23 years ago in May 1999, it was my first day at Deans Computer Services in the hardware department as a Junior Engineer. As part of my initial training, I was instructed to meet up with one of the Senior Engineers at a customer site in Bradford. He was tasked with rebuilding a Novell server (before Microsoft servers were mainstream) and I was told this would be a useful experience. I was to be trusted with a company car and my only means of navigating to the site was a blue West Yorkshire A-to-Z (I’m sure you remember them!). I met up with Noel that day to see how it was all done. I watched carefully, I asked a ton of questions and after that day, I knew this was the career for me!
In my 23 years at DCS, I have seen technology evolve rapidly. We’ve all seen these huge changes in server technology, storage, internet speeds, cyber security, mobile telephones, laptop and desktop computers, how we communicate with each other, where we work and also when we work. And it’s this rapid evolution that has kept my passion for technology fresh all these years. My other passion has always been customer service, I have always tried my best to ensure the client had a good experience no matter the cost. I like to think I excelled in both of these areas. However, there is one area in my career where I haven’t thrived. There’s a phrase that often echoes around the DCS offices, “If you see Chris with a screwdriver in his hand, take it off him!”. This is a reference to my inability of being able to successfully attach anything to a wall, specifically comms cabinets, wall boxes and trunking. Here and now, for the record, I want it to be noted that I do use screwdrivers both successfully and regularly in other areas of my work!
I feel privileged to have worked for a company with such good role models and such good values towards their staff and their customers. No matter what the problem was, there was always someone to talk to, there was always someone to help me out and I was never on my own. The one thing I’m going to miss most though is my colleagues, my friends. We’ve shared just about every emotion there is between us over the decades but what is always at the forefront of my mind, what I’ll remember most is the laughs, the craic and the very bad jokes and pathetic puns.
Farewell DCS, I will miss you all!