From Firefighting to Frameworks: Jared Call on Technical Support That Actually Works

From Firefighting to Frameworks: Jared Call on Technical Support That Actually Works

🎙️ Voices of Support — Episode 4 Recap

In this episode of Voices of Support, we sit down with Jared Call, a seasoned technical support leader with over 30 years of experience across enterprise software and warehouse automation. Jared has been everything from frontline troubleshooter to escalation manager — and he brings stories that show just how high-stakes support can get when systems go down and customers are halfway across the world.

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🧠 From College Confusion to Cross-System Thinking

Jared didn’t set out to work in support. But after realizing that coding wasn’t his strength, he discovered his real gift: breaking down complex systems, spotting cascading failures, and translating problems into solutions.

“Support taught me that issues rarely live in isolation — they ripple. And if you want to solve them, you need to see the full picture.”

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🚨 When Support Means Getting on a Plane

One of Jared’s most eye-opening stories? Flying from California to a European bank to troubleshoot a “critical issue” — only to find out the problem was a simple misconfigured network interface.

Why was the trip still worth it?

“Sometimes, showing up sends the strongest signal. It told the customer: you matter.”

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💬 Culture Clashes, Escalations & Rewriting Your Playbook

Not all troubleshooting is technical. Jared shares what he learned while working with teams in Japan, where time zones and communication norms clashed with his U.S.-based escalation process.

The solution? A new communication method that suggested next steps before getting answers.

“If you’re working cross-culturally, assume your playbook is incomplete — and be willing to write a better one.”

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🛠️ Onboarding Done Right (Hint: It’s Not Just Docs)

Jared reflects on how his former team revamped onboarding: from a clunky 3-month process to a tight 3-week plan — all centered around hands-on mentorship, pairing sessions, and documented knowledge.

“Onboarding isn’t a cost. It’s a bet. And when you invest in people early, they ramp faster and better.”

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⚖️ The Real Work: Balancing Curiosity with Prioritization

In tech support, it’s easy to go down rabbit holes. Jared shares how one of the most important skills is knowing when to stop digging — and when to zoom out to refocus on the bigger picture.

“You can’t fix everything. Sometimes, the highest-value move is to step back and look at the queue.”

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📣 Want to be a guest on Voices of Support?

If you’ve worked in support and have a story to tell — about growth, resilience, chaos, or connection — we’d love to feature you:

👉 https://tally.so/r/3NPaxb

📺 Watch the full episode → https://youtu.be/090inwhacy8

Huge thanks to Jared for the stories, the wisdom, and the reminder that support is one of the most dynamic learning environments in tech.

— Thibaut 🦊