For Chalani Ranathunga, good service doesn't end when the job is done. That's where it starts: the follow-up, the feedback, and the relationship that keeps a customer coming back. The customer sits at the centre of every decision, every process, and every action.
As Duffett's new Service Operations Manager, Chalani has brought that belief with her, along with a simple conviction that customer service and delivery are everything. Part of the ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems team, she leads the people who keep Duffett's service and maintenance running, and works closely with Commercial Manager Guy Burt to make sure customers are looked after at every step.
Chalani Ranathunga, Service Operations Manager
A learner by nature
Chalani has never been one to stand still. She trained as a lawyer, earning a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws in the UK, before moving to New Zealand to study business management. From there she stepped into facilities management, spending a decade in the industry, including time with one of the country's market leaders.
Moving between fields is deliberate. “I'm a very passionate learner,” she says, and when she does change industries, she likes to learn from the best. It's exactly why she joined ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions. Away from work, that same curiosity shows up in the leadership books she reads for fun, and the hours she spends at the gym or in the pool.
Customer service is everything
Everything Chalani does comes back to one idea: the customer.
Her focus is making sure every job is delivered to the right standard, then going further, following up, listening to feedback, and looking for ways to make the experience better still. She tailors the way her team works to what each client actually needs, because no two customers expect exactly the same thing.
“It's a continuous improvement process,” she says. “It requires constant engagement with the client.” The goal, in her words, is for customers to know they can rely on Duffett, and to keep strengthening that partnership over time.
Getting the best out of people
For all her focus on customers, Chalani is just as passionate about the people who serve them.
“My job is not just to get the work done and bring the revenue in,” she says. “I'm focused on the growth opportunities I can offer my team.” She invests heavily in mentoring, developing future leaders, and helping the people around her grow as she does. For Chalani, success means the business and her team moving forward together.
It's early days, but Duffett's service and maintenance customers are already in good hands.
Welcome to the team, Chalani.