Crosstalk with Select Telecom (Summer 2011)
Every issue, “Get to Know Select” will feature a different employee sharing their experience at Select Telecom, along with updates about what’s going on at the company. Have a favorite employee you’d like to hear from? Email us to let us know!
As Service Manager at Select Telecom, Stephen Burns is responsible for coordinating the schedules of the technicians and making sure that all of the installations and service calls are completed on time. Stephen’s daily oversight keeps the company running like a well-oiled machine. “In the afternoons, I look at the upcoming jobs and create the next day’s schedules for the guys, making sure that everyone has something to do in the morning.” Stephen is also accountable for responding to emergency calls outside of normal business hours. “If there’s a storm on a Saturday which knocks out a customer’s system, I get the call.” Finally, Stephen also manages Select Telecom’s equipment warehouse, including ordering, receiving, and staging any equipment necessary for upcoming installations and maintaining an inventory of commonly needed repair supplies.
Stephen was Select Telecom’s second hired employee and has been with the company for almost 15 years, since December 1996. As business began picking up a year after the company’s inception, “Mike needed someone to run service and order parts,” as he explains, and with years of experience in the telecom industry under his belt, Stephen was the right man for the job. Stephen began his career in 1981, joining the Rye-based telecom company Telecommunications Systems Incorporated (TSI). He started out in the warehouse and after two years was offered a spot on the installation team. After a six month apprenticeship shadowing an experienced technician and some formal telecommunications schooling, Stephen earned a position as the leader of his own crew. As an added plus, he was able to work often with his twin brother, Paul, who was also a technician at TSI. In 1991, Stephen and Paul moved to Williams Communications in Armonk, NY where they began working closely with Mike Durante and Bobby Waters, who would soon leave in quick succession to get Select Telecom off the ground.
When Stephen moved to Select Telecom, he “put the tools aside and took a job as an inside manager.” Stephen’s transition from technician to the service side led him to quickly become a major part of the customer-facing Select Telecom brand. “When we first started, I was answering the phones a lot and talking to customers directly. Eventually, we hired a receptionist and I would help out only when it was busy.” Stephen realized that he was an integral part of the team when customers started asking for him. “I answered the phone one day and the customer said, ‘Oh! You’re still there? I haven’t heard you in a while. Are you screening your calls?’” Jokes aside, Stephen was able to build strong relationships with Select Telecom customers, who trusted him to make sure that their telecom issues would be resolved. “People liked to know that I was here and was able to help them.”
Readers may be surprised to learn that Stephen and his brother Paul are originally from Liverpool, England. After immigrating to the US in 1965, Stephen grew up in the Bronx, where he cultivated a longtime passion for the New York Yankees. And it’s a good thing, since a love of the sport of baseball – and particularly the Bronx Bombers – is practically a prerequisite for employment at Select Telecom. In fact, every Friday night during baseball season, Stephen heads down to Yankee Stadium to catch the game with other fans from the company. “Friday is the best night to go to the game. You put in a hard week of work, and then you can put the job aside for a night and have some hotdogs. Saturday you may wake up to an emergency call and need to get back on the job, but Friday nights we’re always off.” In addition to those sacred Friday night games, Stephen also appreciates the generally friendly and fun working environment at Select Telecom. “Everyone’s friendly and gets along and has a good time. We’re serious about our work but we also have fun on the job.” With the dedication, expertise, and positive attitude that Stephen brings to the table, this company is proud to count Stephen as part of the Select Telecom family.