Here are some unsolicited recommendations from colleagues,
also visible on my LinkedIn profile:
From a Business Process Manager:
“I worked with Steve for more than 15 years and Steve always displayed passion for the customer needs and perspective, knowledge of the company products and challenges, and an inherent ability of how to support both needs. Steve is a willing team contributor and often gracefully mentored peers to insure that we all grew in a positive direction. I learned much from Steve over the years, some things I didn't even realize until he was done teaching me by example. Steve is pleasant, interesting, diligent, reliable, and intelligent beyond the normal scope of Technical Support. Steve's years of experience, broad interests, and willingness to share knowledge have elevated him to a level that we all gravitate to for help, admire, and respect.”
From an IT Director:
“I worked with Steve for a number of years at Kentrox and always
admired how competently and gracefully he managed the Technical Support
group. Since both of our organizations provided support to customers
(mine being internal I.T. customers, his being external customers) I
was always comparing notes with Steve and learning from him. He has a
nuanced understanding of the importance of quality customer service and
support and uses his intelligence, wit, technical abilities, management
skills, and interpersonal skillls in an extremely effective
combination. He will be a valuable asset to any organization to which
he contributes.”
From a Quality Manager:
“Steve is the best Technical Support Manager I have ever worked with. His technical knowledge, management skills and passion for his work are outstanding. I always enjoyed working with Steve and appreciated his full understanding of root cause and corrective action. He has excellent people and technical skills and is an asset to any organization.”
From a former direct report:
“Steve was an exceptional manager with a passion and dedication for his work and great respect for the abilities of his team and co-workers. An empathic listener and talented, tenacious troubleshooter, Steve showed me by example and through supportive and interactive coaching how to be better at listening and solving customer issues. I will use these skills and the example he set for professionalism throughout the rest of my career.”
From a Sales Director:
“I have had the pleasure to work with one of the finest and most knowledgeable Technical Support Managers in my entire career. Steve was outgoing and very dedicated to his job. He has a keen eye for talent and formed an excellent support team. He is a wealth of knowledge and knows wireline and wireless backhaul technologies like the back of his hand. Steve is an asset to any team.”
From a Technical Communications Manager:
“Steve Pinkston is the kind of Technical Support Manager any company should want on their staff. He is a hands-on manager, and can get down into the trenches to handle technical calls with patience and skill. He always answered my technical questions by starting at the beginning and working up, as needed. He is also an excellent writer, authoring countless knowledge base articles for public and internal viewing. Steve understands the importance of metrics and managing by numbers, but he also puts a human dimension on his problem-solving skills. He is easy to work with and passionate about quality. I highly recommend Steve in his future endeavors.”
From a Project Manager:
“Steve and I worked together to identify, select and deploy a knowledge management solution at ADC Telecommunications. Steve's insights and attention to detail enabled us to select and implement a premier solution. As part of the project, we created and implemented process, case, solution and html standards to provide consistency for the user experience. The solution was intially deployed internally. When it was deployed externally, the result was an immediate 25% decrease in customer contacts.”
“Steve was an excellent technical support manager. When he reviewed my documentation with an eye towards the customer, his comments were detailed and logical. He'd explain what terminology or format was necessary to make sure the customer was not confused. I enjoyed working with Steve!”
“Kentrox is known for having one of the Best in class Technical support in the industry. This is made possible because of Steve Pinkston's superior management abilities of the Kentrox Technical Support Department.”
From a former direct report:
“Steve's people skills and years of technical experience make him a great manager. He is able to recognize areas that need improvement, and is always ready to give praise when warranted. He allows his team members opportunities to grow and learn, and knows when to step in and provide support.”
From an Engineering Services Manager:
“Steve has strong management skills, depth of technical knowledge and a penchant for high quality and service to customers.”