The support calls she won’t forget: Six questions with our Director of Support

Last Updated December 24, 2016

Evangelia KambitesEvangelia Kambites is the Director of Support at EzTix, leading our amazing team of support agents.  We had a fireside chat with Evangelia (we sent her an email while watching the yule log channel) to help you get to know her a little better, and to dive into her wonderful wisdom of all things EzSupport.

Ez: Oh hey Evangelia!  Many of our partners around the world have come to know you through your fine work as the EzTix Director of Support.  For those who may not know you yet, tell us a bit more about your background.

EK: I come from a performing arts background, having studied Music (Classical Voice) and Theatre at Queen’s University, and Musical Theatre at the Randolph Academy after the completion of my degree. I’ve always been an entertainer. My cousin and I used to put on skits for our families all the time, and I was constantly surrounded by music–it is breath to me. Performing and Art is who I am. Changing and influencing lives through art is what I strive to do. As an artist, you get to know your strengths and weaknesses pretty quickly. In additional to being a professional actor, singer, dancer, musician, songwriter, writer, and owner of a theatre company in Toronto, I have had a plethora of jobs throughout my life, ranging from Administration Associate for the Royal College of Association Management within The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada,  to bartender, to Executive Assistant at the Canadian Co-operative Association, to retail sales associate, to server. Oh, and I was a competitive soccer player for 12 years, and still play on occasion.

Ez:  The EzTix team is powered by many people who come from tourism and entertainment backgrounds and you certainly fit that bill!  How does your work as an actor, writer, and musician help you in your job as Director of Support?

EK:While the day to day operations of what we do in support doesn’t vary much, specific scenarios do. The most important thing for me is that our Organizers and their Ticket Buyers are happy. Being an actor really helps me read a situation quickly and clearly and know the best way to handle it. It allows me to put myself in the situation of the person to whom I am speaking, and have empathy for their situation, which in turn drives me to find a solution as quickly and efficiently as possible. The ability to think quickly and critically on my feet ( something I have to do regularly on stage when someone drops a prop, or you know, something catches on fire) is invaluable in this role.

Ez: Let’s dive into the adventurous world of EzTix Support! You’re helping organizers realize their passions, as well as their guests looking for experiences of all shapes and sizes. What’s one of your support success stories that stands out for you?

EK: I recently was assisting a Ticket Buyer from France who was trying to purchase a gift certificate for a tour operator in the United States. She sent an initial e-mail indicating the issues she was having. I responded quickly with a list of suggestions including either her calling us, or us calling her. In the end, I gave her a call, and we managed to get everything sorted out over the phone, but she was so grateful for the speediness of our responses, as well as our eagerness to ensure that she was assisted, that she said it was the best customer service experience she’d ever had. For me that was a really lovely thing to hear, as it just seemed like a no-brainer that that’s what a support team would do to help out a customer. It surprises me that that’s not the standard in the industry!

Ez: Let’s also not beat around the bush… Support can be stressful.  What’s one of the rougher challenges you’ve faced on the support channels, and how have you grown from it?

EK: Support can absolutely be stressful, and there have been a lot of rough challenges over the years, and certainly a few more as I’ve embarked on this new journey as Director of Support. A lot of the time you will come across a Ticket Buyer who is just looking for a fight, and in those situation it can be really challenging to maintain professionalism and patience, but that’s when the empathy kicks in, and you take a breath, centre yourself, and do you job. One day last year we had an incredibly busy day on the phones, and I was doing my best to be speedy and efficient, and a Ticket Buyer took that as my being dismissive, and they called me on it, which took me aback. I took a deep breath, checked myself, slowed down, and assisted the guest. That call stayed with me, as the caller indicated that I wasn’t making them feel important, which I never want to make someone feel. Huge learning/growing experience for me to remember that we’re all people at the end of the day, and kindness goes a long, long way.

Ez: Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions and helping our partners get to know us a bit better. Any parting tips or wisdom you’d like to share?

EK: Help us help you! Our support team is 100% committed to knowing your product as thoroughly as possible, however we need help to do that! Take some time over the holidays to review the SALES INFO sections of your templates (for tour operators), and general event detail (event operators). Double check that your Call Centre FAQ’s are filled out (located in Global Event Management).The more we know about your product, and the more that is at our fingertips, the more we can get those Ticket Buyers buying!

Ez: What can people expect from our support team over the Holidays, Evangelia?

EK: We are here for you over the holiday season! Support will be available every day (less Christmas Day) and we will do our best to get to your requests as quickly as possible throughout the holiday season!  We’re closing up at 6:00pm EST on Christmas eve, reopening for regular hours on the 26th of December, and closing early at 6:00pm EST on New Years Eve.

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