Groupon Employee Spotlight:
Sangeeth Paul
Employee Spotlight | October, 2025
Employee Spotlight | October, 2025
This month, we’re spotlighting Sangeeth Paul, Head of Operations – Customer Service for Groupon’s GO team, based in India. With nearly six years at Groupon and over 20 years of experience in customer support across India, North America, and Europe, Sangeeth has been driving transformational change in how we deliver a trusted, high-quality customer experience globally.
From leading initiatives like the Voice Recovery Process and Skill Grader to implementing AI-powered solutions that enhance operational efficiency, Sangeeth ensures every customer interaction reflects Groupon’s commitment to Curated Quality and Trusted Value. Known for blending strategic vision with hands-on execution, Sangeeth’s leadership has been instrumental in providing direction and stability, helping the team maintain momentum and cohesion.
Outside of work, Sangeeth recharges by spending quality time with family and friends, bringing the same energy and focus to personal life as to building high-performing, resilient teams. In this conversation, we’ll explore Sangeeth’s journey, the initiatives shaping Groupon’s global customer experience, and the lessons learned from leading operations in a fast-moving, AI-native environment.
In the words of his manager, Ernest Dulnik: "It is difficult to overstate the positive impact Sangeeth has had on our team in India. His leadership has been instrumental in providing direction and stability, which has been essential for maintaining our team's momentum and cohesion. Even with that major responsibility, he never lost sight of our core mission and strategic beliefs. He continuously pushes his teams to innovate and refine their processes, directly improving the quality of support we deliver to our customers every single day, reflecting Curated Quality & Trusted Value and leveraging AI-native tools. What truly sets him apart, however, is his deep and genuine commitment to his people. He has an incredible ability to balance high performance standards with a sincere focus on employee wellbeing, ensuring everyone feels supported and valued. Sangeeth is a true advocate for his team and a stellar example of leadership at Groupon."
I’m passionate about leading transformational change using technology, especially AI and chatbots, to enhance operational capacity and customer experience. I see our support function as a strategic lever for delivering Curated Quality & Trusted Value, ensuring every interaction builds loyalty, not just solves a transaction. My career journey—from Quality Assurance to Vendor and Operations Management—gave me the discipline to use data for measurable improvements across India, North America, and Europe. This mindset directly supports our mission: owning the journey from discovery to post-purchase, making customers confident in every deal they redeem.
Teams succeed by embracing AI-native solutions and automation to enhance efficiency, linking operational actions to tangible outcomes. We rely on metrics like New Hire Training Yield, time-to-resolution, and customer feedback to track improvement. Cross-functional collaboration is essential—when leaders and agents share insights, they see the full journey from discovery to redemption, aligning with our Curated Quality & Trusted Value belief.
The Skill Grader (a great concept championed by Ernest) demonstrates the power of AI to transform our recruitment pipeline, effectively grading the skill levels of prospective agents and saving countless hours of manual assessment and interviewing time.
The Voice Recovery Process epitomizes customer-centric innovation. This out-of-the-box approach allows us to gather direct insights into critical customer needs, enabling us to act proactively on feedback and turn service failure moments into recovery successes.
Finally, our enhanced Quality Improvement system is another testament to AI's power. It enabled us to move past sampling to check entire engagement volumes, providing the data necessary to make clear, evidence-based decisions about agent performance and coaching
We correlate Skill Grader outputs with performance metrics, track repeat contacts and time-to-resolution via Voice Recovery, and monitor full engagement data with AI for Quality Improvement. These actions align with North Star Metrics like Average Reviews, Redemption Rates, and Revenue per FTE Growth.
Reducing time-to-resolution for urgent customer issues was critical. By creating a direct chat between frontline agents and Merchant Operations, we eliminated delays and improved customer experience—showing our commitment to owning the journey end-to-end and delivering trusted value.
I focus on Talent + Technology: developing skilled leaders and embracing AI, automation, and digital platforms to increase operational agility. This supports AI-native operations and positions us to personalize experiences, aligning with our belief in Hyperlocal Supply + Precision.
Through trust and delegation. I empower managers and team leaders, intervening only when strategic. This builds resilience while ensuring high-quality service, demonstrating our belief that operational excellence relies on both talent and technology.
Stop viewing processes internally and see them from the customer’s perspective. Think about discovery → purchase → redemption → post-purchase, and ensure every step reflects Curated Quality, hyperlocal relevance, and AI-powered efficiency.
My initial view of Groupon was that of a massive, vibrant organization filled with diverse ideologies and opinions, a common characteristic of rapidly scaling e-commerce marketplaces. However, as I took on leadership roles and navigated the changes in the company structure, my perspective evolved significantly. I now see Groupon as an organization that has successfully refined its focus, making strategic, purposeful attempts to solve core business issues and drive substantial performance improvements.
The most impactful lesson that guides my professional journey is the absolute need to value every individual, irrespective of their designation or talent level. I learned that true operational excellence comes from fostering an environment where every voice is heard, from a frontline agent sharing innovative ideas to a senior leader setting strategy. When people feel seen and respected, they commit fully, which is essential for building a resilient, high-performing team and successfully navigating complex challenges
While I used to rely on playing guitar to recharge, lately I find the most restorative activity is simply spending quality time with family and friends. Nothing re-energizes me quite like a good time out, filled with connection and lots of laughter, that truly does the trick.
It might surprise some, but I am definitely not a workaholic. While I’m intensely focused when leading complex operations, my secret is actually that I’m quite bad at strictly following a schedule!
Popeye the Sailor Man, without a doubt. Who wouldn't want instant super-strength just by cracking open a can of spinach? Plus, his fashion choices are wonderfully simple.
Paragliding in Goa. For a few minutes, I finally understood what it feels like to be high-flying and completely out of control. I'd do it again for the views, and because it was slightly less terrifying than a Monday morning queue status update.
I'd invite Charles Babbage, the 'Father of the Computer.' I’d ask him, 'Sir, I know the Analytical Engine was brilliant, but did you ever try turning it off and on again?
Instantly mastering the Violin would be fantastic. I'd love to produce beautiful music without the years of excruciating screeching practice. My family would certainly thank me for skipping the 'learning phase.
It's a timeless classic! It's 'What a Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong. I love how it makes everything feel calm, even when I'm stuck in Bangalore’s traffic wishing I had Popeye's strength.
Definitely South India, starting with a mix of Chennai's culture and Bangalore's clubs. It's the perfect mix of tradition and modernity, plus you can enjoy the food without fearing you might sweat through your passport.