Siena | "Competitive" comp not given
Steph's Notes:
Okay, I am...very not objective about this company. I am actively hostile to the product and the way Siena markets it: simulated chat conversations on their homepage in which they are clearly encouraging companies to deceive customers into thinking they're talking to humans and not bots and intentionally and repeatedly positioning their product as a replacement for human support agents.
So it is galling – to say the least – to see Siena hiring human support for their product when they're happy enough for it to fuel an exaggerated AI craze that's led to a CX employment crisis everywhere else. The words irony and hypocrisy come to mind.
Thus it is unsurprising that Siena has no Careers page to speak of, just a list of their job openings. Why worry about being candidate-first? I'm sure there's an AI for that.
making a real impact in automating agentic workflows
Making up words in addition to making up "humans"
join us on our mission to revolutionize customer experience through empathetic AI
*starts box-breathing exercises*
We're direct and honest: We believe in straightforward, truthful communication. We say what we think, clearly and respectfully.
Does that include being honest with customers when they're talking to a chatbot and not a human?
As Manager of Technical Support, you will be responsible for managing the technical support team within our customer success organization.
What technical support team? I thought you have Siena for that. Is this position just bossing the bot around?
In this player/coach role, you will help to deliver world class support to our global customer base.
Ooohhh, so Siena's good enough for other people's customers, but not to deliver "world class support" for your customers. Got it.
(Shall we infer that "world class support" means "support actually delivered by humans?")
We're a startup. We can't offer you fancy offices or extra perks. But here's what we can offer
How about, I don't know, JUST REAL FUCKING BENEFITS. Who (oh, who am I kidding, what) wrote this? Have y'all dove so far into the AI Kool-Aid that you can't even remember that a real person will be in this job and need little things like healthcare and dental? WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU.
At Siena, we’re not just looking for people who can do a job. We’re looking for people who want to break boundaries, create the future, and reshape industries.
I can't, y'all. Snark overload. I CANNOT.
There's also a Customer Success Manager role open at this company but I absolutely refuse to subject myself to more of this nonsense.
(I should note that I don't begrudge the humans who work here. People need jobs. That's kind of the whole basis for my beef with Siena.)
UPDATE 1Sep24: A reader whose opinion I respect felt that I was being too harsh with Siena in some places, since 1) they don't offer technical support (as far as we can tell on the website) and 2) since Siena is the vendor and not making decisions regarding how their clients present the bot to customers. (I hope I've fairly represented your points, friend!)
This is a fair criticism, and I think it's only fair that I explain my big words up there. I am, and have been, very harsh with Siena.
It's true that they don't have much control over how their clients choose to use their product, but they certainly have control over how they market and position their tool. This matters because it inarguably influences how customers talk and think about their product (and about "AI" tools in general, which do not, at this moment, actually exist).
It’s understandable if you feel I’m being pedantic here, but these definitions matter. Siena features testimonials calling the bot "her," their examples include simulated chats between customers and the bot, which is given human names and personas with no indication that it’s really a bot, and they make claims all over their website about how empathetic the bot is.
The bot is not “superhuman,” as Siena claims at one point on their website, nor is it empathetic (both of which are impossible) – it's a very advanced next-word predictor. Siena certainly understands this, and acknowledging this wouldn’t make the product any less effective at what it does. And yet, they’re marketing it as “superhuman AI” because it is both expedient and very, very lucrative to contribute to the AI craze.
Which, cool, that’s their prerogative. But either Siena is positioning their tool as human-like enough to replace actual human agents, or they're not. They can't have it both ways.
I find it frustrating to see a CX product marketed this way and then see that same company hire human support agents to, in their own words, "deliver world class support," and I'm going to continue to criticize that unrealistic marketing / positioning and the effect it's had on the CX job market, regardless of whether it’s intentional or unintentional on the part of the company.
Agh, sorry reader friend, you know how I get worked up. This isn't aimed at you at all, but at the company itself. I guess I should close this by reiterating: I am very not objective about this company.
Original Job Description: Manager of Technical Support
About Siena
Siena is building enterprise empathic AI Agents powered by reasoning-adept LLMs. Siena is the first AI Agent of its kind, designed to integrate with existing systems and interact with customers across multiple channels from a single, unified platform.
