Steven DeFour
Summary
Proven leader in technical services management, adept at driving significant efficiency improvements and customer satisfaction for First Brands Group. Excelled in training and mentoring, alongside expert database maintenance, leading to top company-wide performance metrics. Skillfully balanced stakeholder communication and incident management, achieving notable service delivery excellence.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Technical Services Manager
First Brands Group
12.2021 - Current
- Managed comprehensive operations of automotive parts manufacturer's technical support call center, on-site technical training department, and labor claims department spanning 28 call centers, averaging over 3,500 calls, 2,000 emails, and 300 live chats weekly.
- Supervised 20 agents across level 1 and level 2 support, with 3 supervisors, ensuring seamless customer service delivery and adherence to service level agreements (SLAs).
- Oversaw labor claims, legal liability claims, and warranty testing across 8 facilities, directing 10 test technicians handling 3,600 claims monthly.
- Developed and implemented new processes, enhanced existing workflows, and introduced workflow tools that boosted efficiency and tracking accuracy.
- Set and achieved Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aligned with company objectives, driving continuous improvement initiatives.
- Managed legal escalations, wrote schedules, and handled PTO requests while optimizing call queues within Masergy Phone System to streamline operations.
- Produced and delivered comprehensive monthly and quarterly performance reports to executive leadership, showcasing departmental achievements and strategic recommendations.
- Provided coaching and training to team members, facilitating skill development and ensuring alignment with organizational standards.
- Conducted interviews, led hiring processes, and executed training programs for new employees to maintain high-performance standards.
- Represented company at automotive product show booths, educating customers on products and fostering brand awareness.
- Managed databases and Power BI dashboards to provide actionable insights to department managers, supporting data-driven decision-making.
Senior Team Lead
Insight Global (Wabco Customer Care)
08.2018 - 12.2021
- Coached new team members in service techniques and conducted quality assurance evaluations.
- Resolved customer service issues using established company processes and policies, ensuring timely updates to customers.
- Contributed to recruitment, training programs, coaching sessions, performance tracking, and scheduling for a team of 12 technical product support call center agents handling an average of 2,000 calls and 600 emails per week related to technical support, troubleshooting, and warranty matters.
- Implemented customer service policies and procedures to uphold consistent performance standards across the team.
- Managed escalations of complex technical cases by collaborating cross-functionally with engineering, quality assurance, product management, sales, and warranty testing lab teams to achieve prompt resolution.
- Led and coached call center team to consistently achieve zero abandoned calls on multiple occasions, demonstrating strong motivation and effective leadership.
- Compiled and presented weekly metrics reports to senior management, delivering insightful data-driven presentations as a call center team lead.
Parts Sales Manager
AutoZone
10.2010 - 08.2018
- Managed, motivated, scheduled, trained, and delegated tasks daily for a team of 6 to 8 members, demonstrating strong leadership and organizational skills.
- Trained team members in successful strategies to achieve operational and sales targets, resulting in the store ranking number 1 in the company for all sales goals and metrics.
- Led the team to consistently achieve top company-wide rankings in multiple sales goals over sustained periods, showcasing effective sales management and leadership in the auto parts retail sector.
- Provided exceptional customer service by leveraging deep automotive expertise to fulfill customer requirements hands-on.
- Coordinated weekly deposit pickups with an armored car service to ensure secure financial transactions.
- Managed comprehensive inventory, overseeing annual store-wide audits and generating weekly reports on low and out-of-stock items.
- Strategically arranged product planograms in sales and stock areas to optimize visual merchandising impact and product accessibility.
- Coached team members and provided customers with technical automotive advice for vehicle repair and maintenance.
Education
Course Certificate - Video Game Design
Full Sail University
Winter Park, FL10.2021
High School Diploma -
Anchor Bay High School
Fair Haven, MI06.2006
Skills
- Customer Support
- Telecommunications
- Activity monitoring
- Incident Management
- Technical Support
- Capacity Planning
- Stakeholder Communication
- Database Maintenance
- Performance report creation
- Test procedures development
- Service Delivery
- Training and mentoring
Timeline
Technical Services Manager
First Brands Group
12.2021 - Current
Senior Team Lead
Insight Global (Wabco Customer Care)
08.2018 - 12.2021
Parts Sales Manager
AutoZone
10.2010 - 08.2018
Course Certificate - Video Game Design
Full Sail University
High School Diploma -
Anchor Bay High School
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