Meet a WEXer: Conor Kilroy

Dual U.S. and Australian citizenship opened the door for Conor Kilroy to transfer his customer service skills honed in our U.S. headquarters to his current role as a client service advisor at WEX Australia. The journey began nearly four years ago, when Conor joined WEX as a customer service representative supporting our fleet fuel business.

“I saw WEX as an opportunity to get my foot in the door and prove my worth with a company that was a leader in U.S. fuel cards and expanding globally. I’ve worked for other big companies, and there’s really nothing like the values here and how we treat our customers and each other. I’ve found that they really try to push your career forward at WEX, and that there are endless opportunities here,” says Conor.

The Road to WEX Australia

Conor started in our Maine headquarters in a temporary position a year out of college, and was quickly brought on as a permanent customer service representative. Over time, his interest in our Australian operation grew; Conor’s mom was born in Australia and he dreamed of living there someday. He spoke to his manager, Elaine Corriveau, about his dream, and she guided him through the process of applying for a job at WEX Australia. Conor also had a lot of support from Lisa Randall, head of client services and risk at WEX Australia, who had also started her WEX career at our U.S. headquarters.

Conor arrived in Melbourne to start his new job in October of last year, and it has been a whirlwind since. He notes that the operation in Australia is very comparable to that in the U.S., with the WEX Motorpass fuel card accepted at over 90% of locations. The Melbourne office is smaller than the Maine headquarters, with a client service group of approximately 15 people compared to a team of over 50 in the U.S.

Client Service Aussie-Style

As a client service advisor, Conor handles inbound calls and emails from customers ranging from small businesses to government accounts. He notes that customers hail from all over Australia, and that this diversity can be pretty eye-opening. For example, in partnership with WEX, the government in Western Australia provides an age-pension fuel card with a yearly gas allowance to help people in remote locations get to doctors appointments.

In addition to servicing the daily needs of fuel card customers, Conor is often required to dive in more deeply to help a customer resolve an issue, and it’s this aspect of his work that he finds most interesting and rewarding. He notes that such calls require four basic steps: listen to the customer; figure out the entirety of the issue; resolve it completely; move on. While this may seem simple, each step is critically important to creating a great customer experience. One-call resolution is key, so that customers don’t need to call back.

According to Conor, listening skills are essential to being an effective client service advisor. While those who contact him are usually seeking resolutions to questions or issues, sometimes they just need to vent or talk things out. Listening is an important part of gathering all of the information needed to successfully work through each problem. Conor has also learned that listening has to be paired with the ability to reassure a customer that action has been taken and that any issue will be resolved.

“When you’re dealing with people’s line of credit and their fuel program, it’s important to remember that these things are a big part of their livelihood and how they make money. I find it rewarding when I’ve helped them get back on the road quickly, knowing they view their experience with me and the company in a positive light,” adds Conor.

Living and Working Down Under

While Conor does miss the people he worked with in our U.S. headquarters, he’s found his WEX Australia colleagues to be very welcoming. With about 150 people in the office, it feels more intimate, and Conor says he already knows nearly everyone. After his arrival, he was introduced at one of the WEX Australia monthly update meetings where WEXers come together to share business news and accomplishments. Afterwards, there’s a “morning tea” with snacks and beverages and people hanging out. Socializing with colleagues is also the theme of the WEX Social Club, a group Conor has joined that plans events both in the office and at local restaurants and bars.

Living and working in Melbourne has been a breath of fresh air for Conor, and he especially loves the Australian people. He observes that the locals are fun and always interesting. And while they like to have a good time, they’re also driven and responsible. He’s found that when it’s time to get down to business, Australians don’t mess around!

As the dust settles for Conor and he acclimates to his new home and work environment, he offers that “WEX has done a lot for me, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to be here and excited for the future of WEX Australia.”