What does a Support Engineer do at Combell? “Provide support with a personal touch!”

Combell has over 150 colleagues who work hard every day to ensure that your services run as smoothly as possible. Of course, a lot of technically minded people work behind the scenes here, but you will also find a lot of helpful people in front of the scenes. Like our Support Engineers!

When you have a question or a problem with our services and call the toll-free number on our website, chances are that you will get to talk to Sofie. Sofie has been an enthusiastic Support Engineer for a year now. But relax, you do not have to call our support line to find out more about her. You can do that here!

Or... if you already know how nice it is to work for us, you can always submit an application. We are always looking for people like you  !

Hi Sofie! You have been a Support Engineer for one year now... How do you like it?

I really enjoy it! I think it is fantastic to see how much I have learned in the past year, and how well I get along with my colleagues. Today, we have actually become true friends outside of work.

That is really good to hear! What exactly do you do as a Support Engineer?

As Support Engineers, we help customers with their problems. When you dial the toll-free number mentioned on our website, or send us an e-mail, you will get in touch with us! Our Support Team handles all technical questions as quickly as possible, around the clock, even on weekends.

So if you have trouble setting up a mailbox, have a question about your SiteBuilder or want to change something in your DNS settings but do not know how to do it, we are here to help.

That is the great thing about our support service: we are not an ordinary service desk that only provides information. Instead, we take a very practical approach. And our customers notice that too: we often give them all kinds of tips and tricks.

Combell does not want to be just another hosting company, and this is reflected in our support: it is our trademark. Customers know that they can always come to us.

Sometimes our customers call us with a problem they have with another hosting provider, because they know that 'we are always available'. If I could, I would help them! (laughs).

Sofie, Support Engineer

Sometimes, this works a little too well: Combell customers who also have products with other 'unspecified' hosting providers 😉 sometimes call us with problems they have with that other provider: 'Could you solve this problem? Because you are always available'. If I could, I would help them, but unfortunately it does not work like that (laughs).

I also try to add a personal touch to the advice I give. For example, I try to give some design tips to people who are starting out with our SiteBuilder, and who may still be unsure about how they want their website to look. And people really appreciate that: a person is a lot wittier than a robot on the phone!

Do you know the answer to all the questions customers have?

Not yet (laughs). But when you have a customer on the line with a question that you cannot immediately answer yourself, you can always consult with your teammates or mentor and learn how to solve certain issues.

Fortunately, we also have a number of senior support engineers. So if we cannot find a solution ourselves, we can turn to them, and since they have a more extensive technical experience, they are usually able to solve the problem. Otherwise, the question is passed on to the appropriate service. This all happens very smoothly and quickly. The problem is always solved by the best qualified person!

How did you end up at Combell?

I spotted the job through the VDAB job site. I already had experience in IT, but 5 years ago I became a photographer. However, I kept following the world of the Internet, which never stands still and changes every day!

For this job, you have to be somewhat technically savvy, because otherwise you might not be able to solve certain problems.

Since I was interested in IT, and was looking for a challenging and varied job, I decided to submit an application. And I have not regretted my decision for a single second!

How were you received by our team?

I started working here in a very special period – early 2021, with the coronavirus all around – so it was a bit weird when my mentor Lieven showed me around: "normally this is where X works, and that is where Y and Z used to work, etc." But other than that, my mentor immediately took me under his wing. In fact, every new colleague gets a mentor: an experienced colleague who shows you the ropes in the company. The guidance and support provided by such a mentor is worth its weight in gold.

Of course, the training starts with basic terms and products, but after one and a half months I was already at cruising speed as a Support Engineer! Of course, I could – and still can – turn to colleagues with any questions. You also get to know your colleagues and their respective areas of expertise better, so you can start asking questions in a more targeted way. Because everyone here is ready to help each other, even when people are very busy.

Do you feel that you have room to grow within Combell?

Absolutely! Once you have been properly trained, you are given much more freedom and responsibility. Today, I even coach students on the job. And that is really great, because now I can use all the things my mentor explained to me to train new students! If you show that you want more, Combell will always give you the chance to prove yourself.

I love a good challenge and want to grow every day. I am therefore very happy to be here, because I can learn new things all the time.

Sofie, Support Engineer

Another great thing about this job is that you are not really spoon-fed. When you have a problem, you are rather advised to try something out, or look something up. This helps you learn a lot and grow in the process.

Because I am the kind of person who has to try things out for myself before I remember them well – you can explain something to me a thousand times, if I have not done it myself, I am going to forget it right away.

What is the best part of your job?

The challenge and the variety. Every time you pick up the phone, you never know what kind of problem you are going to face. And the challenge of constantly improving your skills in your job, in a virtual world that is constantly growing and evolving, is also very enjoyable.

The casual attitude within our team and in the rest of the company is also extremely nice. My teammates and I have a really special bond.

What would you say to people who are hesitating to apply for a job at Combell?

That they should do it, of course! I would like to encourage everyone to apply, but I would also like to make a heartfelt appeal to all women: do not hold back simply because it is 'a man's world'. Because it is actually a lot of fun!

But of course, everyone is welcome to join us: our team can grow even larger, with women or men. Because when Combell grows, we grow with it!

Would you like to apply for a position as Support Engineer as Sofie did? Or perhaps you would prefer to do something completely different at Combell? Take a look at our vacancies!