Rentals Advisor Carly Skea has just marked four years at Allied, starting in Cab Direct before joining the Rentals team. We managed to catch her between customer calls to find out more about her role, what she loves about working here, and how she likes to unwind outside of work.
Tell us what a Rentals Advisor does.
Each day I take incoming calls, make outbound calls, and speak with customers who want to hire a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV). They might be going on holiday, or have hospital appointments or, if it’s longer term, it might be an interim hire while they’re waiting for their new mobility vehicle.
We deal with the process, start to finish, take the customer through all the specifics, send them a quote by email with prices, when we can deliver to their house, etc.
It’s sometimes pretty stressful, I’m not going to lie, but it’s nice. For you and I, a car is just a car, but to our customers it can be literally life changing; it’s rewarding knowing that you’re helping someone else at the end of that call
When you say you deal with a call from start to finish, does that mean that you are the only person that customer deals with from the first time they pick up the phone until they drive the WAV away and then bring it back?
That’s right. Even once they have the car, it’ll be that one point of contact on our team who’ll deal with everything, right up until the vehicle is returned. We also speak to anyone connected with the hire, even case managers or family members as well as the actual customer.
And how long have you worked at Allied?
Since September 2021.
But you haven’t always been in Rentals…
No. I only came to Rentals last August and I was at Cab Direct before that as an Administrator. So, I was processing orders, dealing with customers, and letting them know the progress of their car.
And where did you work before you worked for Allied?
Royal London, doing pensions. So, it was different, but it was okay.
How would you describe the difference in the company culture at Allied versus somewhere like Royal London?
I feel like when you were at Royal London, you were really just a number. Whereas at Allied you do feel like they appreciate your work, and you like feel part of a family. I definitely feel more appreciated here.
What are the challenges that you face in your role and how do you overcome them?
If it’s something difficult, like if they’ve maybe incurred a fine or there’s damage to the car, you need to phone them and ask them for the excess and stuff. And you don’t want to ask, but obviously they do sign the terms and conditions so they do know about it, but you still feel bad at the same time.
Also, I can’t lie, I’ve cried a good few times in here with customers, because you hear some upsetting stories. Some of the reasons why people are hiring a vehicle temporarily, rather than buying, can be heartbreaking.
I’m quite a sensitive soul, so I do sometimes go home with it; it’s hard not to, because I’m human at the end of the day, and that is another human you’re talking to. You just need to remind yourself that you’ve helped them as much as you could.
On the lighter side of things, is there a moment from your career at Allied that gives you a smile?
This one time a customer called in last minute, and she was taking her mum out and wanted the car on the Saturday, but we don’t deliver on Saturdays so we didn’t have any delivery drivers. I just said, “I’ll take it.”
It wasn’t my job to do that, but I feel like I helped. It was her mum, and she wasn’t too well, so I just thought, “why not? If I can help, I will.”
I dropped their car off at nine in the morning in Falkirk! I got up at half past six, left the house past half seven, collected the car from here, and dropped it off to the customer around nine. So, it was a wee bit of a jaunt; I had to get two trains home.
But it was worth it, because they were so appreciative. They were going to take her to this chip shop that does gluten-free stuff, but only on a certain day, and she was so excited. So that’s a happy memory for me.
What would be one thing that you would tell someone about working at Allied?
I would say the people. The people are amazing. The people that I worked with in Cab Direct and the people that I worked with in Rentals, they’re honestly the best people I’ve ever worked with, in any job. They’ll help you whenever they can, they feel like a family to me.
How do you like to unwind?
Just going for a coffee, seeing my friends, getting out the house. I went to the cinema by myself the other week and it was so wholesome. I saw that film, I Swear. One of the best films I’ve ever seen. It was amazing; highly recommend it.
Mostly I just try to chill, because I feel that sometimes it can be a little bit hectic in here. I don’t really like going out drinking and stuff anymore. I used to go out every single weekend and now, I cannot even think about it. It’s the cost! It’s so expensive now, even just getting into town and back.
You recommended I Swear a second ago, any other recommendations for people who are just looking for something to watch or something to read?
Colleen Hoover’s books. They’re the best books ever and she’s had a few films adapted from some of them, It Ends With Us and Regretting You are the most recent. They’re a bit more for the girls, not so much for men, I think – but who knows? Give them a read and see.
And films, I only ever watch The Grinch, The Mask, and Mrs. Doubtfire, because I’m really good at impersonating them.
What’s something that people wouldn’t know about you unless you told them?
That I’ve had double jaw surgery. I used to have a really bad under-bite, and I had my top jaw broken and brought forward, and my bottom jaw broken and moved back.
How old were you when that happened?
It was eight years ago. It was absolutely life changing; the best thing I’ve ever done.
My mum and my auntie were like, “don’t do it! You don’t need to do it!” But I was determined, because I hated it. I got bullied all through school and everything, it was horrendous. And it was the best thing I’ve ever done. My confidence levels went through the roof.
Do you have a goal or objective that you’re currently working towards?
I would like to see progression in the Rentals team. So maybe Team Leader at some point, but I’ll need to do some more training first.
In a different world, if you hadn’t ended up in your current profession, what do you think you might have ended up doing?
I studied beauty, so probably something in that sector, but I would love to move abroad and just start over.
Where would you go?
Dubai or Australia, probably. I think I would wake up happy every day knowing that it was sunny. Rather than waking up and it’s pitch black and raining. My friend moved to Australia and she says it’s the best thing she’s ever done.
If you did move there would go into the beauty industry over there?
I don’t know. My friend works as a swimming instructor and she’s not done anything like that before. She worked for a gas company here, and that’s so different, but she says it’s amazing.
So, I don’t know what I would do if I went over there, but it would be something fun. Life is for living.
