Meet our team: Jodie

Being a sole parent with two of her three kids previously attending independent schools, Jodie has an understanding of what families go through to manage school fees. After seeing an ad for Edstart on the light rail years ago, she thought it was a fantastic idea for parents and was immediately on board when she was approached to work for Edstart.

Jodie has been an invaluable member of our Family Support team over the past year and a half, looking after our families by delivering exceptional care and service. With a big heart and vibrant character including a love of doll making and karaoke, Jodie has been a wonderful addition to the Edstart team. She is one of the many personalities that makes it a great place to work.

We had a chat with Jodie to talk about what she does day-to-day, why she loves her role and some of the unique challenges of working in the Edstart Family Support team.

What do you do at Edstart?

I’m a relationship manager who helps lead a team that looks after thousands of accounts, which means assisting families by helping them set-up, manage, and maintain their fee payment plans. This includes helping customers manage the affordability of their school fees when there are sudden big changes in their life from things like losing jobs or even deceased partners. I also help with onboarding and helping customers feel comfortable providing the information we need to set up their accounts.

As one of the more senior members of the team, I’ve also become a go-to person for dealing with any problems that might be flagged by other team members.

As a member of the Family Support team what do you believe makes you successful?

Oh, empathy. Empathy a hundred percent. It’s all about putting yourself in the shoes of customers, asking the right questions, but being tactful about it. Tone on a phone is everything.

Reliability and communication is also essential. Staying connected and delivering what you’re promising to deliver to help them with whatever their problem is in a timely manner. It’s really important to me because then they feel like they are being supported properly. And that’s the whole point of us.

What do you enjoy about working at Edstart and what makes it special for you?

Oh my gosh. I think the team is fantastic. I really love coming to work every day where it feels like we’re all working towards the same goal, but with a really good attitude as well. I think what we’re doing is a really great thing as well and it’s exciting to see the growth of the company as it scales up.

We’re not just an offshore call centre, but a real team on the customer care side. I just think that it’s really special and it’s a huge part of what makes us successful with families. Having some parents on the team is really important as well because we’ve been through similar experiences so we can relate. So when I deal with those parents who are now freshly dealing with things like a separation as well as managing school fees I’m glad that I’m the one taking the call.

Are there any achievements or things you're particularly proud of doing while at Edstart?

I’m just really glad to make people feel supported, whether it’s as customers or even just as people. I just think that it’s just really important to take care of each other in our role and also the people I work with which makes me feel like what I do matters.

My favourite customers to assist are grandparents. I think it’s quite kind that they’re helping the next generation so I’m proud of being to help them along and also treat them in the way they used to be treated in the past.

I feel like in this particular work environment I’m also more allowed to be myself. It’s really brought the best out of me.

Do you have any advice for parents?

Yeah. Take it easy on yourself! You’re doing the best you can with what you’ve got.

Jodie is just one of the experienced and caring individuals who make up our Family Support team. Responsible for taking care of our families, they’re one of our greatest strengths, assisting parents through the complexities of managing school fees. With a deep understanding of the nuance of family life, they work to build trust and strengthen the relationship between schools and families.

Related articles

Impact of rising interest rates on families and education

Helping students develop critical thinking skills for the changing job landscape

Newcastle student starts new business to make fashion more sustainable