In a few weeks we’ll be welcoming Michael Berger to our team. Michael will be joining Sarah on customer service/support. We want to provide the best customer support in the business. Sarah has been kicking ass on her own, but it’s definitely time to add another person to the team. We’ve interviewed and tried a few other people, but we just haven’t found the right fit. Until now.
Turns out it’s a small world. Last year my mom went to an Apple Store in suburban Chicago to have an Apple Genius look at a problem with her laptop. She raved about the service and mentioned that the guy who helped her recognized her last name and asked her if she was my mom. Yup, that was her. And yup, that Apple Genius was Michael Berger.
Why Michael?
Michael has been working for Apple since 2004. He started as a Mac Specialist and was promoted to Genius in July of 2005. He was famous among co-workers and customers alike for providing “Bergercare” — beyond kick-ass customer support. Michael really cares about helping people. He’s built for it.
Fast forward to late 2008. Michael heard we were looking for another support person through some mutual friends. We interviewed him a few times, put him through a few weeks of part-time support work and basic training, and decided that he’s our guy.
We offered him the job last week and he accepted.
So everyone please welcome Michael Berger to the team!
Michael
on 26 Feb 09Hopefully he’s not bringing that Apple Store snobbery to the table.
JD
on 26 Feb 09Also of note, Michael also helped me out with my wife’s MacBook a few months back. Definitely small (Chicago) world! Glad he’s a part of the team.
Paul Campbell
on 26 Feb 09Neat, romantic story. I love it!
Colin
on 26 Feb 09Time to update the “Who are 37signals?” sidebar.
Tanner Christensen
on 26 Feb 09Welcome to the jungle, Michael.
It’s interesting, though. The note of Sarah kicking ass at support makes me wonder if you’re trying to get your support page to rank for the keyword “kicking ass” in the search engines.
That’d be cool.
Neil Kelty
on 26 Feb 09@Colin:
I think they need a “Who we Are” page with some pictures and bios.
no thanks
on 26 Feb 09welcome dude! congrats on getting a job, that’s a miracle in itself nowadays!
Anonymous Coward
on 26 Feb 09Did you ever welcome Sara to your team? Why exclude her if shes kicking a**.
JF
on 26 Feb 09You’re right, we didn’t announce Sarah’s hiring on SvN. My fault on that. Sarah worked for us as a full-time contractor for many months so when she transitioned to full-time job it didn’t feel like anything changed, but we should have made a formal announcement so everyone on the outside knew.
Brooks Jordan
on 26 Feb 09Great to hear. I’ve been fortunate to get help from Sarah on an issue, and she was awesome.
I love the idea of you bringing a former Mac Genius on board to work along side her. I was in the Apple store on Market street in SF two weeks ago and, for the hell of it, was checking out one of their presentations on iTunes and the iPhone.
The guy who did it was a real pro – he knew his stuff and made it all seem easy. There was something there for the non-technical and technical alike.
Matt Hooks
on 26 Feb 09Congrats Berger!
Douglas Neiner
on 26 Feb 09Welcome Michael!
Not quite sure what “Apple Store Snobbery” is… but it means great support, and a professional image… I sure hope you bring it on! :)
Joe S
on 26 Feb 09Jason, I’d be interested in hearing more about your hiring practices. Hiring great engineers/people, particularly for a software company, can be very challenging. It sounds like you guys do some sort of trial-period. I’d be very interested in hearing more about this in future blog posts.
Sam Rosen
on 26 Feb 09Yay!!!
Martial
on 26 Feb 09Welcome aboard, Michael.
I’d love to hear how Getting Real influences you down there in the salt mines. When you get the chance (I’m training two new employees and, frankly, they don’t which way is up right now; they can’t respond to anything extra).
"MOM"
on 26 Feb 09Congratulations, Michael!!! All the best at 37signals, but I will miss you at the Genius Bar!!
