In our ongoing ‘Meet the Team’ series, we introduce Neil, our field support engineer, whose exceptional customer support skills and proficiency in IT solutions make him a standout member of our team.
How long have you been at Excelerate and tell us about your job role?
I’ve been with Excelerate for over four years now. My role involves providing telephone support for new and existing customers, visiting customer sites across the UK and abroad, building bespoke technical equipment, supporting the Install Team, and occasionally providing training to staff members.
What does a typical day at Excelerate look like for you?
My role means is incredibly versatile. I might find myself stationed at the office, working on a project, or providing support to another team. Alternatively, a typical day could involve providing remote telephone support for technical issues, such as an issue onboard a command vehicle managed by the Emergency Services. If an issue is unable to be resolved remotely, I would need to travel to a customer site, sometimes requiring overnight stays depending on location.
What is your favourite project that you have worked on?
While not a designated project, a standout moment was resolving an issue for a Yorkshire-based customer. It was a beautiful spring day during the Covid-19 lockdown, and I needed to realign a static satellite antenna on a rooftop. It was serene; I have never seen a built-up area that quiet and peaceful before. It genuinely put a smile on my face.
What do you enjoy most about working at Excelerate?
There’s never a dull day working at Excelerate, there’s always something interesting and hands on to keep me busy. I generally enjoy the problem-solving aspect that comes as part of working in the Support Department, but I also enjoy being handed a box full of components and building product from scratch.
Also, my colleagues are amazing, I know without question I could rely on anyone if I need anything, and I’m always treated equally and fairly by senior management.
How has the industry changed since you first started your career?
The industry changes all the time. At Excelerate we are always moving with technology, we don’t just develop a product and stick with it. As technology advances, we implement those advances into the products we design and build.
What advice would you give to anyone who aspires to work in a similar job role as you?
On paper my job role could look daunting, but if you have a technical ability, are good at problem solving and enjoy working with new and bespoke tech, then this is for you.
If you weren’t a Field Support Engineer what would you be?
I’d be working within the I.T sector. Prior to working at Excelerate, my job was as a third line IT support engineer.
