No company can run efficiently without customer support. This is no different at Nine: every day, we receive numerous exciting inquiries that are answered by our Customer Service Desk, or prepared and handed on to our engineering team for clarification. Some of these inquiries are very time-critical and technically extremely demanding, but we always want to offer our customers the best possible service – and solution.
Read our interview with Sophie Kwass, one of our IT Service Desk Supporters, to find out how she masters her complex day-to-day work at Nine while expanding her technical skills on a daily basis.
Elena: Hello Sophie, thank you for taking a moment!
Sophie: I was forced to take part by HR. (smiles) 😆
Dear Sophie, how long have you been working for Nine, and why did you choose us as your employer?
I joined Nine in February 2023, so a bit more than a year ago. I had previously worked in a support role in a web hosting company, and therefore knew what motivated me: high-quality support for exciting technology products. It’s also important to me to be able to get involved and develop myself further – that’s practically in the team DNA in my current job. Nine was therefore a no-brainer and my employer of choice.
What do you prefer? Answering tickets in writing or helping customers over the phone?
The combination of the two is what makes it work for me, because I like variety. I usually handle any technological queries in the form of tickets. On the other hand, I often get an even more authentic impression of our customers on the phone – a call is much more personal and direct. ☎️
You are the «Tech Lead» in your team – can you briefly explain what that means?
Our team has completely reorganised itself in the past 12 months. We want to offer support that is competent, helps both our customers and our engineering teams, and is fun at the same time. To this end, I am developing new processes with my team and the engineers, organise knowledge sharing sessions and lead the sprints in which we organise our project work alongside our day-to-day business.
What does a typical day in your team look like?
There’s no such thing as a typical day – but I’ll give it a try anyway: we start our work in a way that makes sure we are ready to answer the first calls by 9AM. We start with an initial triage of any tickets received and use all communication channels to gain first insights into the current situation. We then meet for a stand-up to plan the day, and also take part in the stand-ups of the engineering teams. We then join forces to tackle the tickets, and we occasionally receive calls.
And that was only the morning?
Yes, exactly. It’s usually quieter in the afternoon, so depending on the day, at least one person will look after the phone and the inbox. The other team members focus on projects to improve the quality of support, work on our documentation, or collaborate with the engineers to address more complex queries. We also meet several times a week for various training sessions on engineering topics. At 6PM, we go home or – thanks to flexible work-from-home options – turn off our laptops. 💻
What makes your team special?
We all like to learn from and with each other, prefer to help our customers as a team and puzzle over technical issues together, with a lot of curiosity. Then again, that’s what Nine as a company is all about for me – everyone shares their knowledge and their joy of learning. We want to progress together and achieve something. We don’t really have a ‘mission impossible’, because we always go the extra mile for our customers.
Thank you very much, Sophie, for the interesting interview.
You’re very welcome. 😉
Our Customer Service Desk currently consists of four staff members who are the first point of contact for any issues, questions or other queries. Our customers value this opportunity for personal contact, the fast response times and competent advice, as we are proud and grateful to see, hear and read in the consistently positive feedback.
Check back regularly to make sure you don’t miss the next behind-the-scenes insights about our team members!
