We sat down with Leanne Ross, Atlas McNeil Healthcare's Customer Service Manager, to gain some valuable insights into the world of customer service. With years of experience leading the team and helping customers resolve their challenges, Leanne offers a unique view on what it means to support her customers and the goals she has this year in customer service.
What is your career background that makes you so suited to being an Atlas McNeil healthcare specialist?
My background is in customer focused roles particularly in delivering the end product to a customer. I started when it was Atlas Healthcare, and we only had two people working in customer service. It was a small business. The owner of the business helped deliver the goods and pick the large orders. Today it’s a company that delivers nationally, with warehouses across Australia, and can no longer divert the phones while we have lunch. With almost 18 years of experience, I understand our customers and continually keep up to date with the innovation that occurs in the healthcare industry. Having started when the business was small and seeing its growth, I’ve been able to grow with the company making me a specialist in this space.
Tell us about your role with Atlas McNeil Healthcare?
My role at Atlas McNeil Healthcare (AMH) is to manage our Customer Service Teams based out of Adelaide Airport and our Retail Store. My expertise is with working with staff to provide a uniform approach in solving day to day issues and getting the best outcome for our customer who range from a small client, in their home to a larger corporate client and even those standing in our retail store. I also process the orders alongside the team, so I understand the day to day to day needs of our customers.
What most do you like about your role and why?
While my role involves a lot of things I enjoy most the problem-solving aspect and the opportunity to help people. Problem-solving in customer service is nothing short of a challenge and no 2 days are the same. At AMH we like to focus a lot on providing a service and really leaning into the care in healthcare. We have a lot of customers who need help with simple things or navigating the website and I enjoy being able to assist them and sometimes just listen and learn more about the people we service. I enjoy that I have been able to do something that perhaps other businesses haven’t been able to.
When you started with AMH what most surprised you?
When I first joined the business, I was surprised that my bosses were able to do my job, they could answer phones they could key the orders, they could do the job from end to end. This was a welcome surprise but as AMH has grown over the years, this of course isn’t possible anymore; with the specialty services we provide and auditing processes.
What are some of the challenges the market is facing?
I think trying to keep up with what other businesses can offer electronically. With the continued issues in labour shortages across the healthcare industry, this is becoming more and more important for our customers who look for convenience in a supplier. The websites are just continually evolving and getting better and better; customers are sitting at home on their lounge web surfing, and they want to be able to see pictures, get a quote, have tracking and send an invoice to several people. These demands change daily. Corporate customers want to be able to see the back orders, the ETA and the PODs, often not wanting to call customer service for the help they may need. However, we can offer the best online support and expertise, knowing our websites like the back of our hand, which some customers may not think about.
What are your main priorities for 2025?
As Customer Service Manager for not only our team at Adelaide Airport but also the AMH retail store, staff training is always at the forefront of my goals each year. Making sure my staff are up to date with product knowledge and our online ordering systems as they are the first point of contact for our customers and as the experts in AMH’s offerings, is essential to the training I manage.
What do you expect the big industry trends to be of 2025?
I believe there will be an increase in nursing at home with more people preferring to age in place rather than move to a nursing home. Product innovations may also play a key role in assisting home care providers, with a shift towards packaging being more user-friendly. There should be a focus on designing packaging that is easy to use for consumers of all ages, especially older adults. Packaging may also become more accessible, with clearer instructions in layman's terms, larger text, and icons that make it easier for people to understand.
What’s the biggest challenge facing the customers in the industry?
Staff turnover seems to be a real issue. We are receiving more calls from new staff who aren’t aware of the processes or what we offer. My team and the sales team then need to spend more time educating and rebuilding those relationships with our customers.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned over the past 12-18 months?
Allow people to tell you their story. They feel heard. We are a company that not only aims to offer healthcare products, but we genuinely care about helping our customers, so developing those relationships.
