A police officer, a restaurant trainer, a wall street financial analyst and a sign language teacher walk into a startup...
This isn’t the start of a joke. Rather, it’s a sampling of the diverse and passionate people you’ll find on Upserve’s customer support team.
The Denver-based provider of restaurant management software prides itself on the impact its products have on the businesses of its customers, and a large part of that is due to the people behind the scenes supporting those customers.
Bringing a variety of experiences and backgrounds, Upserve’s CS team tackles new challenges every day and works together to solve problems big and small for their clients.
We caught up with customer support specialist Rachel Kreller to see what a typical day is like for her and her teammates — and how they combine their diverse skill sets to keep restaurants across the country running smoothly.
What does a typical day on the customer support team look like for you?
On the support team we take phone calls, web chats and emails 24/7, so my day starts with getting myself organized and prepared to work on cases for our clients. I like to make myself a cup of coffee in the office kitchen and then get my phone system setup, pull up all of my support and reference pages on my computer, and get comfortable at my desk.
I like the routine of working in support. Each day you walk into the office knowing that your primary responsibility will be to take phone calls, chats and answer emails, but there are always new and unexpected challenges that come with assisting clients. Every day feels fresh and is full of learning opportunities.
While waiting to take phone calls or web chats, I’ll answer emails and work on open cases but will also make time to catch up with my coworkers on what they did over the weekend or last evening. Throughout the day everyone takes turns taking lunch and breaks, which is so important because we all need time to walk away from our desks and recharge. I like to spend my breaks walking outside around the neighborhood. I love taking the time to be in the sun, get a little exercise and clear my head so I can feel energized to continue assisting clients over the course of the day.
How would you describe the culture of the customer support team?
The Denver customer support team strives to create a fun, caring office environment. Everyone in the office is incredibly friendly and supportive and always willing to chat or hang out after work. Working in customer support can be a difficult and stressful job at times, but Upserve provides our team with a lot of perks and amenities that encourage employees to have healthy and happy lifestyles inside and outside the office.
What are some activities you’ve done with your colleagues that built comaraderie?
The Upserve support team loves competitive games! Since starting at the company, we’ve had a number of opportunities for team building and have played very fun and intense rounds of trivia, jeopardy and bingo. We have a ping pong table in the office, where we can meet up with coworkers on break for a little fun. We have an intramural sports program, where people from the office can sign up to play volleyball or kickball against other offices. Our management team also plans office parties on occasion, so we’re able to spend time with coworkers who may work different hours. There are many opportunities to meet co-workers for happy hour or brunch, as well.
It’s so helpful and stimulating working with people with varying skills and experiences because we’re constantly learning new things from one another.”
What are the backgrounds of people on the team?
We have an interesting mix of people at Upserve Denver. I moved to Denver from New York City and had never lived outside of the Tri-State Area. When I started at Upserve, I thought everyone would be from Colorado and I would be the outsider. Not the case at all! The office is full of people from all over the U.S.
Everyone in the office comes from different industries, as well. Some people have worked extensively in customer service, retail or education, while others, like myself, have spent many years working in the food industry. It’s so helpful and stimulating working with people with varying skills and experiences because we’re constantly learning new things from one another.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I am most fulfilled at my job when I feel like I’ve exceeded a customer’s expectations. Sometimes when our customers call, they’re very stressed and overwhelmed by the issues they’re calling about.
I always try to maintain a very calm and supportive tone on the phone and make the customer feel like I’m going to take care of his or her business. When I end a call where someone changes from feeling stressed to relieved and is saying “Thank you for being so helpful” or “Thank you for fixing this” then I feel like I’ve done my job and have represented Upserve well.
What qualities does a person need to be successful on your team?
To work on the support team you really need to be a team player. Even though you spend a lot of time working on your own, you are communicating constantly with other team members to assist you in helping customers. It’s important to do the best you can with the knowledge and skills you have but not feel like you need to solve everything yourself. The entire Upserve team is there to support one another and help you to be a better support agent.
You also need to be an active listener and be able to speak clearly and confidently on the phone. I remind myself that, if I was the caller, I would want to feel like someone is hearing me and taking care of my needs. Even if I am not immediately sure how to resolve an issue for a customer, I need to reassure them that I hear their concerns, I will fix this issue, and I’m on their side.
