near Neighbor

🌟 near neighbor is in the business of making people feel happy with their technology.

Feeling happy about something is always open for interpretation and looks different from one person to another, which rings true to what we're trying to do. Some of our clients want you to magically solve an aggravating problem they have been spending (at least) days to solve, some would love to learn something new, some would like you to tell them which device to buy, and everything in between.

Job Tasks

Our task is simple: to solve any problem tech-related. From printers to Alexa, anything goes. But don't let these overwhelm you because none of us started as tech gurus. It is our behavior that determines the success of our clients, which directly correlates with near's success, and yours, too. So the better question is not about what we do but how we do it.

What makes a terrific near neighbor

🔧 Never say "I don't know" but say "I'll figure it out"

When a customer support person is defined by their technical expertise, they spend their time focusing on what they can and cannot do as if skills are inelastic. And this mentality wouldn't cut it in technology, not specifically near, because technology changes all the time. It is the primary driver of change in our era so expect not to know how to do something, and get excited to figure it out.

Remember: we're optimizing for clients' happiness. Obviously, the best thing that can come out of tech support is solving all of their problems, so we should always aim for that. BUT too many times, a terrible tech support experience comes from not a lack of knowledge but of effort.

👂 Listen to what they're really saying

> I have no idea what I'm doing, I don't even know what to ask!

The above quote and its variations encapsulate the emotion we work with, which means that one of our biggest and most important responsibilities is listening. It can be frustrating when you don't understand what the issues are, but remember that it is much more frustrating for our clients. Imagine traveling to a foreign country that speaks a language that you don't understand, just to get dismissed when you ask for help as if you should've understood the language, to begin with.

Terms like browser, password managers, or Apple ID are not always in their dictionary, so a great neighbor will take time to understand clients' level of knowledge and comfort with technology.