Interim Management

When the cat’s away… I’ll take care of your customer contact team.

The Caring Company klantcontactsttrategie (12) (1)

Are you in need of temporary leadership for your customer contact team?

It can suddenly happen.Maternity leave, (un) expected goodbyes, long-term absence, or you just haven’t found the right person to fulfill the Head of Customer Contact role.

You suddenly realize that you won’t have a manager for your customer contact department in the upcoming period. As the (final) responsible person of a customer contact department, you know how important it is to have the right knowledge and expertise in this position. Operating without a manager is not an option, as the team will not function or develop sufficiently.

That’s why you see this temporary absence as an opportunity to implement improvements. A fresh and critical look at the processes. Or a new approach to old problems. You’re looking for a professional who can hit the ground running and start working for you immediately. Someone who helps you to sustainably improve and manage your customer service, within a few months.

That’s what I’m here to help you with.

I want that!

What would it mean for you and your team if you...

✔︎ Being able to ensure continuity for the team during the temporary absence of the manager?
✔︎ ✔︎ At the same time, you can work on sustainable and structural improvements to the team?
✔︎ Increase customer satisfaction by eliminating unnecessary contact moments between the customer and your organizati

I help you by temporarily managing the customer contact team and implementing sustainable improvements within a few months.

Wout Hut (COO Budget Thuis) about the collaboration with Cynthia

Wout Hut (COO Budget Thuis) asked Cynthia to cover a maternity leave internally. In this article, Wout discusses how he experienced this period and the value Cynthia added to Budget Thuis' customer contact center.

Continue to customer story

Hi! I am Cynthia: expert in leadership of customer contact teams.

Since 2006, I have helped several national and international million-dollar companies to improve their customer contact departments. Brands I have worked with, include: Flinndal, MessageBird, NMBRS, BESTSELLER, Talpa Network, Budget Thuis, and enviolo. I have implemented several changes in the areas of leadership, team dynamics, processes, and ways of working.

In 2021, the Customer Contact Management Association (CCMA) awarded me Manager of the Year.

In late 2022, I founded The Caring Company and have been advising companies to make sustainable changes to improve their customer contact teams.

Let's get in touch!

Committed and accessible

I am highly accessible and committed to getting the best out of your team.

17+ years of experience

In improving customer contact teams in terms of leadership, team dynamics, processes and practices.

Manager of the year

In 2021, the Customer Contact Management Association (CCMA) awarded me Manager of the Year.

Interim Management

What can you expect from our collaboration?

People

Working in customer contact means working with people, through people, for people. A successful leader understands what motivates or discourages people. I am a people-oriented leader who enjoys challenging and motivating my team, advocating autonomy. I am visible, approachable, and present - both from home and in the office.

Processes

Customers and employees benefit from clear and efficient processes that make everyone's lives easier. I enjoy identifying inefficiencies and designing solutions that can be easily implemented. I also provide clear business cases that weigh the pros and cons, making it easy for you to gain support within the organization.

Pennies

Nobody likes to waste money. Whether it's investing in an interim manager or demonstrating the value of the work your customer contact team performs, by making it visible. I help you save money by improving your team and optimizing processes.

What do others think of The Caring Company?

From February to November 2023, Cynthia served as the Operational Manager Telecom for Budget Thuis, covering maternity leave replacement. In this role, she was responsible for all customer service activities related to our products, including All-in-1 and Mobile services. Some of these tasks involved collaboration with partners for both customer service and technician activities.

Working with Cynthia was a pleasant experience. She has a keen understanding of the bigger picture and effectively translates it into the details of daily operations. Cynthia excels at setting priorities for both the team and herself, making her highly effective in her role. She communicates well with diverse audiences and serves as a valuable collaborator for team leaders, fellow management team members, other colleagues, partners, and executives. She is proactive, stays attuned to market developments, and effectively conveys her insights. Cynthia's excellent PowerPoint skills are applied strategically, effectively inspiring and engaging groups.

In summary, it was a very positive and successful collaboration, and I look forward to the possibility of working together again in the future!

Wout hutCOO @ Budget at Home

I have come to know Cynthia as an innovator in the support industry. She is very informed, well read and passionate about all new trends and opportunities the support landscape has to offer Never afraid to try something new or different if the standard road doesn't work.

Working together with Cynthia is a great experience. She is generous with her knowledge, unafraid to share her valuable opinions, and makes herself available so that you can set and achieve goals together.."

Mariël Dommeringfounder @ locus quest

"Cynthia and I worked for over 2.5 years together managing different teams in a e-commerce environment. Customer first thinking and customer centric acting should be Cynthia's middle names. She not only puts the customer at the heart of the operation, but also has a true and genuine heart and feel for them Real customer CARE personified!

I've personally witnessed her strong people leadership and captivating presentation skills. Besides that Cynthia is a committed, caring colleague and great person to interact with and bounce ideas off A true pro I highly recommend and would love to work again with one day.."

kevin van den boschformer Commercial Director @ Talpa eCommerce

Optimizing customer contact is practically Cynthia's middle name She has a tremendous amount of knowledge and is highly professional. Moreover, she is very punctual and reliable. With Cynthia, you know that a commitment is a commitment. Additionally, she is very friendly and pleasant to work with. I genuinely enjoyed working with Cynthia. 🙂 🙂

If you want the customer contact within your business to reach the next level, I wholeheartedly recommend Cynthia without a doubt."