Dylan
on 26 Feb 09Congrats Michael, and best of luck with your new job :)
Bryan Sebastian
on 26 Feb 09Congrats to Michael, I am sure he is very excited about working for one of the better companies in the area (and anywhere, period). I am bringing my daughter’s iMac [broken hard drive :( ] to woodfield this weekend… maybe we will get lucky and run into Michael in his final weeks if that is his store. That would be VERY small (Chicago) world encounter.
pwb
on 26 Feb 09I think Sarah has reviewed this in the past, but I’m wondering if you are currently using or foresee ever using any tools to support your customer service activities beyond email? Do you use any sort of CRM or ticketing system? Chat? Screen-sharing? Phones?
Kiran Max Weber
on 26 Feb 09Wish I was given a second shot. I’m even in Chicago now!
SH
on 26 Feb 09@pwb, I’m going to put together an SvN post that talks about our support process soon. Hopefully our process will have some good information and insight for other small customer-based companies to consider.
Marko
on 27 Feb 09Congrats to the team and to Michael for being excellent.
Jason, when you get to hire the 37th signal, you’re going to have to throw us all a huge party. ;)
Evan Petrie
on 27 Feb 09Congratulations to Michael and to the entire 37signals team! I have no doubts that Michael will do a fine job in his new position with 37signals.
All the best.
Mehmet
on 27 Feb 09Seeing things like this that happened many times to me makes me feeling well.
You met somebody in London and you see her / him again in Istanbul. Or anyplace.. You take help from somebody and you find yourself in situation that you helping him / her great way, completely not related time and not related place.
Michael, Congrats Fella !
Cheers,
Jon Reese
on 27 Feb 09Welcome to the family Michael!
Paul Duer
on 27 Feb 09Yeah congrats, it’s bittersweet for the rest of us though…
So many of us are stuck in the real world. I mean we have good jobs and do well with our lives.
But, we’d never be considered for a job like this one. We are all too human. No super special skills that would put us above the rest.
Nobody ever praises me like that. I am just another worker. Sorta good a Java, can do a little C# and I don’t tend to waste more than 3 hours a day.
This wasn’t what I was promised in 3rd grade. We were all going to be something special, in our own way.
But, the fact is… medicore trash like me has to exist. We’re the contrast, we prove that some are great and some are horrible. You can’t have greatness and drug addicts without someone in the middle.
So what of it? I just hope people at companies like this relize they’re better than the rest of us. It’s the only way it all works.
Brian K. James
on 27 Feb 09Well done Mr. Berger! Congrats on the new job. I wish you well, and “Nicely done” to 37 Signals for hiring you!
DL
on 27 Feb 09@Paul Duer You’ve got it all wrong. Yes someone has to flip burgers or be average to mediocre coders but the folks who rise to the top are no better than those who don’t.
The difference that you see as “they’re better than me” is simply a combination of drive/desire/passion and a gifting or skill. Michael didn’t just win the lottery he worked hard for he got just like 99% of those that achieve what you feel like you can’t.
You probably didn’t know what you were going to be doing for a”living” in the 3rd grade. Is it possible that you chose the wrong path? If so it is never too late to change directions. Choose something that you love and are decent at and then become great at it. This simple philosophy is at the heart of getting real. If you haven’t picked that up yet the read more. ;)
Congratulations to Michael Berger for rising to the top and being exceptional at what he’s chosen to do!
Steph
on 27 Feb 09That “Apple Store snobbery” is just marketing.
Michael Berger
on 28 Feb 09Thank you all for this warm welcome! My experience providing support for Apple customers’ has been a great preparation for this new role. I couln’t be more thrilled to join this incredible team, and look forward to working with Sarah as we bring the already top-notch support to the next level!
Ben Welch
on 28 Feb 09Welcome Michael!!!!!
I love the apple store and I love 37signals. This is going to be a great match.
Thad S.
on 02 Mar 09Berger! Congrats on the new job! As the only Thad you know, you should know who this is. I know you’ll do a great job, because I was a fellow co-worker at Apple. I’d like to think that I taught Berger a thing or two, but most of the time (all of the time) it was him teaching me. Best of luck Berger.
This discussion is closed.