5 minutes with Phil Irwin

This post was first published in December 2017. Some of the people mentioned have since moved on. You can meet the current Q2Q team on our Meet the Team page.

Get to know Q2Q’s technical support analyst, Phil Irwin, with this speedy Q&A.

• Describe your role at Q2Q in one paragraph 

  I work with our customers to resolve a wide range of IT hardware and software issues, helping to ensure they can get back to work as quickly as possible. Along with regular visits to client sites, I also provide assistance on the phone and via remote access.

• What’s your favourite part of the job? 

  I really enjoy getting out to meet customers at their offices and helping them face-to-face. Another favourite is the hardware side of IT – give me a laptop or PC to repair and I’m happy!

• What does it take to be a great technical support analyst?Being understanding and having patience with people is essential! Plus, problem-solving is a key part of the job, so a logical mind and an eye for detail is crucial to ensure that nothing is overlooked. The ability to explain things to people without boring them is also important – IT isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so it’s up to me to keep things interesting enough that they take in the essential information!
• If your colleagues could sum you up in one word, which word would they use?Friendly.
• What did you want to be when you were growing up?A racing driver! Hard-drives aren’t too far off…
• The phone rings and it’s your dream enquiry – who would the client be?The Mercedes F1 Team – they urgently need me to fly out to Abu Dhabi to resolve a problem with Lewis Hamilton’s laptop.
• What’s the biggest IT challenge facing SMEs in the current business climate?The human factor is probably the biggest challenge. As careful as people try to be by implementing as much anti-virus and protective software as is practical, there are malicious people out there targeting the end user – and specifically the ‘human error’ element – to steal business data.
• If you could change one thing about the IT sector, what would it be?Less jargon and a more user-friendly experience for everyone – when it comes to both software and hardware.
• What are your hopes for Q2Q over the next 12 months? 

  To ensure our customers remain happy and for us to continue to grow and bond as a team.

• If you could pick any 3 words to describe Q2Q, what would they be?Dynamic, fun and responsive.