Fireside chat with Mark Cooper

We speak to our Head of Customer Experience, Mark, about his passion for brilliant customer service and his plans for 2022 and beyond.

How did you end up in customer experience and why are you so passionate?

I’ve worked in the holiday home industry for over 29 years and have always enjoyed meeting homeowners at shows and across parks.

I started my career in production, experiencing life in and around a holiday home factory.  This gave me the knowledge to be able to tackle most technical issues and make sure there was a positive outcome for everyone. After a few years “on the line”, an opportunity opened up in customer services where I became the bridge between the manufacturer and consumer, to show that we really cared and listened to their feedback – and I haven’t looked back since.

What brought you to Victory?

The holiday home industry is small, and I started to see a lot of great people I know come here and they told me how great the culture was. I was also intrigued by Victory’s vision and passion, and the way they strive to move things forward and change the way the industry does things.. Opportunities are endless and I can’t wait to see how we grow and develop over the next few years.

What excites you most about the holiday home industry?

Victory wants to challenge the norm in an industry that has been doing things the same way for decades. I’m excited about the ways we can do customer services differently from the ground up and I’ve been given the support I need to get started straight away.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role?

I’m really looking forward to implementing new, more efficient systems to support our hardworking customer care team. I love a challenge, so I’ll be on hand to support with any complex queries that come up and hopefully develop solutions that work first time, every time.  I’ve not forgotten my factory roots so I’m keen to get involved with production processes to iron any niggles out and prevent repeat issues.

What are your goals at Victory for 2022 and beyond?

How long have you got? I’m keen to hit the ground running but my first priorities are getting new systems in place and tracking our progress to make sure we’re improving every month. Whether that’s in production or supply chain, we are always wanting to reach new targets and long-term goals and we don’t sit still until we’ve achieved what we said we would

What’s the biggest challenges you face working in customer experience and how do you overcome them?

Right now, it’s being able to service everybody within a reasonable timescale with the resources & supply challenges we have. We’re always looking at ways to improve and our new systems will really help.

If you could be a celebrity for the day, who would it be and why?

 I’m not a huge celeb fan, but I’d choose James Dyson. He looks at what’s already in the market and finds  innovative ways to improve them. Along with the vast number of failed attempts which run into the 1,000’s, he and his team don’t give up and keep pushing ahead with their ideas until they get the outcome they want… like Victory.

What do you do in your spare time?

I spend a lot of time looking after my kids because my wife works unsociable hours. My little lad has just been getting into swimming and football, as well as ‘Squirrels’ which comes before ‘Beavers’. He has a better social life than me! Like many people at Victory, I’m also a Leeds United fan and like to spend time watching them along with plenty of other sports with my son. I like going on dog walks with the family on our favourite trail in Elloughton Dale which helps dust off the cobwebs.

Finally, what message have you got for our proud Victory owners?

The team at Victory have made me feel like a family member, and I want all our customers to feel that way too.