It's not often you meet someone who loves Lizzo, kicks ass in a male-dominated industry, and stays calm during technological crises. So when Allison from our Support Team agreed to an interview, we jumped on the opportunity.
Q: It's no secret that women are vastly underrepresented in the STEM field, what's the toughest part about being the only woman on the support team?
A: It seems that a lot of women, myself included, worry we'll come across as rude or bossy when we're setting a boundary (professional or otherwise). I tend to hesitate or sound apologetic when I explain our troubleshooting procedures to customers that request replacements. That's definitely something I need to work on.
Q: Have you faced sexism from customers? If so, how did you handle it, and how did management handle it?
A: I find that most people are indifferent to my gender or are even excited by it (especially if I'm speaking with another woman in the field). Unfortunately, there have been a few instances in which a customer didn't like an answer I provided them and push me to verify with the guys on the team. I mentioned this in passing one day, and both the COO and outbound sales director immediately offered to speak to these customers directly.
Question: Tell me about a complicated question you've gotten from a customer recently--how did you solve it?
A: The toughest questions boil down to how inconvenient their resolutions are for the customer. It's not uncommon for internet service providers or IT departments to prohibit port forwarding; a process customers need for remote access. In these cases, I like to call or email with the ISP or IT department directly to get ports forwarded.
Q: What job did you have before joining the SCW team, and what sparked your interest in tech support?
A: I was on the tech support team for luxury vehicle owners that subscribed to services such as in-vehicle wifi and automatic alarm notifications. I think my interest sprouted from the excitement I'd feel after resolving technical issues for friends or family members, no matter how small. I love being able to make to someone's day go a little smoother and remove some of the confusion they may have about our products.
Our customers are always mentioning that their previous providers had either terrible technical support, or no tech support at all! We take pride in having patient, knowledgeable support professionals like Allison assisting our customers. Thanks for all you do, Allison! You're an inspiration to all women who want to take more chances in male dominated industries...you rock!It's not often you meet someone who loves Lizzo, kicks ass in a male-dominated industry, and stays calm during technological crises. So when Allison from our Support Team agreed to an interview, we jumped on the opportunity.
Q: It's no secret that women are vastly underrepresented in the STEM field, what's the toughest part about being the only woman on the support team?
A: It seems that a lot of women, myself included, worry we'll come across as rude or bossy when we're setting a boundary (professional or otherwise). I tend to hesitate or sound apologetic when I explain our troubleshooting procedures to customers that request replacements. That's definitely something I need to work on.
Q: Have you faced sexism from customers? If so, how did you handle it, and how did management handle it?
A: I find that most people are indifferent to my gender or are even excited by it (especially if I'm speaking with another woman in the field). Unfortunately, there have been a few instances in which a customer didn't like an answer I provided them and push me to verify with the guys on the team. I mentioned this in passing one day, and both the COO and outbound sales director immediately offered to speak to these customers directly.
Question: Tell me about a complicated question you've gotten from a customer recently--how did you solve it?
A: The toughest questions boil down to how inconvenient their resolutions are for the customer. It's not uncommon for internet service providers or IT departments to prohibit port forwarding; a process customers need for remote access. In these cases, I like to call or email with the ISP or IT department directly to get ports forwarded.
Q: What job did you have before joining the SCW team, and what sparked your interest in tech support?
A: I was on the tech support team for luxury vehicle owners that subscribed to services such as in-vehicle wifi and automatic alarm notifications. I think my interest sprouted from the excitement I'd feel after resolving technical issues for friends or family members, no matter how small. I love being able to make to someone's day go a little smoother and remove some of the confusion they may have about our products.
Our customers are always mentioning that their previous providers had either terrible technical support, or no tech support at all! We take pride in having patient, knowledgeable support professionals like Allison assisting our customers. Thanks for all you do, Allison! You're an inspiration to all women who want to take more chances in male dominated industries...you rock!
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