The duties of a technical director can vary significantly from one day (or even one hour) to the next.

From lighting to audio to effects, this resident technical expert is counted upon to keep the technological aspects of a theater or musical production up and running… be they issues big or small. You don’t see the technical director on stage, and he or she doesn’t even take a bow at the finale. But their presence is significant to the audience/paying customer experience.

For Sam McCumpsey and Patsy Guess, remote network engineers in our Little Rock office, the experience is very much the same. Their job duties include, but aren’t limited to:

• Managing our TechCare® IT service accounts and perform maintenance
• Responding to calls and/or ticketed needs of the managed service accounts
• Thorough documentation of knowledgebase entries, all technical tasks, time tracking, client information, etc.

The client issue could be as small as a user’s forgotten password, or as significant as a Ransomware attack. The customers interact with them strictly via phone/email, but their significance in building relationships, resolving issues, and Creating Raving Fans, is absolutely huge.  Technology support demands trust. And Patsy and Sam have it. The relationship and expertise are ever-present… albeit remotely.

“In general, most people who call in, I’ve known for a long time. There are customers who have worked with me for a decade, and they trust me,” Sam says. “My job is to make the customer feel comfortable while myself and some of the big brains we have in our IT department figure out what is going on.”

You can hear it in Sam’s voice. The deepness, the calm cadence. The absolute confidence that the problem is going to be solved.

That’s key, Sam says, as his role in remote support. If a technician sounds uncomfortable or unsure about a given issue, the person on the other end doesn’t feel safe. Trust suddenly becomes shaky.

With 11.5 years under his belt, Sam is comfortable in his spot here. As someone who doesn’t seek the spotlight, he enjoys fostering a customer experience from a remote location vs being on site.

Sam doesn't need the spotlight. But he embraces the 'magic.' 

“I’m probably the shyest human being you’ll ever meet,” Sam admits. “I like being on the phone in a structured environment… When an issue is fixed and that customer feels like magic has been created, being the hero is awesome. That’s the best.”

Growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sam’s stepfather was a civilian programmer with the Air Force. Technology, for him, was an ingrained part of his existence – he even had rare access to an IBM 360, a mainframe computer predominant in the 60s and 70s that filled an entire room.

“I’ve been writing code since I was able to speak,” Sam said. “My stepfather was an algorithm guy… if you said you were going to put your socks and shoes on, he would correct you. You put your socks on before your shoes. The air that I breathed was technology.”

He’s certainly immersed in it here, as he and other TSG members embrace the ever-evolving nature of the IT environment each and every day. And their work hours are far from 8 to 5. Sam was on a call until 2 a.m. on a recent Saturday morning, trying to get a customer’s network back online. The first thing he does each morning is check reports and scans for any down servers from our TechCare customers.

“Saturday and Sunday mornings, that’s the first thing I do. I get up at 5 a.m. and check my email,” Sam said. “That’s before I even put my slippers on.”

For Patsy, the technology ‘bug’ bit her in ninth grade.

Growing up in the small town of Imboden, Arkansas in the Northeast corner of the state, Patsy had immersed herself in many clubs at the local high school, but one particular computer class struck her immediately.

“I really, really, liked it. I got along with the teacher there really well, so everything just developed from there,” Patsy said.

She attended the University of Arkansas Little Rock and earned a degree in Management Information Systems with an IT minor. After working as a Database and Technical Support Specialist for a Student Loan organization for 13 years, she landed at Datamax.

Unlike Sam, who works with Arkansas-specific clients, she supports clients in both Arkansas and Texas, covering any variety of IT support issues on any given day. Though she claims to “lack in the patience department,” her empathy and the trusting relationships built with clients would argue such an assertion.

“Clients do often get frustrated when they’re not able to work. But when they do that, all I really say is ‘that’s why I’m here. How can I make this better for you?’” Patsy said. “You just try to keep them as informed as you can, and also explain everything as best you can so they’ll understand. Sometimes, they’ll even be apologetic if, say, a simple reboot solved the problem. My response to that? That’s what we’re here for. If you have a problem, you call us.”

Patsy has mixed feelings about supporting remotely versus interacting with customers on-site and being more out and about. Part introvert, part extrovert, there are times outside of the office that she’d be just as happy as a hermit inside her house rather than out somewhere.

In any case, the point is mute for Datamax clients. The technical expertise – and the trust retained – are just as prevalent from behind the curtain as they might be center stage. Remote? Yes. Support that resonates with the crowd at large? Absolutely.

“You get to be the savior. When you have someone who is appreciative of your support, it doesn’t matter how big or small, you’ve helped them out,” Patsy said. “And in that time, you build relationships. It’s like helping out a friend almost.”