Staff Spotlight: Ashley Hayward

At HostMySite, we have an amazingly talented staff that works hard around the clock to make sure you’re experience on the web is the best it can be.  Everybody has a story.  What’s behind that voice you hear on the phone?  Get to know what makes the staff of HostMySite tick with our Staff Spotlights! Today, we’re talking to Ashley Hayward (an actual ninja!).

Name and Job Title:

Ashley Hayward, Overnight Support Tech

How long have you been with HostMySite?

2 years (October 24)

What do you do for us here at HostMySite? What’s your day to day look like?

Try to kill as many tickets overnight as possible, to help out day shifters who take more calls/chats.  I do four 10hr shifts, but I don’t see the day ever (just kidding, the sun blinds me when I walk out at 9am), so the night is a little longer than average.  Mostly, it’s all fixing tickets, with occasional chats and calls – usually from foreign customers because of the time difference.  It’s also a ton quieter with the lack of people around.

What’s your background? Did you go to school for Computer Science or a similar field?

I have a bunch of customer service experience, from pretty much every previous job I’ve held.   Everything I know about websites and servers and emails has come from being here for two years.  I have a Bachelor’s in East Asian studies/ minored in Japanese language.

If not, how did you gain your technological knowledge?

As soon as I got the job, I started studying and asking questions, and I’ve never stopped trying to learn!

What’s your area of expertise? Is there a certain subject you like helping customers with the most? 

Interacting with customers, and keeping people calm and happy on the phone!  It’s probably the best skill I have that can be applied to pretty much any job I ever get, just because of knowing how to interact with people.

What are your hobbies outside of work? 

Art is a big one (drawing, painting, etc), but I love karaoke, and I do weekly Rocky Horror shadow cast performances.  Otherwise, catching up on TV and movies on Netflix.

What is your most prized possession?

(You’re not going to steal it, are you?) I would say my friends/family/cat, but I don’t really possess those things and they have minds of their own!  So, maybe my car?  My old car was really old and wanted to die, so the best decision I made about it was to just replace it with a new one, and it is my first new car : )

Give us a few interesting/random facts about you.

• I am a ninja (literally have taken ninjutsu classes – currently taking a break from classes though).
• I stayed in Japan for a month a few years ago;  it was super amazing!
• I love owls!
• Also, the Rocky Horror thing, but I covered that in my hobbies.  I’ve been doing that for almost 3 years already!

 What’s your favorite thing about working at HostMySite?

There are some really great people working here.