Scalability. Flexibility. Resilience.
All of these are reasons why leading companies are looking to Directly and the gig economy to help reboot how they deliver customer service — especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we’ve written recently, there’s good reason for companies to tap crowd workers — and their talent and specialized expertise — for augmenting the growing demands on today’s contact center.
We’ve also talked a lot about trust. Businesses must trust network experts in order to allow them to engage with their most valuable asset — their customers. That trust, as we wrote, is largely driven by the performance of our expert network and how our team and platform helps ensure quality customer service.
But there’s one more thing we haven’t highlighted enough: passion. Our experts love the products they use. Passion is what drives our experts to continue to develop their expertise. (After all, when was the last time you became an expert at something without being passionate about it?)
And passion is also what motivates our experts to share their knowledge with fellow users. It certainly helps that we reward experts for great customer service. However, our experts aren’t solely doing this to earn money. Representing the products and services they love, while helping others is a passion project.
If you haven’t had the chance before, we urge you to take a look at our series of profiles about Directly experts. Each of them offer a wealth of expertise that’s hard to find in a BPO or outsourced call center. And they all are brimming with passion. But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what our experts have to say:
Chris Cowgill, Autodesk expert
At an age when most teens prefer to spend their free time watching TV and hanging out at the mall, Chris Cowgill was busy learning Autodesk.
“I first started using Autodesk products when I was in high school,” Chris said. “As I went to each job that I’ve had since high school, I continuously learned more about Autodesk. I continued reading through the books, going through the help files, trying to learn everything I could.”
That passion for learning would continue to grow over the course of his life, from those early days in the computer lab to a nearly 20-year career as a civil engineer. Chris now oversees Autodesk training programs for his entire company. He also shares his practical knowledge of Autodesk with others as an expert on Directly’s platform.
The best thing about being an expert, he says, is getting the chance to save others from having to do things the hard way. “If people are happy and they’re to the point where they’re saying, ‘We got our answers right away. It was straight to the point. There was no going around in circles’ — that makes me happy.”
Read more about Chris’s work for Autodesk
Diane Poremsky, Microsoft Office expert
Diane Poremsky has been using Microsoft Office since it was introduced in the late 1990s. Diane became an official Microsoft Outlook MVP in 1999. The following year, she took her work to the next level, becoming the founder and CEO of CDOLive, a company offering consulting, private tutoring, and IT services for Microsoft Office.
In the years to follow, Diane would go on to author three books about Microsoft Office, and another three books on Microsoft Outlook. Now she shares her insight, experience, and knowledge as a Microsoft expert through Directly’s platform.
“It’s great that my answers and my knowledge are helping other customers,” Diane says. “It feels great to be part of the solution for Microsoft — to help them power support and help them improve support for their users.”
Read more about Diane’s work for Microsoft Office
Erica Jeffrey, Airbnb expert
Chickens with fresh eggs and apples may not be what leads everyone to become an Airbnb Superhost, but they were for Erica Jeffrey, a part-time editor and teacher.
“I read a magazine about Airbnb when it was brand new,” says Erica. “Then one evening, we were in our cottage and I thought, ‘This would be a great Airbnb space.’ We have a couple of acres.”
The open space and rustic charm of a cottage is how Erica first became acquainted with Airbnb, but it took time to become a Superhost, she said. “It really takes time to learn the ins and outs.” Erica would eventually become among the first Airbnb Superhosts — and eventually an expert that helped provide customer service on Directly’s platform. As Airbnb evolves, she must continually learn and adapt, always striving to make her guests’ stay as memorable as possible, even if it means making some mistakes. For Erica, learning from those mistakes and sharing those insights make being an Airbnb Expert all the more fulfilling.
“I want everybody’s experience to be positive,” she says.
Read more about Erica’s work for Airbnb
Andre Da Costa, Microsoft Windows expert
Even though he didn’t own a computer, Andre Da Costa first began studying information technology while growing up on the island of Jamaica. Fortunately, his mother could clearly see young Andre’s growing passion for computers and technology and was able to find a used desktop PC for the family to share.
Before long, Andre was diving deep into learning Windows via Microsoft’s online community forums, building relationships with expert users who taught him the ins and outs of the classic Windows 9x operating systems.
“I realized that this was a passion for me—this was something that I really wanted to do,” he says. He’s officially been a Microsoft Windows Desktop MVP since 2010, and now serves as a Microsoft expert via Directly’s platform.
Read more about Andre’s work for Microsoft Windows
David Capp, Republic Wireless expert
An IT professional and a gadget guru, David Capp was an early adopter of Republic Wireless, and soon became one of the most active and knowledgeable members of the burgeoning community surrounding it.
“I got involved in the community learning about the phones and about their service,” he said, “and my involvement in that community is what led me to being an expert.”
He leverages years of product experience and technical know-how to help his fellow users get the most out of the service as a Republic Wireless expert via Directly.
“I really appreciate the brand and the products Republic Wireless provides,” David said. “It’s fun knowing that what I did helped somebody get through their challenge.”
Read more about David’s work with Republic Wireless
John Doyle, Nextdoor expert
During his 30 years with the U.S. Air Force, John Doyle had the opportunity to live in many diverse neighborhoods and communities. John joined Nextdoor because he wanted to get involved in his community. Within a few months, he found himself on the National Leads Forum, where he began to actively participate with the larger Nextdoor community and learn more about how Nextdoor works. Soon after, John became one of the top experts on the social networking site.
But John wanted to share his knowledge with others — which is why he was excited when he learned about Directly’s Expert program. As a Nextdoor Expert, he’s committed to helping others build and improve their communities.
“Throughout my life, I’ve always tried to help people figure out how to do things,” he said. “If I can help Nextdoor’s users improve the way they use Nextdoor, that’ll help Nextdoor be successful. And if Nextdoor is successful, then our neighborhood will be successful.”
Read more about John’s work for Nextdoor
Sheri Deburcheo, Ancestry expert
For nearly a decade, Sheri has served as a customer interaction analyst for a local media company and accessories retailer, where her skills have made her an invaluable member of the team. However, her passion is her family — which is what drew her to Ancestry.com. Sheri became so adept at using the Ancestry platform that friends started offering to pay her to look into their own family histories. Eventually, she became an Ancestry expert on Directly’s platform.
“Once I got started on Ancestry, looking into medical history, I noticed a lot of other really neat features,” she recalls. “I spent so much time on the site that I basically became a pro at it. … I absolutely love being an expert for Ancestry.”
Read more about Sheri’s work for Ancestry
Why Directly experts?
Directly delivers world-class customer service for leading Fortune 500 brands. Captive and outsourced contact center models increasingly can’t keep up with customer service demands, while self-service is only effective at deflecting simple contacts. With Directly, we help you troubleshoot a wide range of technical issues using on-demand experts and best-in-class AI technology. Customers like Microsoft, Samsung, and Airbnb partner with Directly to reduce contact center volume up to 40%, boost CSAT up to 20% and save millions per year. Contact us to set up a demo today.
