Learning new skills and settling in to the company culture
I started working for X402 in January 2020. I was called for an interview with the Managing Director, Dan Jones who explained to me that up until this point, the team were mainly developers and had been carrying out a dual role of development and customer service.
They needed someone who could establish and take ownership of the customer facing processes. This took the pressure off of the developers and enabled them to focus on the development of existing bespoke projects.
When I began the role, it was very busy. X402 had lots going on so it was a challenge but also really good fun. It is still busy as our customer base is growing but I’m very settled into the role now.
Being the only PM in a room full of developers was good. Because we’re a small company everyone is nearby. Anyone I asked for help would take the time to answer my questions even though they were busy themselves.
Despite the lockdown, I am still in contact with the developers all day every day. I still have questions and they are really good at explaining things to me to make sure that I’m giving our clients accurate information.
Looking back in the last six months, I’ve learned a lot about IT services, app development and various different things that I had no clue even existed before January. I’m excited to see how much more I’ve learned in the next six months!
Client feedback
Since inputting customer facing procedures and processes, we’re having more regular contact with our clients. Our relationship with our clients has improved and we have a system in place. I talk to the customers, but they also have a link with the developers, so it is a collaborative effort.
In the last few months we have been receiving feedback that the communication is getting better. Our clients have more direct access to us as there’s literally an extra person to handle the customer contact. I think that responding to people and letting them know ‘we’re here and we’re listening to you’ makes a difference.
We work with so many different industries and systems. I think the clients really appreciate that because we understand such a diverse range of services, we get what their business is trying to achieve and work within their mindset.
Recently, I was in contact with a client regarding a particular project. He has been delighted with the work we have done lately, and it is almost like at a light bulb moment. He now feels like ‘Yes, you get it!’ I think that off the back of that he will start giving us more work because we think like he thinks.
Whatever he asks for, we can see how that fits into his business and see the bigger picture of what he is trying to achieve. This thinking gives our clients the extra confidence that we are delivering what they want so it’s building the trust in the relationship.
The future of X402
I see big things for our future! We have been successful in bringing some major clients. I think that is amazing and if we can do that with the team we’ve got why not go international? Why not take on multi-million paying clients.
Having such a strong female team, I am also excited for us to get involved with organisations such as Women in Tech. It is important to highlight that we have a high proportion of women in our team and encourage other young women to work in tech. I feel that getting involved in the community and giving something back is a really nice long-term goal to have.