Employee Spotlight: Miguel Silva, Senior Support Lead

Reputation Staff Writer

Since joining Reputation.com in 2018, Miguel Silva, Senior Support Lead for Europe, has been advancing rapidly in the organization, learning new skills and taking on more and more responsibility. And it’s no wonder: His extensive support background combined with the ability to speak fluent Portuguese enables him to provide high-quality support to Reputation.com’s global customer base. Born in Portugal and a UK resident since his teens, Miguel leads the Liverpool support team, which is expanding to accommodate growing demand.

We recently spoke with Miguel about his position, how it’s evolved since he was hired, and what he finds rewarding about providing top-notch support to Reputation.com clients. We also learned some little-known facts about Miguel, and some insight into what’s kept him busy during the lockdown.

Q. Where did you work before coming to Reputation.com?

Miguel: For seven years before coming to Reputaiton.com, I worked for Promethean, which makes interactive displays for schools. I was in the support department and spent most of my time troubleshooting technical issues. After my first two years, I gradually moved up in the organization, and interviewing candidates became part of my job as my team expanded. Later, I was tasked with doing support presentations globally.

Unfortunately, the economy in Portugal was impacted by the financial crisis there in 2018, and our Portuguese arm shut down. I spent some time working with a recruiter to find a new position and, and he introduced me to Reputation.com.

Q. What are your responsibilities as Senior Support Lead?

Miguel: My main responsibility is to field emails and phone calls that come from clients or customer support managers, and provide assistance. In October 2019, I was promoted to Team Lead here in Europe. So now, on top of my regular responsibilities, I also mentor my colleague in Germany. This involves teaching him how the platform works and providing tips on how to help clients. Recently, I’ve also been involved in the hiring process for two new support staff in the UK. Since I started at Reputation.com, I’ve been able to grow my position quickly, which has been great, and I’m really enjoying working here.

Q. What do you like best about working at Reputation.com?

Miguel: I love my team in the Liverpool office. We are very close and help each other out. It’s a diverse team, with people from different countries and different age brackets, and we all get along well. The atmosphere is relaxed. In past positions, I worked in very high-pressure, structured environments and I found that very stressful. Here, as long as you do your job well, I have the freedom to work in the way that’s best for me, and that motivates me to work harder and do an even job better.

Q. Can you describe a time when you were able to help a client out with a complex problem?

Miguel: Some of our UK clients are dental practices, and it’s usually the receptionists who use our platform. They are typically not very technical, so I have to be patient and guide them through some tasks step-by-step. Their inquiries are often around using the tablets in their in-office review kiosks. When I’m able to help them navigate the platform, they’re always very grateful, and I receive emails thanking me for my help. I received one that said, “You saved my day!” 

On the other hand, sometimes our larger clients have complex problems that take longer to resolve, and I may need to escalate them to the engineering team. We work closely with Reputation.com’s engineers to deliver a fast response in those cases.

Q. On a personal note, what’s something that most people don’t know about you?

Miguel: First of all, I’ve never watched Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings — which, I’ve heard, is pretty rare. I’ve never bought into magic and fantasy stories. I prefer Italian Mafia movies and other action films. 

Another thing my colleagues might not know is that I’m not 100% Portuguese. My mother was from Angola, and my parents were war refugees who escaped from Angola to Portugal in the 1970s.

Q. If you weren’t a Support Lead for Reputation.com, what would you be?

Miguel: Growing up, I was always around cars. My father used to race motorcycles, so I was surrounded by trophies and photos of his racing days. He and I enjoyed watching car racing, as well, and I always dreamed of designing high-performance race cars.

Q. How have you stayed busy during the Covid-19 lockdown?

Miguel: My wife and I are very busy with our two children, Cole and Amalia. Cole is 9 and very energetic and curious, and he entertains us by telling us interesting facts about the human body. And Amalia, who we named after a famous Portuguese singer, is almost two years old now, and she keeps us very busy! I love being a father, and quarantine has given me the opportunity to spend more time with my family.

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