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Andy, Field Service Representative I, Central Region
Please realize that each job opening for which Getronics hires is different, so the duties of anyone profiled herein may not correspond to those of another person with the same job title.
Q: What was the hardest part about transitioning from an in-house helpdesk position to field service representative for customers' retail locations?
Andy: Starting out, retail is a lot different than in-house support. The new tech[nician]s' biggest problem is doing paperwork properly. Little things that you learn as you go on. Retail is a different animal; you have to worry about different things. For example, systems-wise, retail equipment isn't what you're used to working on. Retail is more switching of parts. In-house, you try to work with what you've got. In retail, they let you replace any part that you need to. I was amazed that so many parts were readily available. Since we're an outside contractor, the customers expect us to get the work done there and then. But in-house, there's a little more slack.
Q: How do you handle calls when it's for a system you're not so familiar with?
Andy: We have a couple of websites within the Getronics network geared to each major customer's systems. Every customer has different equipment. You can find technical bulletins about how to replace a motherboard on a certain type of register. The client makes it easy for you to find knowledge by yourself. But for something unusual, make sure you review all the product literature you need. When you work on servers, for example, you can often go to the manufacturer's general website.
And we have a great helpdesk. If you're having a problem or aren't sure how to follow a tech procedure, Getronics has dedicated internal people to give you that help. Or I might just ask around to colleagues when I'm in the office, "I'm having a problem with this register, have you seen anything like that?" The people who are more seasoned will have seen more problems. You pick their brains, and you'll pick up stuff as you go along.
Q: What kind of ongoing training do you get?
Andy: We often get training courses that we need for the job. I just finished three certifications for HP [Hewlett Packard] hardware. They're all web-based courses, which is convenient. But I'll also take optional online courses just to gain more knowledge, whenever I can fit them in. I read up on new technology. Some courses I do for myself. Some are required.
When it's a newer tech[nician], Dispatch will often have them go out on the call with a seasoned tech. When I first started, I had to work on a Hitachi RAID server, so I got to go on a call with a guy who showed me everything I needed to know about it. Getronics gives you an opportunity to learn what you need to succeed.
Q: What's challenging about dealing with customers face to face?
Andy: You can't prepare yourself for the customer. Sometimes they're in a bad mood. If they're having problems with equipment, they may take it out on you; you're the scapegoat. But you're representing Getronics, so you have to take it. We use common sense; treat people like you want to be treated. You try to take care of them as well as you can. Most of the time, they're appreciative.
Q: How has technology impacted the way you do your job?
Andy: You could have five calls when you wake up in the morning, and get three more during the day. Getronics Dispatch pages you to indicate there's a new call. Previously, the only option was calling in to a dispatcher, who went through the call info with you by phone. But if you called at a busy time, you could be on hold for quite a while before being put through. Then everyone was upgraded to wireless modems on our laptops. They're making it much easier for us. Now you can access all the call info from your car immediately and don't have to talk to anybody. It's definitely easier. We don't have to carry around papers. With wireless, it's much more efficient.
Q: Is Getronics flexible about your work?
Andy: We are responsible for planning our schedules. The veteran techs come into the office, but not on a regular basis. I choose to because it helps me out a lot with getting parts. I'm relatively new to the company; I'm still in a learning phase.
Our manager receives all the calls and divides them among the team. Getronics tries to assign you customer sites that are around your home, they try to cater to where you actually live. When we're covering for other techs – people who are sick or going on vacation – it gets busy. So we help each other. One guy in our group covers weekends regularly.
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7:30am: I log into work from home to see if any new calls have come in overnight. There's a secure website for each technician with all info about each call, including which parts are needed, if the hardware is being shipped, tracking status of shipments, and all call notes and comments. I have to ETA everything: Each call has a due date and time, so you're saying when you'll be on site. It's very important for the customer to know when you'll be there. I input that in the same web interface.
8:00am: I head to the office first thing to finish up paperwork, pick up parts, etc.
8:40am: I spend about an hour and a half doing my paperwork, making copies and checking my email. I'll print out all calls I have due for the day or the next day so I have them handy when I'm driving or on-site.
I also use this time to make sure all bases are covered. For example, in case of a last-minute surprise where the call requires hardware that wasn't originally anticipated, if I go into the office, we have most parts on-hand that I can pick up so I arrive prepared.
10:00am: I leave the office to drive to my first [on-site] call.
10:25am: I arrive at the first customer site. It may take longer if it's a site at the edge of my territory, or if traffic is bad. Within our area, we each get a dedicated section of the state so we can gain familiarity with people at the customer sites. It makes us more efficient, and we don't get lost driving! On paper, I have one of the smallest geographic areas, but it's one of the busiest with large, active customer sites.
It's a typical call: a major department store with a bad hard drive on a cashier's register. You have to install the new drive and reload the data. It takes about 20 minutes to do the hardware part, but then you need a technician on the customer's staff to do the reload, which takes 2-3 hours. You need to make sure it's loaded completely by testing it afterwards. So I'll visit other departments within the same site while that register is building. I typically have 2-3 calls per building. You try to schedule calls to make your time efficient. Many times, they have the hard drives in stock. Sometimes you have to order parts. You call in to Getronics dispatch and order. You can request a part to be shipped same-day, overnight or whenever it's needed.
12:00pm: We get an hour for lunch. Many techs will drive while they eat, or some stop. I like to sit and eat, usually by myself. Some customer sites have their own restaurants, but it helps keep my head clear if I try to get away a little bit on my break.
1:00pm: I'm back at the customer site to test the new drive—it's reloaded successfully, and I finished the other calls here before lunch, so I'm off to the next customer.
1:30pm: It's another typical call: a home improvement retailer having a problem with one of their network printers. They say "We have a printer jam." Being a hardware store, they spread a lot of dirt and dust every day. I troubleshoot, and sure enough, the printer is gunked up. I clean it thoroughly to get it up and running.
2:00pm: While I'm on my way to the next customer, I get paged by Getronics dispatch. I'd rather keep driving than pull over to log in wirelessly, so I phone in for the call info. Two new calls have been assigned to me. Dispatch relays all the details by phone. One is urgent and I need to take it today. We don't have much slack this week because another technician on my team is on vacation. Fortunately, my schedule has a little wiggle room near the end of the day.
2:30pm: I arrive at a customer's retail site; their paging system is down. Not your everyday problem. It's the modern version of the loudspeaker system you probably had in every classroom of your high school. That system runs throughout the store and needs to be operational. You may have to replace or troubleshoot it. I know what parts I'll need to order.
4:15pm: I just finished two more pre-scheduled calls at another client, and now I've arrived at the emergency call site I first learned about at 2pm -- a server problem. Fortunately, it's something I'm fairly familiar with (which is probably why dispatch assigned it to me), but I do need to call the Getronics help desk to get some guidance as I troubleshoot the problem. There's no shame in that, however. We're encouraged to tap into all the resources available. We've stabilized the situation, but there will be some software and hardware issues to address tomorrow.
5:00pm: After my last call, I go to the local UPS or FedEx location to ship out everything. Then I do the rest of my paperwork.
5:30pm: It's been a full day, but rewarding because I've helped a lot of people keep their businesses moving. Now I'm heading home and eager for dinner.
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