Victoria, introducing the team, says “The Business Accounts Team is a dual-role function which provides account management for our SME clients and generates new business opportunities to Yodel. The team is made up of three account managers, Georgina Turton who comes from a parcels background, Faye Massie who specialises in eCommerce solutions and Laura Freeman who has previously worked in partnership and business development roles. A big part of my role is to support the team daily to build solutions for potential new clients and nurturing lasting relationships with our client base. ‘When Mike Antwoon, Commercial Director, and I took over the team back in February, we had a clear vision for the team and where we are heading. We wanted to leverage the incredible assets we had in MI reporting systems, our eRin customer service platform and our industry-leading transport portal Solo to create more bandwidth for the team. By undertaking a client-level temperature check we were able to quickly get our key contacts up and running on our systems, empowering them to self-serve and gain invaluable insight into service performance, parcel whereabouts and the ability to regain control of their operational solution. ‘The aim of this practice was to embed these systems into clients’ day-to-day analysis and provide complete transparency. This also allowed the team to focus on strategic planning with clients and grow the partnership. The team have also had great success over the last four months generating new business opportunities, bringing on fantastic brands’.
Georgina, who’s been in the role for two years discussed her biggest success to date, the positive changes that have occurred during her time with Yodel. ‘My biggest achievement at Yodel so far has to be the partnership with The Cornish Company, who are a fantastic client for us to work so closely with. Plus, it’s always a positive when a pasty or cream tea is involved! ‘Onboarding with Yodel from a client perspective is as seamless as it can be, with each department coming together to make it a smooth transition from current incumbent to a Yodel Business Account. The time it takes to complete a transition depends on the client and how quickly they would like to move forward while ensuring we mitigate as many teething issues as possible. ‘Overall, we have seen many examples of clients who we have welcomed into the Business Account team who have then stepped into our wider commercial portfolio, particularly when volumes increase and their business grows.”
Faye Massie, who joined the team in 2023, discussed the benefits of day-to-day client management, stating: ‘The biggest issue faced by many businesses is not having a real person to speak to when they need help. We pride ourselves on having a strong partnership with our clients which means they can reach out to us relating to any queries and be reassured that someone is listening and going to get them support or advice they need. ‘This role in particular has taught me the importance of the bigger picture, there are so many different functions keeping Yodel running all of the time. From our transport and operations teams to admin, IT and legal everyone has a part to play in keeping our clients’ parcels moving so communication with everyone is absolutely vital to keeps things running smoothly.”
Laura Freeman, who was recruited just recently, adds, ‘the first few months in the role have been incredibly dynamic and fulfilling, the learning curve has been steep but rewarding so far. ‘Everyone has been approachable and willing to share their Yodel experience and expertise, which has greatly eased my transition into the role. ‘The variety of challenges and opportunities it presents. Every day brings new tasks and learning experiences. Additionally working closely with clients and seeing the tangible impact of Yodel’s efforts on their business success is incredibly rewarding.’
