Interim Chief Operating Officer for Service Recovery

Find the unresolved work across the operation

The interim chief operating officer will assume responsibility for a service operation where recurring failures require coordinated executive action. The mandate combines immediate service improvement with correction of the operating conditions that create repeat problems. It requires working across commercial, delivery, support and technology teams while maintaining clear accountability.

Build a reliable view of backlogs, repeat contacts, missed commitments and cases requiring exceptional intervention. Validate data through direct observation and representative case reviews. Identify whether the main constraints arise from demand, capacity, process design or decisions that no team can complete.

Control recovery without creating a performance illusion

Establish priorities for outstanding work and clear ownership of difficult cases. Match resources to the most consequential service risks, while preventing recovery activity from generating another hidden backlog. Introduce a practical escalation route for exceptions and ensure customers receive accurate information through authorised channels.

Lead changes to handoffs, decision rights and management routines. Where systems or policies create avoidable work, coordinate a realistic correction rather than relying on permanent manual compensation. The executive will manage approved operating resources and resolve cross-functional issues within delegation.

Review quality, repeat demand and employee workload alongside completion rates. Faster closure is not improvement if customers return with the same unresolved issue. Distinguish the effect of temporary extra capacity from changes that will sustain performance under normal conditions.

Return service ownership to ordinary management

Material policy changes, employment matters and commitments outside delegated authority require the relevant approval. At handover, managers should have reliable information, manageable workloads and clear ownership of service outcomes. Success means the operation can recognise emerging pressure and respond before it becomes another crisis. Remaining risks and dependencies must be documented honestly, with a funded plan where correction extends beyond the interim appointment.