Carol Bonfield speaks about 22 wonderful years of Career Longevity with Three Ireland

Career Longevity with Three Ireland – Carol Bonfield, an Account Relationship Manager with Three Ireland has been working with the company for 22 years. Pictured here at Three Ireland in Castletroy, Limerick. Picture: Krzysztof Luszczki/ilovelimerick

Carol Bonfield speaks about 22 wonderful years of Career Longevity with Three Ireland

Three’s culture is one of empowerment and ownership and this has supported and enabled Carol to develop and progress within the company. Picture: Krzysztof Luszczki/ilovelimerick

Carol Bonfield works as an Account Relationship Manager at the Three Ireland headquarters in Castletroy and has been with the company for an amazing 22 years! This demonstrates the  fantastic culture of Career Longevity with Three Ireland.

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Her role takes overall responsibility for our Account Managed service teams that work across the Key, Enterprise, Public and Growth and SME market and Carol has key responsibility for delivering and improving customer experience.

Tell us a little about who you are?

I live in Newport, which is on the Tipperary/Limerick border. I’m firmly a Tipp woman but that adds to the banter in the office when there is a hurling match between the two, I’m not liking that I am coming out on the losing team recently! I have four fabulous children, which keep me extremely busy and on my toes. They have turned me into a taxi driver, chauffeuring them here, there and, everywhere over the years – most evenings during soccer season I can be found at the side of a pitch somewhere in the county with my son Shaun, thankfully the others are driving themselves now. 

When did you begin your Career History with Three Ireland?

I started working here back in 1999 as a Customer Care Executive in our Consumer department, and I did this role for a number of years. I then took a secondment as a Consumer Team Leader; I thoroughly enjoyed this role and while it was challenging, it showed me that coaching people was something I really enjoyed and got great reward from supporting people to achieve their targets and personal development goals. About halfway through my career in Three, I moved to our business department originally starting as a Team Leader within our SME Support Team, which supports Small and Medium Enterprise Accounts with day-to-day queries. I then moved to our Key Account Support Team as a Team leader, this area supports our Enterprise and Corporate customers with dedicated one on one support. Around 7 years ago I was successful in my application for my current role as Account Relationship Manager, I now manage the overall department for SME and Key Accounts, working closely with our Account Management teams, Sales team and other departments within Three to ensure that every interaction that my department has with our customers is exceptional and really sets us apart within the Customer Service sector.

What attracted you to Three?

The organisation was very well known within the Telecommunications sector and it was my interest in the sector as well as wanting to develop meaningful customer interactions that intrigued me. I also had friends that worked for the company in Castletroy, and they all couldn’t speak highly enough of working there. I applied back in 1999 for a part-time Customer Care Executive within our Consumer Care department and 22 years later I am still here. Over the years I have worked in many different departments within Three and for the last 7 years I have worked within our Account Management Support department. The people that work across our contact centre are our “secret sauce”, their passion, dedication and customer focus inspires me daily to do my best also. This culture of teamwork and putting the customer at the heart of everything we do is what makes working for Three the best job ever.

Where did your career start in Three?

Carol (centre) pictured with members of the Three Ireland team Mairéad Lee, Consumer Team Lead and Gary Kelly, Managed Service Executive. Picture: Krzysztof Luszczki/ilovelimerick

I started my career in Three within our Consumer department, as an inbound customer care executive, this role is front-facing to our customers, handling every query they may have with our service. Customer satisfaction and delivering the ultimate service experience on every call is critical within this role. This role definitely cemented for me my drive to deliver a great experience for our customers. The experience I gained has really stayed with me throughout my career.

What have been the greatest challenges in your career?

As I mentioned I have four children, and as a working mum, especially when they were toddlers, I found it challenging initially managing the balance. However, I have always had amazing managers throughout my time in Three who have supported me to continue to work and manage my work-life balance. I worked part-time mornings and evenings and this flexibility supported me to maintain my career and family life, returning to full-time work when my kids were a little older.

Tell us about your current role?

My role takes overall responsibility for our Account Managed service teams that work across the Key, Enterprise, Public and Growth and SME markets. It also involves further development of the Account Managed teams’ ability to sell on inbound and direct opportunities and sales leads to the Account Managed and Pre-sales ICT channels. My role has key responsibility for delivering and improving the Customer experience in defined market segments and delivering revenue in the relevant service support areas. We also support the Sales and Marketing teams in acquisition and retention activity in the market, making service support a key element for the market propositions. Customer engagement at the sales proposition and service escalation stage is also an important part of my role.

Did you find it difficult to progress within the company?

There is a very clear development and progression plan for all employees. In Three we also have an initiative which is called a “day in the life”, that gives you a greater insight into other teams/departments and an opportunity to learn more about areas of the company that you may not be overly familiar with.  Once I identified my career goals, I met with my manager to discuss my skills and areas of development that would allow me to succeed with my progression, together we worked through a robust plan. We also have a mentoring programme; this helps employees to develop further skills from people outside of their own department. The first key step to any progression is owning your own development.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

No two days are the same, as working in Three is very fast paced. The people and culture we have in the Limerick office is amazing! No day ever feels like you are coming to work. Three’s Limerick employees are so dedicated to their jobs and our customers. It makes you want to be the best version of yourself.

Carol Bonfield who has been working at @ThreeIreland in their Limerick headquarters for 22 years speaks about Career Longevity and why she loves her job! #jobsatisfaction #careergoals #careergrowth #careersuccess #threeireland #limerickandproud #lovelimerick pic.twitter.com/jWLXqAr2ul

— #LimerickandProud (@ilovelimerick) October 29, 2021

Has professional development been a part of your career progression?

Yes, definitely. In Three we have a number of employee development programmes to assist employees to obtain or enhance current or new skills. For me personally, working with my managers through my career has been key to my progression. Each year I sit down with my manager and outline goals for the year ahead. Three also provides access to LinkedIn Learning, so we have multiple courses available to us, we also have an amazing People Development department who work with employees on key areas of skill based training and continued education. Employees are driven and go the extra mile. This company culture motivates team members to give their full selves to the job and invest in the company’s future. Individuals see value in their work and are eager to do well in their roles.

Is the company culture a contributor to your long tenure with the company?

Most definitely yes, Three’s culture is one of empowerment and ownership, this has supported and enabled me to develop and progress within the company. The people are also so supportive, and within our sector cross functional work is key to succeed. There is a dynamic company culture where employees are eager to succeed. Individuals are motivated and have a lot of company pride; the work environment is vibrant. Employees are more than just co-workers. We all treat each other with respect and kindness, and the company culture encourages meaningful interactions between colleagues.

What’s your favourite thing about working in Limerick?

Limerick is a beautiful city; it has some of the most talented Irish artists, for example, I grew up listening to The Cranberries. Limerick people are very proud of their city and county, and this has to be admired.  I also love the banter when GAA season comes around!

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To learn more about Career Longevity with Three Ireland go HERE

Career Longevity with Three Ireland