Editor’s note: This is part three of a five-part series profiling a handful of INAP’s talented NOC employees who are responsible for delivering “Better Engineered Support”. At the bottom of the profile, find links to explore more interviews.
Name: Lisa McClellan
Title: Tier 1 Network Engineer
When did you start at INAP? July 2014. I was hired as a CCA [Customer Care Associate] and was promoted to CCA lead last year before receiving this promotion.
Which office do you work in / where do you live? I work in Seattle and live in Fife. Fife is about 35 miles south of Seattle. I’m a third generation Fife resident.
Did you go to school around there? Yes, I went to the University of Washington-Tacoma.
What is your favorite customer story? I don’t have a specific customer story. Just taking time, really listening to the customer and getting to the bottom of things. I’ve learned from the customer care standpoint to truly listen to the customer and make sure they’re happy. I treat people with respect and positivity and that seems to make a difference. Regardless of who we are talking to, be it one of our folks or a partner site.
I always follow up with customers after they call in. They pay the bills and we know our job is to make them happy—so I never assume anything, I want the customer to tell me that they are happy.
What is the most challenging thing about your job? All people want to do is be heard and to know that you’re on their side. People aren’t really challenging if you do that for them.
Who contributed to your success here at INAP? Chris Ely. He’s been great and really taken me under his wing.
If you could do anything at INAP outside of your current job, what would it be and why? It’s great learning things. I’d love to be more face-to-face with customers, so maybe a Solutions Engineer.
Favorite movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Favorite musician: Coldplay! When they came to Seattle last time, they put up a stage two seats down from me and wound up playing a couple songs there. It was amazing…luck of the draw.
Hobbies: I’m on the Planning Commission for the City of Fife. I’m also a big collector of JFK paraphernalia. I just got an original Johnson-Kennedy bumper sticker that’s pretty awesome.
How did you get into JFK? My freshmen year of high school, there was a dress up for class day and I wanted to be Marilyn Monroe, and I had to find a role for my date to play. So I looked up all of Marilyn Monroe’s beaus like DiMaggio, etc., and was fascinated with the JFK/Marilyn relationship. That’s where it started.
Any relation to the famous Civil War General George McClellan? I have no idea…people ask me that all the time but I don’t know…but I know there’s a McClellan castle in Scotland I’ve been meaning to visit! It’s nothing fancy, just some ruins, but still it would be neat to see!
Any family? My boyfriend Dwayne and I have been together for five and a half years.
Pets? Three cats—all rescues. Someone is spreading the word in the kitty community that if they come up to my back door I’ll feed them [laughs]. Two have adopted ME [laughs]. They’re all pretty much mixed breeds. Their names are Wolfgang—after Mozart—who I call Wolfie…Lola, named after Barry Manilow’s famous song Copa Cabana and Snicklefritz. I also have a dog named Leo who is a Chihuahua-Terrier mix.
What do you like most about your job here at INAP? At first, I wanted to work in a non-profit because I like to help people…but if you think about it, helping companies here I feel like I am helping out those they help so I have an even greater impact. I love working here, I feel like I’m always recognized for my work and appreciated. It’s important to have that in the work place.
Outside of INAP, what is important to you? I’m a hard-working person. I have to stay active and busy because I get bored easily. I like to be active in the community and meet new people, find common interest and enjoy being a friendly, passionate person.
So why should someone do business with INAP? I know it can be frustrating calling a service desk for things. When you call someone here people are really knowledgeable, and if there’s a chance we don’t know something, it’s really easy for us to find out the answer by just asking someone who is right down the hall. It’s one of the benefits of not being this huge company. We’re small enough so that everyone knows each other and wants to help out. It’s a great community, we work really well together. When a customer has services with us I know that will show. Some of our techs are amazing.
Want to explore other “Our NOC Rocks!” interviews?
Click a name below to learn more.
Mike Palladino (part one) – Jeffry Bass (part two) – Lisa McClellan (part three) – Terryn Moser (part four) – Brian Jones (part five)
