Samantha has been with Tribepad for nearly eight years and heads up our Support/Success team. We chat about building a career in customer service and the importance of being seen as more than a number.
Hi Samantha, thanks for squeezing this interview in. I know you’re busy…
Yep, you could say that! I lead our Support & Success team, helping clients get the most from Tribepad.
What do you love most about it?
Every day is different. Tribepad is extremely flexible, so every client’s platform is tailored to their recruitment style and business. No two clients are exactly the same. That means even when two challenges might look the same, they’re often not.
You have to engage with each client individually, to get under the skin of what they’re trying to achieve and what they’re experiencing. I enjoy that.
I’ve always worked closely with customers. I’ve done a bit of everything from onboarding to account management, but support is where my heart is. And now leading a team to deliver award-winning support, that really warms my heart.
What do people not know about working in support?
It can be quite thankless! People are understandably frustrated and quick to complain when they have a problem, but not so fast to recognise great service. You have to really love the product and people, and believe in the company, that’s where the motivation comes from.
That said, when we get positive feedback it’s always amazing. We’ve had 100% positive feedback for February, which my team are thrilled about.
What’s it like being a woman in tech?
Like Sam [Sam Simpson Oldale] I also worked with PlusNet, and before that Virgin Media. I do think tech can be a very male-dominated environment, but that’s not really held me back.
I’m quite assertive and outspoken, so I’ve never had a problem walking into a room of 20 male developers and talking through what I need. But I know not everyone is like that, so it’s important to create a working environment where everyone can flourish, whatever their personality.
Do you feel empowered to flourish with Tribepad?
100%. I know whatever I wanted to do here, I’d be supported to achieve it. Tribepad doesn’t have perfect representation on the senior management team, where I sit, but that doesn’t feel like a big negative. There’s a real focus on having the right people in the right roles. The person matters, nothing else.
I remember once saying to Dan [Dan Kirkland, our CTO and Co-founder] that I’d know it was the right time to move on from Tribepad if I ever felt like a number. Eight years in, I haven’t yet!
I believe everyone should feel they’re equally important, because we can’t do what we do without them. That translates back into how we show up for customers, not only in support but across the business. It’s the core of who Tribepad are.
It sounds like you’ve really found your people here.
Yes, definitely. It’s an environment where I feel I can be myself. It’s an environment that helps everyone thrive as an individual, whatever their strengths or challenges.
Great stuff, thanks Samantha.
Tribepad is a platform for better for everyone. At our core we believe the right job is life-changing – and we’re excited, and privileged, to be part of that. Come and change lives with us?
