Support Services and Parenting - How the Experiences are Related

This blog is written by Larry Browne, member of the support team here at Junction Networks. Megan, his daughter, is pictured.

Recently, my 10-year-old daughter was undertaking a mom-ordered toy inventory and decided that it was time for some of her childhood to go. (Can you tell I'm not taking the whole growing up thing well?) A pile of toys resulted, and my wife decided we were going to find a way to give it away (leave it out on the curb for the pickers).

Well, as the house hoarder, and someone overly emotional about memories associated with everything, I have been trying hard to find a good home for the stuff. Much of it, like the Legos and the PlayMobil stuff, we spent hours looking for and playing with together. Have I mentioned that I'm the house hoarder?

Then I had an epiphany! Almost all of us at the support bunker at Junction Networks are parents. Between us, we have 10 kids ranging in age from 7 months to 15 years. Our kids are frequent visitors to the office, and often need distractions when not diligently doing homework. So I suggested that I bring the toys here, store them in the spare office, and have them available for visiting kids to use.

Another great part of working for Junction Networks - it's a family-friendly environment. I think that’s one of the things that makes us a great support team. We have the experience of being parents. Patience and the ability to sacrifice your own needs for the good of others are the hallmarks of good parenting and support.

We all bring different skill sets and personalities to the table here. Between us, we have all kinds of work experience - from photography to environmental engineering to restaurant management to broadband installation and service. Some are very organized, and some, like me, have small museums and piles of paper and Post-Its all over. But we all also have pictures of our families, kids' artwork and snacks at the ready.

When customers call, we are ready and willing to solve their problems, probably because we do so on a daily basis with our kids. We take the time to listen, and work hard to make it right. Sometimes, we have to be honest with a customer and tell them they've made a mistake, but we do it with as much humility as possible. Customers are part of our work family, and we want them to be satisfied with our product. Not that I'm saying there aren't young people who can do well in support services, but being experienced in parenting sure helps!