Employee Spotlight - Karen Chin, Senior Customer Success & Operations Executive

OTA Insight’s workforce is formed of passionate and talented people from 31 different nationalities, ranging from data scientists to product managers – all driven by a set of values and a collaborative culture which come together to make the #BestTeamEver. The Employee Spotlight series aims to give you an insight into the careers of some of the remarkable individuals who make OTA Insight the industry leader for revenue and distribution enablement.

Karen Chin joined OTA Insight in January 2019 and currently works out of Singapore as a Senior Customer Success & Operations Executive for the APAC region. In her 2 years and 5 months with OTA Insight Karen has seen the Singapore team grow considerably, while constantly striving to maintain exemplary customer satisfaction. We spoke with Karen to find out about her experience and career working at OTA Insight.

Can you tell us about your role at OTA Insight and how it's changed since you started?

I’m from the Customer Success team based in Singapore, also known as the ‘Little Red Dot’. The biggest change that I’ve noticed at OTA Insight over the past two years’ is the team growth within the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. I remember we started in Singapore with a small office of 2 to 4 seats, now we are a big family in APAC. That comes with opportunities to grow even further and I’m extremely excited to be part of this team and see what the future holds.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I always kick start my day with a cup of coffee. My main task is assisting customers with enquiries that reach the  Customer Success team over chat and email. The exciting part about my job is that “no day is ever the same”. I really enjoy chatting with hotel professionals and gain satisfaction helping them with any questions or issues that may arise. 

Do feel free to drop us a hello over the chat, we promise to say hello back within a few minutes! After a full day of focus on the desk I will go for an evening run or yoga to unwind and wrap up my day. 

How have you been able to learn and grow at OTA Insight?

I’ve grown considerably at OTA Insight through the guidance of my managers and fellow colleagues. The knowledge and experience they have shared with me is invaluable. It has been over 2 years, but every day is still a learning day for me at OTA Insight. 

My direct manager always asks me, “what would you like to learn this quarter?" Despite working busy days in Customer Success, he always makes sure that I have time available for continuous learning.

What has been your proudest moment at OTA Insight?

When the APAC Customer Success team hit 100% customer satisfaction (CSAT) score for the first time in our history. It was a fantastic achievement and milestone for our team; one that’s definitely worth celebrating. 

Which OTA Insight value do you associate with most and how do you see it put into action at the company?

The value I associate with most is definitely ‘Client comes first’, especially as my role is in Customer Success. I am obsessed with the ‘ping’ sound from the chat. Whenever a client needs help, we are just one ‘ping’ away.

Recovery looks to be on the horizon, do you anticipate a rebound for the travel and hospitality industry as we move into the latter half of 2021?

From a Singapore perspective, vaccines have been offered to all hotel workers, with continuous social responsibility and safety measures. So, I believe that we will be able to return to normalcy very soon and see the travel and hospitality sectors recover. We are all in this together. Let’s stay strong! 

Once restrictions are fully lifted which destination do you wish to travel to first? 

I would like to visit Malaysia firstly, as I miss my family and close friends.

What’s your favourite activity in your spare time?

I enjoy catching up with Chinese TV dramas, doing some online shopping and occasional self-meditation.

What book are you reading currently?

The last book that I read was Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. 

What’s the last song you played on Spotify/Apple music?

It was a random playlist but i listen to Mandopops (Mandarin pop music) most of the time.

Karen's experience alongside that of other OTA Insight champions help to bring to market leading business intelligence solutions which are trusted by over 55,000 hotel partners around the globe and have been named #1 Rate Shopping & Market Intelligence Tool, Parity Management Software, and Business Intelligence Software by HotelTechReport.