Jody aschoffowner @ one stop studi-jo

I had the privilege of working with Cynthia for over 2 years. Starting from a customer care agent role, I progressed to a team leader position under her management. She always had confidence in me and expressed it openly.

Cynthia knows how to strike a good balance between positive feedback and addressing areas for improvement. She guided me when necessary and allowed me to learn on my own. I always found it a pleasant and positive experience.

tim ettemateam lead @ talpa e-commerce

It's been several years since we worked together, but Cynthia is an absolute authority on customer service and leadership. Under her supervision, there was always a good ambiance within our team, The noses were always in the same direction and there was never any hostility, competition, or other forms of tension in the workplace. But at the same time, she managed to give her team members the confidence and autonomy to carry out their work in their own way. To this day, I still use techniques in my own work, which are inspired by Cynthia's leadership methods.

Jeroen Kuypershybrid manager

I have had the privilege of collaborating with Cynthia at three different companies. The 9 years we worked together have always been an incredibly pleasant and educational experience for me. Each time, Cynthia has consistently amazed me with her knowledge of Customer Care, her drive for innovation, and her ability to foster growth and development within her team.

Wouter van der Sneeteam lead @ talpa e-commerce

"I worked with Cynthia at BESTSELLER supporting her with People related matters Cynthia has a talent in seeing what her colleagues need, and when they need it, while always taking a fair approach.

She was always on top of the people processes and wasn't scared to ask for support in time. She had a proactive approach to people management which was highly appreciated from the People team

emelie ahlströmpeople business partner @ catawiki

I worked with Cynthia in the board of the KLIN foundation. She turned out to be a highly effective colleague. Cynthia is very efficient and highly intelligent, she brings a lot of original ideas and energy and is a great team player. It really is a pleasure to work with her.

wim boonstraformer chief economist@ rabo research

I have had the pleasure of working with Cynthia at Talpa E Commerce. I have always experienced our collaboration as very pleasant, and I have learned a lot from her. Cynthia is always up-to-date with the latest developments in customer contact and is not afraid to try or share new things. What I really appreciate about Cynthia is that she always seeks improvement and continues to motivate our team.

nickey meerhoffteam lead customer services@ seb professional

What are the results of Interim Management?

✔︎ At the end of the Interim Management trajectory, you have a satisfied and healthy customer contact team.
✔︎ Additionally, you receive concrete recommendations to improve your customer contact team even more;
✔︎ At least one recommendation has been implemented in the customer contact operation.
✔︎ You can achieve concrete improvements in customer satisfaction, turnover, absenteeism, and costs related to your customer contact team.
✔︎ You have tools and insights to lead your customer content team forward in success;

Cynthia Mak The Caring Company (1)

Do you want to improve your team, but you lack the expertise and experience in-house to solve the bottlenecks?

✔︎ In 3-6 months, continuity and optimization for your customer contact team.

✔︎ Hybrid support, both from your location and remote;

✔︎ Always customized, always transparent about investment and results

✔︎ Aftercare: After the assignment, I will be available for your organization for 45 minutes per week for months for sparring, coaching, or mentoring.

Let's talk about your challenges!

Frequently Asked Questions

Interim management is customized, so you will receive a tailored quote once the duration and scope of the assignment are clear.

This depends on when you expect to have a permanent replacement for the position. The starting point for interim management is a duration of 3-6 months.

I help you in two ways: with continuity and optimization. Continuity is crucial for the team, especially in turbulent times when the manager is absent. At the same time, my temporary presence offers a unique opportunity to implement optimizations. For example, in processes, tools, employee development, or collaboration with other departments.

At the start of the Consultancy Program, we determine the desired goals so that you have clear advice and practical steps to achieve the desired result at the end of the process.
I base my advice not only on my expertise and experience, but also on an extensive network of experts whose knowledge and skills I can use to achieve the set result. In addition, in the three months following the delivery of the Advisory Report, you can continue to book weekly 45-minute calls for questions, sparring, coaching, or mentoring to ensure the outcome of the process.

During the interim trajectory, I gather all the recommendations I have for you to continue improving your team. Throughout the trajectory, I implement at least one recommendation. The rest I provide to you.

We have solutions for that, too! There are changes that I can implement for you myself, in a consultancy program. For example, when it comes to process changes within the department. Is external help needed, for example, from outside the team or the company? Then I can help by leading or directing the process Or by finding the right specific expertise within my broad network.

I can manage various types of departments. For example, customer contact departments with employees who are in-house or partially outsourced. The size of the team doesn’t matter. I have expertise with in-house as well as outsourced and offshored teams, both B2B and B2C, across start-ups, scale-ups, multinationals, and national and international teams. Still have questions if your specific situation applies? Book a free match call and we’ll discuss your situation!

You can use in this call in several ways. For example, to spar, ask for brief advice, or present a case. I can read along with vacancy texts. But you can also use this call as coaching for managers or employees in the team.

You can use it according to your needs. Three times fifteen minutes? An hour and a half every other week? Or do you prefer a workshop or training? We’ll make sure to tailor it to your needs.

You can also opt for a training or a workshop, according to your needs If you choose to leave After Care out of the Consultancy Program, I will adjust this in the quotation.

During the introductory meeting, we’ll determine which goals you want to achieve. Based on that, I can indicate what input is expected from you. I will bring my own laptop, so please don’t worry about that for me.

I can work at your location or from my own office. This is done in consultation and depends on what is needed to optimally manage the team. Special requests regarding location (within the Netherlands or worldwide) That’s not a problem at all; we’ll discuss this before starting the assignment.

Book your match-call