Reflecting on my first few weeks as a WU intern

On June 3, I started at Western Union as a Global Internal Communications Intern. I applied to the position to further develop my writing skills and to develop my knowledge of strategic communication in a corporate setting. Before my first day, I only knew the basics about WU. I knew they moved money and I knew they enabled people to send and receive money through digital, mobile and retail. Quickly, I realized the extent of their customer reach and began to learn more about the muscle behind their transformation, the WU Way. The WU Way has helped me understand the business model, where WU is headed as a company, and their dedication to innovation.

Essentially after my first few weeks, I have three takeaways:

WU is a company on the move

WU is dedicated to continuous improvement

WU is customer focused

A company on the move - During my first week, I learned that WU has approximately 12,000 employees, transacts in nearly 130 different currencies, and has services in 200 countries and territories. WU is a well-oiled machine, with a vision to be a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement. It has taken its vision to the next level with its digital journey which allows customers to send money around the world. A memorable quote from my first week at WU was “Thank God it's complex” said by CEO and President, Hikmet Ersek. Now the company is taking steps to simplify the complexity to create new opportunities and to serve customers even better.

Dedicated to continuous improvement – WU has many tools they use to grow and innovate as a company. The WU Way has 13 market shaper practices and a host of tools, such as Huddles and problem-solving sessions that help them improve processes and customer experience. The WU Way is meant to change the way WU employees work to improve the customer experience and drive growth. It allows employees to see their problems as opportunities to deliver more value to the customer.

WU is customer focused – I’ve met a lot of people since I’ve started, and I’ve learned about the different ways WU listens to their customers and their journey to establish a "culture of customer." My first meeting was with Casey Denby who is the Director of WU's Learning & Improvement team. Casey took me through one of the programs called Topbox which is used to analyze customer calls around the globe. His team uses Topbox to listen and learn about WU’s customers, their behaviors, and how to improve the customer experience. Part of my role at WU is to work on the “culture of customer” engagement plan. Working on these projects will allow me to have a better understanding of the culture of customer at WU and how each employee impacts the customer experience.

I have learned a lot about WU in the last few weeks, but one of my favorite things about the company is its dedication to the customer and everything WU is doing to engage and support their employees and the communities they serve. I am proud to have this opportunity at WU and excited for what the summer has in store.