If you're excited about the intersection of human-to-machine communication and want to be part of a team driving innovation and making a real impact in automating agentic workflows, join us on our mission to revolutionize customer experience through empathetic AI.
Some of our values
We're not big on corporate-speak, but here's what matters to us:
- We put customers first: We work hard to understand our customers. We try to put ourselves in their position and do more than they expect.
- We're direct and honest: We believe in straightforward, truthful communication. We say what we think, clearly and respectfully.
- We try new things: We're not afraid to do things differently if it means finding better solutions.
- We step up: When we see a chance to make a difference, we take it. We trust ourselves to decide and take responsibility for what happens.
- We're quick on our feet: We adapt to changes and challenges. We see them as chances to learn and grow.
- We stay curious: We ask questions and explore new ideas. What we learn helps us keep growing.
- We own it: We're all owners here. We take charge, make the call, and own the outcome.
Job Overview
As Manager of Technical Support, you will be responsible for managing the technical support team within our customer success organization. In this player/coach role, you will help to deliver world class support to our global customer base. You will need to work closely with multiple teams spanning across the globe and the business to allow us to deliver world class support.
The role includes building a world class support team, and offering insights for the continuous improvement of our AI products. This role demands a blend of leadership skills, technical acumen, problem-solving skills, and a customer-centric approach.
Key Responsibilities:
- Management: Responsible for people management, including hiring, mentoring, improving productivity, performance management, promoting employee morale, allocating and utilizing resources efficiently, motivating teams, and handling ongoing training.
- Metrics: Strong knowledge and experience in managing and exceeding KPIs and critical technical support metrics including first response time, resolution time, and customer satisfaction. In addition, contribute to the overall CS metrics of customer retention and growth.
- Customer Service: Ensure that high-quality support is delivered to customers via phone, email, and chat. Ensure that the support team responds to customer inquiries in a timely and accurate manner. Create and manage a Q/A process to review the quality of responses from the support team.
- Technical Support: Ensure that support team troubleshoots and resolves technical issues related to our AI products and services. Own and bring to conclusion customer escalations by partnering with CSMs, engineering, and product.
- Communication: Manage major operations outages and communications to the customers.
- Product Knowledge: Ensure support team is up-to-date on our product features, capabilities, and updates to provide informed support.
- Feedback Collection: Gather and relay feedback to the product development team for future enhancements.
- Documentation: Accurately document customer interactions, issues, and resolutions in our ticketing system. Create additional external and internal documentation to create consistency and efficiency.
- Collaboration: Work closely with the technical and product teams to stay informed about product changes and contribute to product improvement discussions.
- Leadership: Drive continuous improvement by evaluating current processes, technology, and organizational skills to identify areas of improvement and opportunities for advancement. Lead by example to cultivate and maintain a culture built on teamwork, collaboration, and customer focus. Lead and manage according to the company's and department's vision, goals, mission and values.
Required Qualifications:
- A minimum of 5 years in customer support for SaaS or technical products with a minimum of 2 years in a people management role is required.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Proficiency in problem-solving and troubleshooting.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, remote environment.
- Understanding of ChatGPT and technical products.
- Experience in the AI industry is a big plus.
Why Joins Us
We're a startup. We can't offer you fancy offices or extra perks. But here's what we can offer:
- Real impact. Your work will directly shape our product and company.
- A seat at the table. In a small team, every voice matters. Yours will be heard.
- Freedom to work your way. Home, coffee shop, moon base - if you're productive, we're happy.
- Top pay. Competitive salary and an opportunity for equity or stock grants.
- Time off when you need it. Take at least 15 days. More if you need it.
- Budget to keep learning. Because if you're not growing, we're not growing.
- The chance to build something from the ground up. This is the time when what you do has the biggest impact.
- Problems worth solving. We're reshaping how work gets done.
At Siena, we’re not just looking for people who can do a job. We’re looking for people who want to break boundaries, create the future, and reshape industries. If that’s you, we look forward to your application.
Siena provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and abilities.
