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Imelda B. Watkins

Metro Atlanta, GA

www.linkedin.com/in/imeldawatkins/

acokxu@r.postjobfree.com

770-***-****

Areas of Expertise

Over 15 years of leadership within a Call Center Management environment. Extensive

experience in strategic planning, employee development, performance management, and

bottom-line results that are profit impacting. Self-starter and excellent multi-lingual

communicator with the ability to project and elicit interest, enthusiasm, and drive using a

combined leadership approach. High-energy, successful professional with over 20 years of

providing the highest level of customer service and integrity with customers, and within

internal groups.

Key Competencies

• Trained and educated in the human side of managing organizations, including

communication, group behavior, decision-making, human resource management,

and ethics

• Proven ability in hiring, training, developing, motivating, coaching, evaluating and

retaining qualified staff

• Trained and educated in building and motivating teams to exceed departmental

goals for call center standards, including average handling times, calls

answered/abandoned rates, customer satisfaction expectations, workforce and

schedule management adherence, and speeds to answer.

• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks, projects, and assignments simultaneously

• Skilled in the use of effective methods of alternative dispute resolution and

negotiation leadership skills

• Skilled in managing employee conflict to positive resolutions, utilizing standard labor

and human resource guidelines and practices

• Skilled in managing internal and external escalated issues and challenges to positive

resolution utilizing organizational standards and effective conflict resolution

procedures

• Knowledgeable in employing quantitative and qualitative decision-making tools

• Fluent in speaking, reading and writing English/Spanish

Career Highlights

RICOH USA

Duluth, GA 2013 – 2015

Managed and lead the performance of a team consisting of 17 Customer Care Billing Specialist

and 165 indirect reports in all activities relating to providing accurate and timely customer

billing utilizing knowledge of the organization’s products, services, processes, and internal

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resources to secure timely revenue billing. Ensured a high level of customer service to internal

and external customers is provided by developing positive desired behavior and performance of

the agents. Drove prompt and thorough attention to issues and service request by preparing,

summarizing, and analyzing statistical data reports that are performance, and work volume

indicators. Secured a positive working relationship with other members of the organization in

order to provide world class customer service to the organization’s ultimate customer.

• Utilize expertise in employee relations, team building, and conflict management that

proof effective in increasing productivity by 75%, and ensure a positive working

environment.

• Ensure all billing items and disputes are handled within a prescribed timeframe

based on the issue at a 95% accuracy rate without sacrificing world class customer

service.

• Excellent ability to collaborate, organize, and manage the resolution turnaround

time expediently of challenging and difficult issues to accomplished a win-win

outcome for both the organization and the customer with a 90% success rate.

• Active liaison and coordinator of financial activities between the billing department

and other departments of the organization that affect the customer’s billing and

dispute concerns. Able to build an open communication between the departments

in order to best serve the organization’s external and internal customers.

• Ensured billing policies and process are in compliance with SOX regulations.

• Work closely with the organization’s process and procedure team to enhance,

improve, and implement processes pertaining to the billing and customer dispute

process.

• Member of The Generational Council, a sub-team of RICOH Diversity Council. The

council was designed to better understand the different generations in the workforce

today and how it can best leverage their strengths to better serve both external and

internal customers.

Comcast Corporation Inbound Call Center Bilingual Supervisor

Atlanta, GA 1996 – 2012

Managed the performance of a team consisting of 12 Customer Account Executives (CAE) in all

activities related to Comcast products, services, customer equipment, as well as knowledge

pertaining to competitors. Developed personal performance plans with CAE's and provided on-

going performance feedback and quarterly performance plan reviews. Managed the team’s

activities pertaining to the call center and all aspects of workforce management, including, but

not limited to, the monitoring, maintaining, and tracking of real time call volume and

distributing the calls based on availability.

• Created, coordinated, and developed the first bilingual customer service team of 20

agents for the Atlanta Call Center Region. Performed the recruiting, selection, team

training, development, and overall reporting of productivity

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• Became a liaison and coordinated the activities of other departments and vendors to

ensure optimal service to the Hispanic Market

• Utilized expertise in employee relations, conflict management, and introduced

innovative ideas into day-to-day operations to ensure employee loyalty, morale and

to increase productivity while exceeding 90% of the organization’s required goals

• Developed and implemented a coaching and mentoring initiative that developed

talent and achieved strong performance for 250 agents. It included coaching and

mentoring by the leadership team at all levels, peer-to-peer leadership at the agent

level, and network mentoring. The initiative allowed for receptiveness and

acceptance of the organization’s vision

• Developed, trained, and coached the team utilizing innovative methods in order to

increase sales and up-sale on a consistent basis; within 3 months overall team sales

increased 65% exceeding the required quota

• Reduced the team’s overall talk time from 750 seconds average handle time to 445

seconds average handle time within thirty days by:

o conducting real-time phone monitoring and coaching to Customer Service

Agents in order to maintain required service levels

o enhancing call quality, and increasing productivity levels without

compromising excellent customer service

• Proven positive team builder and catalyst, fostering an environment of open

communication, approachability, fairness and consistent treatment that led to

exceeding 9 out of 10 required organizational goals

• Consistently achieved one of the highest adherences to the call center staffing

requirement in the call center for a 12 month period

• Recognized and valued for the ability to increase productivity of the lowest

performing team to the highest performing team of the call center by integrating

best practices using technological tools such as VERINT, WITNESS, and ASPECT for

daily management of productivity.

• Recognized for proven skills in organizing, prioritizing and successfully managing

multiple assigned tasks and monthly special projects simultaneously, effectively and

efficiently

• Developed and integrated a peer-to-peer mentoring and learning initiative which

created a learning environment within the call center enhancing management and

leadership skills

• Communicated and managed expectations for quality and accuracy of work, as well

as key productivity metrics associated with service level achievements. Identified

variances and created effective plans to

address gaps

Education

Jones International University (Centennial, Colorado)

Master of Business Administration in Global Enterprise Management

Master of Business Administration in Negotiation and Conflict Management

Ashford University (Clinton, Iowa)

Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management

Certifications

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American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages – Spanish

Conflict Resolution Academy Resources, LLC – General Civil Mediation and Dispute Resolution

Software Proficiencies

Microsoft Applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

Oracle

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