Thursday, December 29, 2016
Reflections on 2016: Jaspar Weir, TaskUs
This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Jaspar Weir, co-founder of TaskUs (www.taskus.com), which powers much of the back office and customer support behind some of the best known startups here in Southern California--not to mention the rest of the world, and for many established companies, too. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.
What's was biggest news from you or your firm this year?
Jaspar Weir: This year we had tremendous growth. We hired 5,326 new employees and opened three new locations. Most exciting is our new San Antonio office which offers domestic support options.
What's the biggest lesson you learned this year?
Jaspar Weir: This isn't something we learned this year, but rather something we think people need to hear this year. AI (AKA artificial intelligence and machine learning) can feel intimidating, largely because people fear AI automation will eliminate jobs for humans. AI is not replacing humans; AI is an add-on support tool that enables workers to address issues more efficiently while freeing up their time to tackle more complex matters.
What's your favorite technology gadget, device, or innovation you ran across this year?
Jaspar Weir: Service is our favorite innovation app (and site) this year. Service solves your customer complaints for you in three easy steps:
1. Tell them what happened. Be as detailed as possible and give any supporting documentation.
2. They work on your behalf. They contact the business and pursue a fair resolution for all 3 parties.
3. The issue gets resolved. You get a fair resolution and the business gets a happier customer.!
Finally, what do you think will have the biggest impact on the technology industry in 2017?
Jaspar Weir: Asynchronous support (defined here">https://www.taskus.com/glossary/asynchronous-messaging/">here). No one wants to wait on the phone. They want to text or in-app message the brand they are communicating with. Brands need to meet their customers where they want to be met, on their terms.
Jaspar Weir is the Co-Founder and President at TaskUs. He focuses on leading the company's transformational growth and strategic initiatives so that it can provide its clients access to the people, the process and the technology required to scale quickly, to excel operationally and to increase the bottom line.