Associate Director - Customer Experience (Based in KUL, relocation support provided)

Get to Know our Team: 

Agoda’s Customer Support Team understands that travel can be an everchanging environment. That is why we provide in-person, real-time help around the clock and in 38 languages. No matter the issue, we present the best of Agoda’s values to each and every customer with multiple support channels and a strong desire to serve. Certainly, doing more than answering phone calls or replying to emails, our specialists actively look for ways to improve our customer’s experience. We quickly adapt to challenges by collaborating with other teams and experimenting on everything we can. This has allowed us to develop new and effective products that produce meaningful results and continue to drive Agoda’s business performance. Our Customer Support Team serves a daily role in contributing to a core strength and service of Agoda with a clear vision and a focus on efficient and satisfying customer support. 

The Opportunity:

The Regional Head of Customer Support will lead a region of the Customer Service Delivery team supporting ~25% of our 18 language teams across Accommodation, Flights & Activities as they provide support to customers across voice, email, messaging/chat and back-office activities. This role is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and supports teams across multiple sites.

This role requires a high level of personal and professional skills associated with running global operations teams. First and foremost, this is a people leader role and enabling local teams to be successful is core to the role. In addition to being a great people leader and communicator, the ideal candidate will bring a vision, a sense of curiosity, a passion for travel, keen analytical skills, a tech-centric mindset, and a willingness to lead by example. 

This position is open to both local and foreign candidates and we will provide a relocation package for the right candidate.

In this Role, you'll get to: 

• Empower Your Team: Lead and inspire your team by committing to coaching, providing constructive feedback, and recognizing achievements. Facilitate brilliant outcomes to help your direct reports, their teams, and the entire organization succeed.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Proactively identify opportunities for process enhancements and optimizations. Be willing to experiment, iterate, and learn along the way to drive operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Partner with win/win mindset: Successfullypartner with supporting functions and senior internal stakeholder in the wider Customer Experience Group (CEG) for overall team success. Align vision for servicing and ensure teams are collaborating towards shared goals with a customer/partner first mindset.
• Collaborate Across Boundaries: Work closely with global colleagues and internal teams to ensure seamless integration and alignment between operational processes and business objectives, delivering better outcomes together.
• Align with Strategic Vision: Communicate and connect your team to the company's vision and strategy, making these relevant and digestible for local teams to ensure alignment and understanding.
• Lead with Purpose: Guide your team in achieving key outcomes related to customer experience, process improvement, and data-driven decision-making, ensuring high performance and customer satisfaction.
• Cultivate a Positive Culture: Create and nurture a team culture that is highly engaged and effective. Encourage open communication, idea sharing, and challenging the status quo to foster innovation and growth.
• Embrace Risk and Learning: Be unafraid to ask for help, willing to fail-fast, and ready to take calculated risks when necessary to drive progress and innovation.
• Ensure a Supportive Environment: Maintain a safe, friendly working environment that encourages team members to speak up, share ideas, and challenge existing processes for continuous improvement.
• Uphold Compliance and Values: Ensure company compliance requirements and initiatives are upheld and supported 100%, while embracing and promoting the organization's mission and values.
• Embrace the Agoda Mission and Values

What you'll Need to Succeed:

• Significant leadership experience is essential
• Strong background in multi-channel Contact Center, Multiple sites and geographies experience preferred
• Must have a strong track record of evaluating, analyzing, implementing, leading, and monitoring effective and efficient processes to proactively improve center efficiency and staff performance
• Excellent listening skills, critical-thinker, and problem solver with attention to detail
• Excellent personal and interpersonal skills to interact with a variety of individuals, including building strong partnerships with other departments
• Must be able to handle multiple projects and effectively manage different timelines
• Must be an assertive team player with high energy to work in fast-paced environment

Good to have

• Familiarity with Agile methodologies for managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in CRM tools and contact center software, WFM tolls and data visualization tools are a plus
• Experience with predictive analytics and AI-driven tools will be helpful
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies for managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Fluency in additional languages (depending on the regions served) could be a plus