Razer

Grace Tang is an accomplished professional in the customer relations space, with extensive experience in customer support and experience across various industries. She has held positions such as VP of Group Customer Support at Singapore Post Ltd, Head of Contact Center, and Field Ops (APAC-MEA) at Electrolux, and Senior Director of Partner Management (Services) at Oracle. Grace also served as Director of BlackBerry Care Customer Operations and Program Manager for the APAC region. Her exceptional leadership and dedication to customer satisfaction, honed over years of diverse roles, makes her an ideal fit for leading customer advocacy on a global scale at Razer.

In an interview with CIOReview APAC, Grace Tang, shares her thought-provoking insights on the prevailing challenges and trends within the customer relations space.

As an expert in the domain, could you please elaborate on your current roles and responsibilities as the global head of customer advocacy at Razer? 

I currently hold the position of global customer advocacy VP at Razer. However, my journey in the technology industry did not begin here. My background is rooted in software engineering where I developed technology and applications for customer support agents.

My career trajectory was kick-started in Japan, a challenging yet enriching experience that was my first professional foray after graduation. This was where I gained first-hand experience with customer experience and customer support, diving deep into the tech aspects of the field. I familiarized myself with behind-the-scenes operations, connecting PBX software applications, and learning the ropes of customer interaction. From there, my career evolved, moving me through roles in pre-sales and sales. Each stage added a new dimension to my understanding of the field, honing my skills and broadening my perspective. These experiences culminated in my current role at Razer, where I manage customer experience on a global scale.

What truly drives my role is the direct interaction with our customers, users, and gamers. My principal objective is to ensure they can interact seamlessly with our products, enabling them to concentrate fully on their gaming journeys. At Razer, we strive to create an environment where gamers can concentrate solely on their gaming journey, taking that next level up or enhancing their gaming experiences. This fulfillment derived from enabling and amplifying our user’s experiences, alongside my committed team, is the driving force behind my work each day.

Could you share some of the challenges you’ve encountered while delivering exceptional customer service?

What others might see as challenges, I have viewed as opportunities. Working in the gaming industry necessitates a team that is laser-focused on delivering the specific experiences that our gamers seek. Building such a team has been a fulfilling journey, and today, I proudly lead a dynamic, positive group that is resolute in delivering what we’ve promised. We strive to ensure that our gamers’ experiences are never disrupted. If they encounter an issue, we aim to get them back into their games as swiftly as possible.

This focus, however, is not solely about the team I’ve assembled. It also revolves around the mindset we nurture. Our approach is customer-obsessed; when we design our support processes, our gamers are at the forefront of our considerations. We employ a human-centered design methodology, keeping a keen eye on the customer journey.

" Constantly striving for innovation is equally important. If you stand still, you’ll fail to keep pace with the business and the evolving needs of your customers. The only way to stay ahead is through continuous innovation "

At the same time, we equally concentrate on the needs of our support personnel, the crucial cogs in our omnichannel support ecosystem. We pay close attention to the journey our customers and our team navigate, identifying the requirements at each touchpoint. This focused approach allows us to quickly identify and apply the necessary resolutions to any issues our customers may face.

As a leader in the gaming industry, what strategies have you employed to cultivate a customer-centric culture in your team and the wider organization?

We focus on several key areas in our work. We adopt a customer-centric approach. This isn’t just within our team; it extends across our entire organization.

Another area we pay close attention to is data and insights. We place great importance on the feedback our customers provide, especially during product launches and market entries. This includes their feelings about our products, how they use them, and even how they assemble their gaming setups using the various products purchased from Razer. The insights we glean from this data serve a dual purpose. It allows us to enhance our gamers’ experiences across support and aid in the design of future products.

In addition, we focus heavily on the voice of our customers. One crucial practice involves tuning into the social media conversation to discern and capture vital feedback from our customers. Our objective is to work closely with our customers, understanding their sentiments, whether they are positive or negative, we strive to gain a holistic understanding. This is captured through our programs involving surveys, interviews, and across social media, which plays a crucial role in today’s context. We attentively listen to the social media chatter on these platforms and strive to pick up and understand all feedback, positive or negative. We then relay this feedback to our stakeholders, whether they are in engineering, R&D, or other business units. This feedback mechanism lets us respond effectively and improve our operations in real time.

Last but not least, we continually emphasize innovation. This isn’t only in our products but also in our support channels. For instance, our omnichannel approach is an area we constantly strive to improve and enhance. Social media, for example, is a fast-evolving channel many brands focus on and one that continues to grow for us.

Looking ahead, what excites you the most about the future of customer advocacy in the industry?

Moving forward, we’re placing a strong emphasis on scalability and growth. As we evolve, our customers and gamers do too, and their expectations shift accordingly. We have to consider the future needs of our tech-savvy gamer base. They may be able to resolve certain issues independently, leading us to ponder whether a focus on self-service should be our next step. Should we harness emerging technologies that are increasingly dominating discussions in the industry? How do we effectively leverage generative AI or natural language processing (NLP)? How do we train these technologies to assist us in providing support tailored to specific customer groups? Of course, different customer segments require a more fundamental, empathetic approach to support, where step-by-step guidance may be needed to resolve.

What excites me about the future is leveraging current technologies to meet these evolving needs. The possibility of blending my engineering background with a human touch to cater to Razer’s customers is a thrilling prospect. It’s a striking amalgamation of where I’ve come from and where I’m headed. It exemplifies the blend of technology and humanity that we strive to achieve in customer service at Razer.

What advice would you give to individuals aspiring to lead and make an impact in the field of customer service?

Being customer-centric is crucial. The customer should always be at the heart of what you do, and this focus will be key in defining your role and approach. Constantly striving for innovation is equally important. If you stand still, you’ll fail to keep pace with the business and the evolving needs of your customers. The only way to stay ahead is through continuous innovation. Next, devote time to build and nurture your team. At Razer, we see our people as our greatest asset, and investing in them is a top priority. I encourage peers in this industry to adopt a similar philosophy.

Finally, maintain agility and adaptability. The customer experience industry is dynamic and constantly changing. We need to be nimble and adaptable to foster strong partnerships, not just with the organization’s stakeholders, but also with our technology partners. And, most importantly, we should constantly cultivate robust relationships with our customers.