of role that you are looking forward to playing in GTPL?
It was by mid-2020 the GTPL Management realized and decided to carve out a role for a CCO, which was in line with the customer growth as well as a customer management strategy to bring in customer life cycle management.
We picked up piece by piece, i.e. building a robust Customer Service Structure, including an IVR system, Social Media, Website, and many more to respond to customers through all the possible channels with an improved turnaround time. From building a voice of the customer (VOC) system & redrafting processes based on that to getting CSAT surveys, and pulling in the best resource from the industry, and much more we have completely revamped the customer experience.
The liberty provided by our MD Shri Aniruddhsinh Jadeja and the management to experiment on various customer processes and touch points was something that smoothened and fast paced the process. Although we have not reached the targeted levels yet, we are in the right direction to reach our destination of customer satisfaction.
Going forward, what are your goals and how do you plan to execute them?
Technology integration, linking performance evaluation with customer service, and building sensitivity towards customers as a culture at all levels within the company are some of the goals planned. Our technology integration journey has already started, which is building complaint resolution account ability to the last mile. We are building first level resolution availability at the Call Centre and the complex technical problems can be solved without engineers visiting the customer's location. We are on an amazing journey, and it's a sure bet that everybody's focus on Customer Service and Retention will bring in the right process, attitude and culture in the organization at every level.
Amit Shethia, Chief Customer Officer, GTPL Hathway
A natural people's person, Amit holds more than two decades of experience in the telecom industry and listens to customer feedback, which helps him formulate customer & employee friendly processes & policies.