What is your job title and what are your responsibilities?
My job title now is Private Clients Accounts Handler. I have my own clients. I build relationships with these clients so that they have friendly face they can contact. Alongside this, I am also a Wellbeing champion and a First Aider.
Where were you before working in Romero Private Clients?
I used to work in accounts and have been there for years. I do miss them but I am only a phone call away now. They are a such a lovely team of people so moving was a change for me, but I still see them, as my work in Private Clients links in with Accounts.
Who is in your new team in Private Clients?
It’s a small team – there is only 3 of us, not including myself. There is Jeff, Lyndsey, and Timileyin; they are all great people, but I knew that before through my previous role. While in accounts, I spoke to everyone in the company, but now that I’m in the new department in a seperate team, who I speak to in the company regularly is reduced. They are all nice people which is what makes it a lovely atmosphere to work in. There is always a conversation to engage with in the group.
What have you found out about your colleagues in your first few days in your new role?
My colleagues… – Mya thinks and laughs to herself – I found out now that Jeff’s wife who works at a school and now because of the six week holidays, she cooks him a gourmet meal every day and tells him what she’s cooking beforehand. It’s amazing, Jeff has said it’s like a restaurant experience. Last night I was having a frozen pizza, so it made quite the change when Jeff came in and said he’d had a gourmet meal every evening.
What skills have you developed from your role which you believe will transfer well over into your new role in Private Clients?
In accounts, you speak to insurers all the time, you speak with clients, and you also set up finances. It’s one of the few areas where they do all three things simultaneously, and it’s the same with Private Clients, but no-one else in the company does this. Part of my job is setting up my own finances and I’ll also be talking to insurers. It’s a different area of insurance – in Private Clients, we speak to them over the phone rather than chasing them for confirmation.
What aspects of the role in Private Clients made you want to be involved with the team?
I originally joined the company in Club Insure. I joined a couple of weeks before lockdown before Covid-19 happened and then was place in Accounts and haven’t looked back since. It’s nice to revisit the career path I was on originally. I have wanted to learn more about insurance every since joining the Romero Group.
What aspects of the Romero Group have you been surprised or impressed with in your time at Romero Insurance Brokers?
The Wellbeing side of the company – It’s honestly one of the best things about working at Romero Insurance Brokers. There is so much to offer with the Wellbeing App. I wasn’t expecting there to be so much support. People don’t realise how much time you spend at work. You spend more time at work than you do at your houses or with your family. You need to be able to read the room so that you can be supportive to your colleagues.
With Accounts, there was a lot of checking up on each other as it’s a bigger team but with Private Clients, we have a catch up every single morning. Both Accounts and Private Clients have a great team atmosphere.
Check out Romero’s Wellbeing Services
What hobbies are you interested in outside of work?
Recently, I’ve been obsessed with reading. I go through phases with what kind of books I like to read. My ADHD makes me hyperfixate on certain things and it means that reading is then my hobby for a couple of months. It’s probably since Christmas that I’ve been obsessed with reading books. It’s a nice get-away from the real world.
Outside of work, I am really interested in health and wellbeing. My mum works for McMillian so throughout my upbringing I have spent a lot of time around health, so I obviously got interested. I then went onto doing work experience with the McMillian team and another time with the head doctor of the oncology unit (lung cancer) – this gave me access to the lead up to cancer (informing people that they had it) then the operation (I wasn’t allowed in the room but I was allowed in the build up to it) and then the recovery side of it and its scary with how much there is involved in it. This is why I am also a first aider and it’s a nice to still be able to bring a part of my upbringing into my job.
What is your favourite aspect of working in Private Clients?
I’ve enjoyed speaking with people and trying my hardest to help people. It’s one of the reasons I like the Wellbeing System here because it’s nice to know that I can go out of my way to help someone.
In Accounts, the only way I could help people was if the company was large and if their audit side didn’t match with what we have on our system and that was mainly using my investigation skills. When I had finally found the issue, the customers are always so thankful. I am proud when the customers are satisfied. There are more clients and a lot more queries in my work in Private Clients. At the moment, I’m learning quickly, getting stronger and better at the job. It’s also lovely to go back to a client with a solution and know you have helped them. I personally think it’s the most important aspect of insurance, to help people; and with my new role in Private Clients, I am doing that so much more.
Have you enjoyed the experience with Private Clients so far?
I have. I really enjoy being able to help people and I enjoy my work. There is so much to my new job, and I am looking forward to learning plenty more in Private Clients.
Are there any similarities between your work in Accounts and in
Private Clients?
The contact with clients is similar as in having a friendly conversation and building those relationships with insurers in Accounts. However, strangely enough, I get to speak with them in my new job. In the Accounting job, the one thing I used to look forward to was talking to Clients as it’s nice to get a friendly conversation out of them. My technique is that if you have a client who’s not the happiest on the phone, the client is always right, and I always try to speak calmy particularly if this is the case. I always try and put myself in the clients mind and see from their point of view.
Is your current role in Private Clients something you could see yourself doing in 10 years?
Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m having for tea tonight – Mya laughs – I can see myself working here for a while as I’m really enjoying it, but I don’t know if it would be more of like a stepping stone process and continue to grow to Romero. I can see myself doing something technical insurance related.
What would you say to somebody who’s looking to work here at Romero?
Do it. It’s a lovely place to work and a great business in general. I haven’t worked in many businesses, but I have been in a couple and the way Romero has treated me has always been brilliant. It’s daunting going into insurance but Romero makes you feel at home almost instantly and I’m very grateful to work here.
