We've Got Your Back

Joe Herron
May 6, 2020

Last fall, I experienced an unexpected event that had a positive impact in my life. Besides being educational and physically challenging, the event also opened my eyes to the people in my life. No, it was not as dramatic as a heart attack. I did not see my life flash before my eyes. However, for a period of time I became very dependent on others. Technology even came into play while I was slightly restricted. So, you ask, “what happened?” I experienced a ruptured disc in my back. Not really a life-threatening experience, but it was extremely humbling. If I had to experience something like this, then my body “decided” to go all out. The procedure to fix it required entering from both above and below the disc. Enough of the details.

Needless to say, I was incapacitated. Thankfully, I am blessed with a loving family who cared for and helped me during that difficult time. The selfless tasks, time, and patience they shared with me showed the unconditional love we all want and crave. Being restricted by activity and experiencing the inability to venture out of my home made my life very dependent on others. So many times, we take those close to us for granted. Looking back now several months later, it truly was an unprecedented time for me.

In addition to my immediate family, I have an extended family of friends that many would call co-workers. But in my case, they are truly my friends. The support and understanding my Equinox family demonstrated during my health stumble was amazing! It was not that long ago (okay, I am older, and time passes quickly) since an event like the one I experienced last fall would have had me out of work with no contact with the office until I physically returned. And that is where the technology came into play. Everything at work was going along smoothly. Because we have always worked closely as a team, work could continue without missing a beat. I am not really a control freak, but I do like to know what is going on while I am away from the office. Thanks to technology, I was able to work from home and slowly transition into my full-time roll.

Now, let us fast forward to today. Again, an unprecedented time. Again, it is unexpected. Again, it is dealing with health issues—but this time, I am not the only one in this mess. We all have restrictions and most of us are isolated in our homes. I cannot deny a feeling of déjà vu. There are parallels for the dependency on both my immediate family and my extended family. I certainly recognize in this case that extended family moves beyond Equinox to include our customers. The challenges we face in the telecom space with traffic fluctuations present unique dilemmas. These challenges may be reduced call volume, longer duration of calls, change in trunking requirements, and even worse, the rise in fraudulent network activity. This is where technology comes into play—your extended family, Equinox, is here to help. We are still fully able to support both the Protector and TeleLink communities. As always, we are here to provide assistance and guidance as we work together through the struggles encountered during this unprecedented time.

Having a family to support you is fantastic, trust me. Having an extended family is important, too. Equinox is honored that you allow us to be part of your extended family. We are here for you!

About the Author

In his role as Vice President of Support for Equinox, Joe Herron oversees all of customer support, including quality assurance, product documentation, installation, upgrades, and the customer support help desk. His team’s primary task is working with customers on the day-to-day issues, for example scheduling product updates, turning up a new switch, fine-tuning a configuration setting, or helping troubleshoot a technical issue. When he’s not putting the processes and standards in place that ensure Equinox customers uniformly rave about the service they receive, he enjoys reading and spending time behind the wheel of his convertible.
To learn more about Equinox, its products, and staff, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.