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KIA Online Community Member Spotlight: AT&T
AT&T Ensures Customers Can Rely on Their Services When They Need Them the Most
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Tatyana Ngai Assistant Vice President, Business Program Office – Customer Service & Operations, AT&T Inc. Tatyana Ngai leads customer-centric Next-Gen Transformation programs from ideation to enablement, product and marketing liaison on project launch readiness, and CS&O workforce strategy through vendor strategy optimization and implementation. Tatyana has been working in the industry for 25 years. She joined what was then Pacific Bell in 1998 through the Leadership Development Program and worked as a Coach Manager in the Call Center servicing ISDN and DSL. Since then, Tatyana has held various positions in the business sector of the new AT&T, including Transformation Strategy, Vendor Management, Service & Life Cycle Management, Product Integration, Call Center Management, Project Management, and Delivery & Assurance Operations. Before joining AT&T, Tatyana worked in the hospitality industry. She has an MBA from the University of Southern California and a BA from UCLA. Tatyana is PMP certified and has her Six Sigma Green Belt. Execs In The Know recently caught up with Tatyana to discuss her career path and passion for customer service and operations, the key levers of a successful organizational transformation, how AT&T is applying artificial intelligence (AI) across the brand to improve CX, and AT&T’s Purpose to connect people to greater possibility — with expertise, simplicity, and inspiration. |
Execs In The Know (EITK): Did you always want to work in Customer Service and Operations? How did you get to where you are today?
Tatyana Ngai: I’ve always worked with business customers. There’s such a range of industries and sizes. I find the work both fascinating and challenging.
Looking back, my career path has three progressive stages:
In the beginning, being in the customer’s line of sight was key, so I worked to support multiple frontline functions to really understand the employee and the customer experiences
across the board.
Then, I had an opportunity to build an operation from scratch, including organizational design, tooling and business process, staffing, and service levels, and mined out the frontline experience to set up customer and employee-friendly processes.
Now, in my strategy and transformation role, I use these field experiences and my deep knowledge of our business customers to transform customer service and operations at scale.
EITK: From your perspective and experience, what are the key levers of a successful organizational transformation, especially as they relate to unlocking growth potential, improving CX, accelerating the rate at which a brand innovates, and building new capabilities?
Tatyana: That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? I’ve always fervently believed in the following principle: if you do something and do it well, there’s a market for it.
For example, in AT&T and telecom in general, disaster recovery is core to this business.Connectivity is the underpinning of our lives, both consumer and business, so most of the telecommunications industry has had to get really good at assuring near-perfect uptime through robust disaster recovery playbooks.
AT&T took it a step further and productized this core competency into the First Responder Network or FirstNet. This is America’s first and only purpose-built public safety network, with more than five million connections across more than 26,000 agencies and organizations in the US.
EITK: How is AT&T applying AI across the brand to improve customer service, enhance operational efficiencies, and drive customer value?
Tatyana:AT&T has been actively implementing AI (classic and generative) and Machine Learning across various aspects of its business to enhance customer service, improve operational efficiencies, and deliver value to customers.Virtual Assistants, Chatbots, and Messaging are longstanding technologies in our ecosystem. Newer applications of AI include Customer Insights, Content Recommendations, and Data Security.
For example, we use AI and ML to analyze customer data to gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and needs. This information allows AT&T to offer personalized services and recommendations with the intent to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. AI-driven security solutions are used to monitor network traffic for unusual patterns and potential threats, enhancing data security and protecting customer information.
EITK: The last few years have brought unprecedented challenges, opportunities, and evolution for companies of all sizes. What has been the biggest win for the brand from a customer experience and operational standpoint?
Tatyana: Maintaining an award-winning CX business process multiple years in a row in the maturing communications industry is something we’re really proud of. For the sixth consecutive year, we have ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction for Business Wireline Service delivered to large enterprise customers by JD Power.
EITK: A consistent commitment to outstanding service is essential. When creating unforgettable customer experiences, no detail is too small. In what ways does AT&T seek to “wow” its customers?
Tatyana:Our Purpose guides our behavior and how we make all kinds of decisions. It affects what products we develop, how we communicate both internally and externally, our policies, who we partner with, and virtually every other area of our business. AT&T’s Purpose is to connect people to greater possibility — with expertise, simplicity, and inspiration. This is what should guide every decision we make and how we engage with our customers. That Purpose drives our strong emphasis on maintaining a Reliable Network, meaning consistent and high-quality network coverage, ensuring customers can rely on their services when they need them the most.
EITK: Are there any interesting facts you can share about working for AT&T that most consumers don’t know?
Tatyana:Working for a large telecommunications company like AT&T can be fascinating. There’s a lot of history in this company. For example, AT&T Labs has been driving innovation for over 140 years and is the global leader in the development and research of connectivity and technological advancement.
AT&T also encourages its employees to engage with their local communities through volunteer work and charitable activities, including AT&T Believes. Many employees are actively involved in giving back to the communities where they live and work.
EITK: Most of us can look back and remember less-than-ideal experiences we’ve had as customers. However, even more memorable are those times when a company’s customer service exceeds our expectations — even delights us. What has been your most delightful customer experience to date?
Tatyana:Honestly, I would cite our Disney Park experiences, whether in California, Orlando, or even Paris. The experience has always been positive and consistent. Disney’s focus on being “the happiest place on earth” translates well operationally. They have a way of taming even the unruliest child (or adult), and families are all too happy to spend their money at the happiest place on earth — my family included.
EITK: What are the three key qualities of leaders who inspire you?
Tatyana:Vision, strength of character, and the ability to execute in tough conditions.
EITK: Even the most successful and productive leaders prioritize outside interests and passions. How do you prefer to spend your leisure time?
Tatyana:My husband and I love to travel, especially now that we are empty nesters. Anything with water makes the top of our list: cruising, sailing, scuba diving.
On land, we spend time with our two children and four grandchildren — often at a Disney Park!
EITK: Can you share how your involvement in the Execs In The Know and KIA Online community has translated into value for yourself, your organization, and the community?
Tatyana:EITK’s Roundtables are very well moderated, with relevant content and discussions evenly distributed across attendees. I like that the KIA Online Community is a closed system; its members can feel comfortable asking for help in a more intimate setting.
JOIN THE “KIA” COMMUNITY
Thank you to Tatyana Ngai, Assistant Vice President, Business Program Office – Customer Service & Operations at AT&T Inc., for her leadership, participation, and insights.
To connect with Tatyana, or to participate in the wider conversation, consider joining the Execs In The Know “Know It All” (KIA) Community. The KIA Community is a private, online community designed exclusively for CX Leaders at consumer-facing brands. Come learn, share, network, and engage to innovate.
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