Do you ever do something at work that aggravates someone, and you feel bad for enjoying it? I half-do. That is, it’s not my only reason for doing it, just a perk.
We’re an IT strategy and consulting firm, but at the core, we’re helping people with technology. Specifically, end users who run into problems with their computers or their network and ask for help. So naturally, we have a Support Centre that works hard every day to service hundreds of clients’ needs.
Because we’re obsessed with metrics, we have a big electronic dashboard in our offices. Among other things, it measures how productive we’re keeping our clients, and how well we’re supporting them. So what’s so aggravating about that? Nothing—except when our own people pile on. …That is, when I submit tickets to our own Support Centre asking for help.
When I do, I often hear groans from across the office from Tom Keller. Something like: “They’re busy enough. Why do you have to pile on?”
My response is usually, “because it works.” Remarkably well, in fact.
The man navigating the ship behind the dashboard, who’s largely responsible for that success, is our Support Centre site lead, Kenji D’Aguiar. He just so happens to also be our Employee of the Quarter.
While blessed with an extraordinary team of dedicated support engineers, Kenji deserves props as the “king of calm”. He and the team are helping, literally, hundreds of clients (including me) solve problems of varying degrees of complexity every day. What’s more, they’re keeping people like me productive and focused on the mission at-hand.
Last month, we recognized Kenji in large part for his ability to keep the team calm, focused and productive during a quarter that saw a lot of chaos. For starters, our Support Centre underwent some staffing changes, including bringing on new talent. During that time, the team also ran short-handed, but all-the-while, they maintained their goal of ticket resolution time for our customers. To top it off, Kenji spearheaded a cybersecurity remediation effort for one of our clients, often pulling 12-13 hour days to resolve the issue.
With Kenji’s guidance, the support we’ve been able to provide our clients this year, and particularly this quarter, has remained above industry best standards. At the same time, he’s reinforced our firm’s commitment to work/life balance. And for that, we greatly appreciate Kenji’s dedication to helping our clients—and us—succeed.
Now, pile on!
