How Gaming Led Chris Fisher to Be a Ting Technician

While they love our reliable, lightning-fast fiber internet, Ting customers will tell you that a big part of their great experience is our dedication to customer service and support. There’s a very simple explanation for this: We hire great people. Ting employees are knowledgeable and passionate about what they do. They’re also interesting as heck! Here’s a chance to get to know one of our amazing local team members. We’re internet that gets you.

To start with, could you please tell us your name and your role with Ting?

My name is Chris Fisher, and I'm a fiber-optic technician in Westminster, Maryland. I've been with Ting for almost three years in this role.

What would you say is your favorite part of your job?

I enjoy helping people get set up with technology that they find daunting or scary. It’s really rewarding to see them realize how well it works once it's all set up. It's always great to see their surprise and satisfaction with the speed of our fiber service.

Do you remember any particular story where you got that kind of reaction up front?

Usually, when I walk customers through the installation, I show them how quick the fiber response is by putting on a YouTube video and having them move the buffer bar to see the speed. Customers are often speechless and amazed by the speed, and they keep playing with the buffer bar back and forth like it's not real.

I remember a specific story of a woman working from home and experiencing dropped calls and poor resolution with her previous internet service provider. After I set her up with Ting, she was amazed at how much better it was. She felt relieved that she wouldn't miss anything important at work, and she mentioned that she really liked working from home.

Thank you for sharing that story.

Oh, absolutely! I've been a Ting customer since 2017 myself. Streaming is now totally different from six years ago. It's all the streaming platforms where people are going. But a lot of individuals or families are hesitant to go down that path, especially if someone is a little bit older and used to cable TV. I try to show them that they're already using pieces of it. I'll ask them, "Do you have a smartphone?" and when they say yes, I tell them, "Well, you're already using most of the things that are involved with streaming."

I help them set up their devices, which they probably already have but just don't realize how much they can actually access. I assure them that they're not going to break anything, and they're not going to get charged hidden fees. They may be used to those types of things from their previous provider, but with Ting, it's straightforward, and you have access to all the new content that's coming along.

Can you tell us what a regular day looks like for you as a fiber installation technician?

Typically, we start our day with our first installation appointment at 8:00 in the morning. We talk to our customers about fiber internet and discuss where they would like the installation to be done in their homes. Fiber optics requires delicate handling, so I provide expertise in the installation process. Once we've gone through that, we proceed with the physical installation. After that, we hand it over to our provisioning team who will turn on the service. I then assist the customer with setting up their router or troubleshooting any issues they may have with their devices.

Can you share any interesting stories from your experiences?

I once did an installation for a 91-year-old customer who wanted to watch golf and tennis. I helped her sign up for a streaming service and showed her how to use it. She was thrilled and realized it wasn't as difficult as she thought.

And so what do you enjoy doing online? Do you like streaming, listening to music, and playing video games?

I'm actually a gamer myself, specifically a PC gamer. I've been using Ting Internet for years now, even before I started working for them. I already knew how amazing it was, and I bring that testimony to my installs as well. If anyone would be upset about their internet, it would be hardcore gamers like me, because we want it to work flawlessly and instantly.

In my household, it's not just me, but also my wife and my three-year-old twin boys who can get frustrated if something doesn't work on the internet. So making sure that streaming is working smoothly for them is a priority.

Even if I'm downloading a game on my PC, and everyone else is streaming or doing something else, it doesn't impact the rest of the household because Ting Internet is so reliable. This was particularly evident during the pandemic phase when other services were struggling due to increased demand, but our service remained stable.

What would you say is your current favorite video game?

The one I regularly play with a group of people is Seven Days to Die. It's an older game from the time when the zombie survival genre was very popular, inspired by "The Walking Dead."

I actually have an interesting experience with this game. Before I joined Ting as a technician, I was a customer, and I had rented a server for Seven Days to Die from New York. When I switched to Ting Internet, the graphics I was receiving from the server improved significantly because I wasn't losing packets anymore during the transfer to my PC. It was an eye-opening moment for me, realizing how amazing Ting Internet is.

And what would you say is your favorite part about your town?

Westminster is part of a very big farming community, so it's very local. It is very much about working together as a community, and we have some very surprising technological groups out here.

The admitted Atlantic Gigabit convention is out here, and they're doing events and trainings with kids in regards to app development. They're gonna do a drone lab where we helped set up the internet for the lab itself. That's because the power of fiber allows you to do anything. Here, the community is aware of the future and allows that technology to be part of the change that's coming for all of us.

And is there a local business that you're particularly fond of?

We do have some Friends of Ting in the area, and they highlight and open up our internet service to their patrons. And so JeannieBird is a local one that we work with quite a bit. It's a nice bakery/breakfast cafe that everybody goes to on Main Street. And yeah, I love going there for pastries.

Have you ever worked with any other ISPs?

I have never actually worked in anything related to the internet prior to this. Certainly being a gamer and knowing how fiber has changed the world attracted me to Ting. When I did switch, I was extremely happy with the simplicity of everything Ting has in place, which is really focused on the customer and not the company.

I know from my experience with other ISPs that it's all about the customer at Ting. It's not just a misperception that I had as a customer. It's reinforced to us as employees. We have time to help customers with other things that may not have been allowed in other companies.

Well, this was really great. Thank you so much for your time!