Spotlight: Joseph Sterner @ Close

How did you get into support?

It was kind of by accident. I went to college to study aerospace engineering, but found it wasn’t a good fit for me professionally. I worked in education for a while before a friend told me about a support role where she worked. I applied, got hired, and have been working in support ever since. I’ve always liked teaching and helping others, so it was a great combination of soft and technical skills.

What's the most rewarding part of your role in customer support?

It may sound cliché, but I enjoy helping people. In a good support interaction, you can solve an immediate problem for someone and give them tools and insights that help them avoid problems down the line. It’s a fulfilling mix of immediate gratification and sustained impact on their day-to-day.

How do you stay motivated during challenging support cases?

I try to remember how I feel as a customer when I reach out to a support team. It’s their job to champion my issue and help find a solution. Thinking about it this way, rather than just “how do I get this ticket closed and move on,” reminds me why it matters and keeps the human side of the interaction front and center.

What has surprised you most about building a support team?

Maybe not so much a surprise, but I really appreciate how support lends itself to hiring from a diverse range of backgrounds. I’ve hired team members from all over the world with various career paths and educational backgrounds. The essential skills of empathy, communication, problem-solving, and curiosity are transferable across industries. This diversity gives us a unique opportunity to build a team with a wide range of creative problem-solving and communication approaches, which is vital for helping our customers.