Join our private Slack community for E-Commerce CX Leaders And Founders
Join now 
1. Effective CX Measurement Requires a Balanced Mix of Metrics: No single KPI defines success. Tamara-Jay stresses that by tracking CSAT, resolution time, and one-touch ticket rate together, leaders can get a fuller picture of performance and avoid the blind spots that come with over-relying on any one measure.
2. Great CX Leadership Is Rooted in Empathy and Discipline. Tamara-Jay encourages CX Leaders to design every decision around ease for the customer, and have the confidence to discard ideas that don't serve that goal, no matter how appealing they seem on the surface.
3. Leverage AI Intentionally: Tamara-Jay’s AI skepticism gave way to confidence once she understood how to train it. She believes that when used intentionally, AI handles repetitive tasks and frees up human agents to focus on complex, high-value interactions where empathy and judgment matter most.
4. Endorse Proactive CX: Tamara-Jay believes that strong CX lies in proactive communication – moving beyond reactive support toward ongoing customer dialogue that builds lasting relationships, not just resolved tickets.
5. Prioritize Education in CX: Tamara-Jay emphasizes that customer education is a CX strategy, not just a support tactic. By equipping customers with the knowledge to use products correctly upfront, brands can reduce inbound tickets and empower their care teams to focus on higher-value interactions.
Tamara-Jay Preece joined UKLASH four years ago as its first customer care agent. Drawing from her background in beauty and sales, she developed core CX strategies and processes for the London-based eyelash and brow serum company, and now leads an international team of Five. With a strong focus on education, empathy, and communication, she equips her team to deliver exceptional support – helping customers get the most out of their lash-enhancing products.
Meet Tamara-Jay Preece, Customer Care & Education Manager at UKLASH!
Founded in 2018, UKLASH quickly became home to the UK’s #1 lash serum, with science-backed formulas delivering visible results in as little as 25 days. What started as one cult product has grown into a global beauty brand trusted by millions, with a loyal community of customers, influencers, and celebrities. Today, one UKLASH serum sells every 20 seconds. Recognised by Who What Wear, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire, UKLASH creates high-performance formulas that enhance natural beauty. At its core, it empowers women of all ages to Never Stop Growing®.
After a stint in sales during her early twenties, Tamara-Jay transitioned to makeup artistry - a move she credits with introducing her to CX. "I was working for a global brand, and while there was a lot I could control on the shop floor, I realized there was only so much impact I could have from that position," she recalls. "I was drawn to the human side of solving problems, but I ultimately wanted a head office role where I could influence the wider customer journey and drive a much larger impact across the business."
Tamara's skills and interests made her a natural fit for a customer care role at UKLASH, where she now serves as Customer Care & Education Manager for the London-based eyelash and brow serum brand. "I've been with UKLASH for four years," she reflects. "My role centers on CX, improving customer satisfaction, and developing education strategies, while making sure the customer's voice is heard across the wider business. I also work closely with the retail and shop floor teams, which feels like a full-circle moment for me."
Starting as UKLASH’s first customer care agent, Tamara-Jay has built a CX team of Five members. While the company would establish its headquarters in London, she chose to keep a remote/international structure for her team. “I didn’t want to miss out on talent and a really great candidate because they were close to the office,” she explains. Providing flexible customer support was also a deciding factor. “We want to offer as much coverage as possible – having people based all over the world allows us to do that.”
When asked about her main challenge as a CX leader, Tamara-Jay responded that the core tension lies in "keeping that consistency of quality while ensuring we're getting out that fast response and keeping resolution times down." Ultimately, she encourages her agents to prioritize quality over quantity. "Customers still want empathy, they want that personalization," she explains, underscoring the enduring importance of human connection in customer service.
Drawing from her experience as UKLASH's first CX hire, where she had to learn the processes on her own. Tamara-Jay developed a standardized onboarding and training program to set new agents up for success. During their first week, agents work through SOPs, ticketing systems, Q&A sessions, and shadowing. She also emphasizes the importance of ongoing coaching, noting that it's critical for both agent performance and long-term growth.
Looking ahead, Tamara-Jay is prioritizing proactive support at UKLASH. “I’m an educator as well,” she explains. “Being proactive and making sure customers understand how to use our products is funneling down to the customer care team.” To support this and reduce inbound tickets, UKLASH has implemented customer education initiatives such as how-to videos and a dedicated help center.
Automation is another priority on Tamara-Jay's roadmap. She is exploring automated follow-up emails for inactive tickets — a simple but effective way to confirm issue resolution and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Tamara-Jay takes a holistic view of KPIs, believing it offers a more balanced evaluation of CX performance. She tracks CSAT, resolution time, and one-touch ticket rate – prioritizing responses that give customers the information they need upfront. "It's not necessarily one KPI that means success to us," she explains, emphasizing an approach that prevents over-indexing on any single metric.
Because UKLASH's products make popular beauty gifts, the brand experiences a surge in sales during the holiday season, beginning with Black Friday. Leveraging AI to handle basic customer inquiries has proven valuable during this busy period. "We've got a really great team that works at a steady pace and is willing to ramp up during that time," says Tamara-Jay, who notes that she also steps in to help manage the increased demand.
Gorgias – “We primarily use Gorgias. Gorgias has everything we want in one place – analytics, Q & A. Everything is user-friendly for our agents, which was a really important factor when I was looking for a Helpdesk. It’s extremely comprehensive.”
Typeform – “We use Typeform to collect damage and transit data.”
Admittedly, Tamara-Jay had reservations when Gorgias launched its AI agent, but her perspective shifted once she understood what the tool could truly offer. "The more I understood AI and how you train it, the more it made sense – essentially, what you put in is what you get out," she explains. By handling repetitive queries, AI frees up her team to focus on the complex, high-value issues that require a human touch.
When asked about the future of CX, Tamara-Jay returns to a familiar theme: proactive communication. She looks forward to platforms like Gorgias building more robust systems that go beyond reactive support – fostering genuine, ongoing dialogue with customers to cultivate lasting, meaningful relationships.
"My advice is to look at CX as how you would want to be treated as a customer, making sure that everything essentially leads to making the customer journey easier," Tamara-Jay says. While an idea may seem promising in theory, it may ultimately complicate the core goal – making CX as seamless and efficient as possible. She stresses that a strong leader will consider an idea from all angles and be willing to walk away if it doesn't add value.
Can’t-live-without-tool? Besides Gorgias, it’s definitely Typeform
Key hiring trait? Empathy. You can teach product knowledge. You can teach system knowledge. But you can’t teach empathy and emotional intelligence.
Favorite communication support channel? As a consumer, I would say WhatsApp. It’s the quickest way to get an answer. It’s on your phone, you don’t have to go into a separate email app. When communicating with customers, I would say email. You can find all the information quickly within emails. People tend to put more information in an email when they are taking the time to write it.
Favorite Thought Leader? Caroline Hirons. She’s a beauty expert, the way she views her business, her customers, and the growth of her business overall is really inspiring.
We're elevating customer experiences at 500 top E-Commerce brands (and counting). Let's see what we can do for you!
Learn MoreBook a call with one of our specialists today to see how TalentPop can assist you with putting together a solution for your customer service needs.
Learn More
.png)
