A day in the life as a Senior Support Associate

When I first joined the support team at Birdie in January 2024, I came in eager to learn, keen to grow, and ready to make a difference. In January 2025, I stepped into the role of Senior Support Associate. It’s a promotion I’m proud of, and one that allows me to support not just our partners, but my teammates as well.

Every day in support is different, but one thing remains constant: the drive to ensure our users – care professionals, care coordinators, and agency managers – can deliver safe, efficient, person-centred care without blockers. Our software underpins essential services, so when things go wrong or aren’t working as expected, the stakes are high.

Morning routine: calm before the storm

My day usually starts with a quiet scan through as many Slack channels as possible. I use that time to catch up on overnight developments, flagged issues, and summarise the previous day’s events. Because we serve a sector that often operates outside the traditional 9–5, there’s often something new waiting for us at 9am.

Next, I sign into our support dashboard and begin triaging open tickets. One of our main responsibilities is investigating technical pitfalls, and a big part of that involves distinguishing between user error and genuine software issues. This is where my experience comes in handy. I’ve learned to identify patterns, recognise red flags, and ask the right questions – often before a ticket even gets escalated.

Sometimes a problem is as simple as someone entering the wrong details or misunderstanding a feature. Other times, I uncover something deeper – a rare issue or an edge case our developers didn’t anticipate. When that happens, I flag it clearly, with steps to reproduce, and ensure it gets passed to the relevant product team. Clear communication is everything in these moments.

Rotas and rhythm: wearing the WFM hat

One of the bigger responsibilities I’ve taken is workforce management (WFM) for our support team. Creating rotas might sound straightforward, but when you're balancing holidays, peak periods, and ensuring we always have the right mix of skills on hand, it quickly becomes a logistical puzzle.

I’ve come to enjoy this part of the job. It gives me a broader view of how the team operates and lets me support colleagues in a different way – making sure workloads are balanced and that everyone gets proper downtime.

Midday momentum: supporting the support team

As a Senior Support Associate, I’m a go-to person for the rest of the team. That means fielding questions from colleagues who aren’t quite sure how to handle a particular case, or jumping in when a situation gets more complex than expected. I also take on coaching duties, helping newer team members build confidence, spot opportunities for growth, and develop their own troubleshooting instincts.

Throughout the week, I’ll also assist with Quality Assurance (QA) – reviewing cases and interactions to ensure they meet our standards for accuracy, tone, and helpfulness. QA has taught me how to give feedback that’s supportive but honest. It’s not about being critical – it’s about helping each person get better, one interaction at a time.

Afternoon focus: supporting the CSM queue

In the afternoons, I support our Customer Success Managers by helping with their inbox and task queue when things get particularly busy. It’s a slightly different pace from frontline support – less about urgent troubleshooting and more about helping our partners make the most of our service.

That might mean chasing down details for a contract query, clarifying how a partner’s invoice was calculated, or helping to tidy up account admin so everything runs smoothly. These tasks might seem small, but they can make a big difference in helping our partners feel confident and supported.

I’ve found this part of the role rewarding because it gives me a broader view of the customer journey – beyond day-to-day issues, and into how we help our partners see real value. It’s also a chance to flex a different kind of problem-solving: one that requires a bit more digging, precision, and context.

Reflecting on the journey

The transition from Support Associate to Senior Support Associate didn’t happen overnight. Over the past year, I made it a point to look for opportunities to lead, even in small ways. Whether that meant stepping up to handle a tricky ticket, mentoring a new hire, or suggesting a change in how we manage our processes, I tried to be proactive.

Stepping up wasn’t just a recognition of past effort – it was a green light to keep growing. This role has taught me so much about more than just our products and systems: it’s taught me about people, processes, and how to bring out the best in both.

Why it matters

Working in support for a tech provider in the care space is unlike any other support job I’ve had. Our users aren’t just partners – they’re people doing vital work. When they contact us, they’re often under pressure, dealing with real-life consequences.

That’s why we do what we do – not just to solve problems, but to support the people who support others. Being a Senior Support Associate means leading by example, lifting others up, and always looking for ways to improve.

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