Response Time: Vol. 24
In our latest “Response Time” interview, we ask David Henderson, CEO of Tubular, about the strangest thing a customer has ever asked them, which celebrity would be great at their job, and more.
You satisfy your customers, but can you satisfy our curiosity?
With David Henderson, CEO of Tubular.
Please tell us a little bit about your company and what you do there.
Tubular is an intuitive CRM focused on relationships with leads and key business contacts. Tubular was built to streamline your sales by helping you better organize your leads, close your deals quicker, and create sales reports in seconds. I acquired Tubular in January 2023, and I’m excited about where it’s going in the CRM marketplace.
Which celebrity would be really great at your job, and why?
Matthew McConaughey. Matty has it all – smooth, wise, Mr. Chill, not to mention looks. He’s just like me, lol.
What’s the most valuable thing that working in customer service has taught you?
No one cares how much you know* until they know how much you care!
*About your industry, your product, how connected you are, etc.
What’s your greatest productivity hack?
Activity beats everything. Turn off the noise and just do it.
What gif best describes your mental state right now?
What’s the best customer service you’ve ever experienced?
Apple. But the early 2000s Apple when they actually cared and did whatever they could to make you happy.
What’s the worst customer service you’ve ever experienced?
My chippy one night in Belfast – no craic/banter, no eye contact at all. Nothing.
Which movie robot would you choose as your AI sidekick and why?
Number “Johnny” Five from Short Circuit – what a dude. Childhood fave.
What’s the strangest thing a customer has asked you?
Did you get a First Class Honors at university … mmm, what? (Yes, I did, by the way.)
What can you do that a bot will never be able to replicate?
Play the guitar, ukulele, and tin whistle as poorly as I can.
What do you doodle when you’re on video calls?
Cubes. Many, many cubes. Sometimes pyramids if I’m killin’ it.
What’s the one piece of advice you would give to your peers in the customer service industry?
Keep going. Learn as you go. Have fun. Make new friends. Oops, that’s more than one.
What book are you reading at the moment?
Too many. Starting Good to Great by Jim Collins next.
What’s the best thing a customer has ever said to you?
“You care about us.”
“We want people to love what they use/do each day”
Where do you get your support leadership news?
My mentor and leadership group, Thrive.
What words make your skin crawl?
“Moist.”
How would you explain your job to an alien?
I make online experiences and digital products better for people.
What’s your most-used emoji in customer chats?
🎉
Do you identify more with the title “customer support,” customer service,” “customer success,” or “customer experience,” and why?
“Customer experience” – we want people to love what they use/do each day.
What was your “15 minutes of fame” moment?
I had to blow fire, topless, at a nighttime safari in Singapore in front of hundreds of people. Almost went viral for nearly 15 minutes.
What do you wish people knew about working in customer service?
We care.
Conversation closed… for now 😏