Chris Richards is one of our dedicated account managers at Nisyst. Take a look at our Q&A, where Chris shares what his role entails and what’s special about the charity sector, plus his varied life outside of work!

Q: What was your career experience prior to Nisyst?

A: I’ve been an account manager with Nisyst for two and a half years now, having previously worked in a range of account management roles for fifteen years.

Q: What interests you about the charity sector?

A: In the charity sector, you know that any revenue generated is going to a good cause. I see my job, ultimately, as helping our clients to increase their revenue. So, I work with our customers to identify new revenue sources using our Nisyst CHARiotWeb EPoS system, combined with our knowledge and experience – for example, training volunteers and developing a good Gift Aid process. Working with charities helps them, which, in turn, helps people – an aspect of the job that’s personally important to me.

Q: What does your role at Nisyst entail?

A: I ensure our customers are getting the benefits of the solution, keep them up to date on what’s happening with us, and talk with them about what’s going on in the industry. With regular account reviews, our customers can ask questions and discuss their account, any new requirements they have, and any additional support they might need. We also discuss sector news and trends, successes our other customers are enjoying, and long-term ideas about future technology needs.

Q: What have been your highlights at Nisyst? What do you enjoy most about your role?

A: Building strong, genuine relationships with customers is a key motivation for me. This means I can always speak honestly and openly with customers, confident that, if they are having any problems, they can be addressed. Because Nisyst software and services are such high-quality solutions, I am absolutely certain that, with proper training and support, anyone can achieve success with them. 

Q: What is the culture like at Nisyst?

A: Everyone gets on and helps each other. Our team wants each of us and our customers to succeed. We always act in good faith, all the time, by being open and honest; and we all have well-defined job roles, so it’s very clear who should be doing what. Also, people in (normally) non-customer facing roles, such as senior software developers, are happy to work directly with customers to ensure specific and particular needs are being met. It’s
great that, when you introduce a customer to a colleague, whoever they are, you can be confident you’re leaving them in good hands.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

A: I have lots of pets, and I also enjoy spending time in the garden, at the allotment or in our local community woodlands. I am currently tending to a huge number of pumpkin plants, to supply a local children’s charity with a crop for Halloween. At weekends, I run a kids Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and I spend a lot of time writing material and creating props for that. In the past year, I have written a full sitcom script with a friend, and at least one other person has commented on how funny it is!