Twenty Twenty Wonderful

Chris Lowe
February 5, 2021

The past year has certainly been filled with its share of challenges. It’s also been a year of transition for many, including myself. And while it’s often easy to get bogged down in what has gone wrong; instead, I choose to focus on the many positives that have occurred and continue to happen daily.

Last fall, when Joe Herron retired, I stepped in as Director, Equinox Support. Joe added me to the Support team in 2011, and then for the two years prior to his retirement, he tasked me with learning more about the inner workings of the department. During that same time, I also continued to streamline the product installation and delivery cycle for customers and employees alike. Having already been part of this cohesive, talented team for years and being Joe’s right hand man for the past couple years made this a smooth, tension-free transition. I am so, so grateful to the entire team for their help ensuring this experience was a positive one.

Now that I have settled in this role a bit, I’ve had a chance to take stock of the team, our processes, how we communicate as a team and with customers, and how we can best serve customers. While I’ve not yet completed a roadmap for the future, I’m positive that whatever comes our way, the Equinox Support team is up to the challenge!

First, I want to assure our customers: you’re in good hands! Just as always, the Equinox Support team is here to solve problems and serve people. Before, during, and after the pandemic, we have and will continue to answer the phone when it rings. We take pride in serving customers, and this starts from the very first connection point. Our helpdesk is staffed by dedicated, full-time members of the Equinox Support department. Knowing that calls are answered by a person rather than funneled through a maze of teleprompts is the first step in encouraging customers to call.

Not only do I want customers to call us, but I also want them to call upon us. I urge customers to let Equinox Support know of any business challenges they face. Especially after mergers, acquisitions, or other significant network changes, make sure we are processing all traffic/switch feeds and have the latest reference data. This helps us optimize our products to best meet customers’ needs. We are here to help tackle telecom issues, revenue optimization obstacles, and expense management issues. True story—a customer recently requested a reference for a third-party vendor in their quest to find a solution for an issue. Once that customer detailed their pain point, we helped overcome it with a feature in an existing Equinox software.

That story perfectly illustrates another positive—Equinox Support listens. We actively solicit feedback not only during the wish list portion of every user group meeting, but also during training and via formal surveys. I also strongly echo advice Joe used to give customers regarding anomalies in the application. Please report anything that looks incorrect, doesn’t function as expected, or behaves in a confusing manner. Don’t assume someone else has already reported the issue. We can’t troubleshoot or fix what we don’t know about.

Another awesome aspect of the past year is the technology we already used enabled us to continue offering exceptional support and training services to customers, despite shifting work environments. On that note, I invite all customers to reach out to schedule additional training for new system users, for guidance on a new or confusing feature in the application, or for assistance with configuration settings. We already have several upcoming online educational sessions on the books: March 23 (TeleLink 101), April 6-7 (TeleLink User Group Meeting), June 22 (Protector), and August 17 (TeleLink). Beyond these webinars, we are always happy to provide ad hoc training when requested.

Finally, I’d like to remind everyone the Equinox Support department’s mission is to meet and exceed expectations by providing the highest level of service and respect to both customers and coworkers. I’m thankful for a great team who is passionate about helping our customers succeed. I’m also grateful to have met so many customers personally during past Protector and TeleLink User Group Meetings. If I haven’t met you yet or you have any questions or concerns, I’d love to chat. You can reach me Monday through Friday 7:30 – 5:00 PM (Central) by calling (615) 612-1225 or by emailing support@equinoxis.com.

While I’m uncertain what the future holds, I’m positive we can handle anything together!

About the Author

In his role as Director, Equinox Support, Chris Lowe oversees all aspects of customer support, including quality assurance, testing, product documentation, installation, upgrades, and the support help desk. His team works directly with customers daily to schedule product updates, provide guidance on new features, fine-tune configuration settings, or answer technical questions. As a lifelong sports enthusiast and former college baseball player, Chris is committed to fitness and staying active. Not only does he spend his time outside the office golfing, but Chris plays in the Middle Tennessee Adult Baseball Association and relishes coaching his son’s little league team. To learn more about Equinox, its products, and staff, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.