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At SDI, our commitment to excellence includes recruiting outstanding professionals. This year, we welcomed Kylie Hamilton as our new Head of Training & Development. Since joining, she has quickly become an invaluable team member, bringing fresh perspectives and expertise to our training programs.
One of Kylie’s recent achievements includes passing the ITIL 4 Foundation exam with a perfect score of 40/40, thanks to SDI’s exceptional training led by John Noctor. Kylie highly recommends Claire Agutter’s “ITIL® Foundation Essentials ITIL®4 Edition” as an excellent revision guide for anyone preparing for the exam.
In this blog, we’re excited to share an exclusive interview with Kylie, offering insights into her career journey and the valuable lessons she has gained along the way.
But before we dive into the interview, let’s introduce our latest training offering, led by Kylie herself.
Introducing “Think Customer” Course: A Game-Changer in Customer Interaction
If you’re looking to elevate your customer service skills and master customer interaction, our “Think Customer” training course is just what you need. This course is designed to tackle the common challenges faced in customer service and empower you to deliver exceptional support.
What You Will Learn
By enrolling in the Think Customer course, you will:
✅ Develop a deeper understanding of your customer’s needs and expectations. Learn how to use your communication skills to interact with your customers and drive to create a customer-focused mindset.
✅ Learn about customer conditions, personas, and profiles. Develop strategies for tailoring your communication to different types of customer interactions. These elements will ensure that you and your Service Desk focus on continual improvement in all customer interactions.
✅ Review different interactions and identify improvement areas. Gain the ability to self-assess your skills and interactions and identify development opportunities for both yourself and your Service Desk team.
“This has been a very valuable training that has allowed me to interact with other like-minded people who are in similar work positions to me. The course was interesting and enjoyable.”
– Course Attendee
Overcoming Common Customer Service Challenges
⚡ This course can also help you overcome some common challenges, such as:
🔹Handling different customer conditions to improve customer experience.
🔹Learn how to identify different customer conditions, adapt, and use your communication skills to meet the unique needs of different customers. Ensuring every interaction results in a positive experience.
🔹Defining customer personas, profiles, and roles. Learn how to profile customers, identify their pain points, values, and goals and communicate effectively to build rapport.
🔹Assisting customers to effectively meet their needs. Explore the key responsibilities of the Service Desk in meeting customer expectations and how to consistently deliver value.
Why “Think Customer” is Right for You
⚡ By taking part in this course, you will gain valuable knowledge and develop some essential skills:
🔹Master customer interaction: Master the art of clear, empathetic customer communication.
🔹Improve problem-solving techniques tailored to customer needs: Learn how to resolve customer issues quickly and effectively.
🔹Better manage customer expectations: Gain insights into what customers want and how to exceed their expectations.
🔹Develop customer service culture and service attitude: Understand what it means to have a Customer Service Culture embedded in the Service Desk and how a Service Attitude is critical to its success.
🔹Quality and interaction management: Investigate quality assurance and interaction management and learn how we can use them to improve customer satisfaction, employee development and the overall reputation of the Service Desk.
Interview with Kylie Hamilton: Insights from Our Head of Training
Now, let’s get to know Kylie a little better and explore the career wisdom she has gathered along the way.
Q: What is your current role in SDI?
Kylie: Head of Training and Development. My role involves delivering the SDI portfolio to delegates, designing and executing the training strategy, and owning the professional standards for SDA, SDM, and course materials. Another key part of my role is researching and developing new training products and services and ensuring that current products are up-to-date and reflect industry trends.
Q: What inspired you to enter the IT industry?
Kylie: I had done GCSE and A-level ICT at school, and it’s always something I’ve been interested in. I had been waiting for the new university term to start in September after withdrawing from my previous course and applied for a company hiring for an SDA role.
I enjoyed it so much that when the new term started, I stayed with the company as I was really settled into the role and knew that IT was a great opportunity to progress and build a good career. It was a great decision as I was with the company for almost 16 years and was able to develop and progress to a Service Desk Manager role.
Q: What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Kylie: As an SDM, one of the challenges I faced was encouraging teams to adapt to change, whether it was a new process, tool or a change in policy. In some instances, this may have been met with resistance or unwillingness due to uncertainty of the outcomes.
To make sure there was a smooth transition, and everyone was on board with the changes, I implemented a change management process that included a clear communication plan along with training (if required). One of the key things I noticed was that people wanted to know the ‘why’ behind a change. So, there was always full transparency about why the change was being implemented, what we wanted to achieve, and how it would benefit the employees. If possible, I involved employees in the planning of changes and early discussions to encourage them to be bought-into the change, ask questions, and raise concerns.
Q: How do you stay inspired in a constantly evolving industry?
Kylie: Embracing change is key. I view it as an opportunity for growth and new experiences. Part of my role is researching new trends and technologies for new products and updating existing materials, so I like to explore what’s new and keep up to date with industry news.
I enjoy reading in my spare time, and my book collection has expanded. I stay informed by reading books and articles on topics like Emotional Intelligence, AI, and Psychological Safety. It’s crucial to keep learning and adapting to new trends.
Q: What advice would you give to someone starting their career in ITSM?
Kylie: Understand your business and how IT aligns with and supports the strategic direction of the company. From there, you can understand how you are delivering value to the business and your customers. Never stop learning. IT and ITSM are constantly changing, so stay curious and keep developing your skills. Certifications and training like SDA, SDM, and ITIL are great for advancing your knowledge, helping you understand best practices and standards, and helping you gain a globally recognised certification.
Quick-fire questions
Here’s a glimpse into what motivates Kylie and the wisdom she’s gathered over the years.
✨ Favourite inspirational quote: ‘This too shall pass’
A quote I frequently reference during my training classes, especially when discussing mental health and resilience. It’s a reminder that everything is temporary, both good times and bad. In good times, take in the moment, focus on the positives, and enjoy it. In difficult or bad times, things will get better, and it is only temporary.
🌴Perfect holiday: Greece!
I love Greece! I’ve been a few times and would love to visit all the islands. I spent five days in Santorini and would go back tomorrow; the food was amazing, and the local people were so friendly. If there were no limitations, I’d love to travel to Australia or Canada for a few months.
💡The best advice I ever received: Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”
Say I don’t know when you don’t know or admit when you’ve made a mistake. Nobody knows everything, and anyone can make a mistake. It’s an opportunity to gain more knowledge, hold yourself accountable and rectify your mistakes. Anytime I’ve started a new role within my career path, I’ve made the most of this advice and asked loads of questions to gain more exposure and knowledge.
⚡Advice you like to give others
Take advantage of any opportunities available that will enable you to meet your goals (whether professional or personal)—look for training courses, workshops, and books. Find a mentor or someone with experience and expertise to support you. Apply what you have learned and put it into practice as soon as possible.
Every bit of progress is a step towards meeting your goals.
Why You Should Enrol in “Think Customer”
“I feel the areas covered in the course today can assist from a service perspective but also help build capability across the desk.”
– Course Attendee
This course is perfect for front-line IT Service and Support Analysts within a Service Desk environment. It contains everything you need to equip analysts with the knowledge to deliver a brilliant customer experience. It equips you with practical skills to improve your customer interactions and builds upon the Service Desk Analyst (SDA) Professional Standard.
Whether you want to develop your communication techniques or deepen your understanding of customer profiles, “Think Customer” is the perfect tool to elevate your performance and service delivery.
➡️ Don’t miss out on the opportunity to elevate your customer engagement! Secure your place in the ‘Think Customer’ course today!
