Team Member Spotlight: Joel Neppl

"Every time I reach out to Joel and his team, I know I am going to receive great service...Their response time is impeccable and they are customer-service focused, personable, and an all around pleasure to work with...One of the best vendors I have worked with in over ten years of IT experience." — Levi Hunt, IT Analyst, New Hanover County Public Library (NC)

"Joel is always VERY HELPFUL and quick to respond. In addition to his help, he always takes the time to answer questions and help me understand how things work." —Sherryl Masterman, Network & Computer Systems Specialist, Yavapai Library Network (AZ)

As Tech Logic's Custom Care Manager, Joel is a creative problem solver. Since he started at Tech Logic in November of 2018, he has taken on several roles to ensure quality care for our customers. He loves working out the kinks and creating customizations to improve overall workflow. Tech Logic customers describe Joel as timely, courteous, professional, patient, knowledgeable, and dedicated.

To help us get to know Joel, we asked him a few questions:

Could you describe for us your role at Tech Logic—or, perhaps it's more like plural roles?!

Joel: I started at Tech Logic in 2018 as a Customer Care Account Manager, answering technical calls for our customers. I focused mainly on customizations for self-checkout, staff stations, and security gates. I also doubled as an installer, so I would physically install security gates at libraries. It was nice to see where the hardware was going and how it was being deployed. This helped me visualize and understand the layout of the library for potential issues in the future.

In 2022, I took on the Customer Care Manager role supervising our customer care Representatives. I also collaborate with other departments within Tech Logic to resolve escalation issues and learn about new products in the field.

I have also taken on the role of Project Manager for Tech Logic’s conversion to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This system unifies and streamlines work functions for departments across Tech Logic. This includes providing a customer-facing portal with a knowledge base for the customers to access helpful manuals and search for some of the quick, easy, frequently asked questions. ‍

What do you enjoy most about working with librarians and other library tech users?

Joel: I enjoy making things work when they previously did not, or adapting them to function the way the library desires. There's a lot of customization and tweaking involved.

When the COVID pandemic hit, we created a touchless user experience for the entire self-checkout workflow. The solution for this came out of a request from a library. Just out of curiosity, they wanted to know how we could minimize the user's physical contact with the screen during self-checkout. It was very cool to team up with the developers and create an actual rapid-deployment adjustment to our system that would accommodate this touchless workflow. It allowed the library to deploy a completely touchless self-checkout process for patrons. This was huge for many libraries who wanted to continue serving their patrons during the pandemic and needed to find a way to execute that. It was a fun adventure getting that solution rapidly deployed and it was a very big win for other libraries who ended up requesting it and implementing it.

It’s great to see the impact that we have when we can automate and make somebody's work day easier. Whether it's showing them where to find reports and how to retrieve them, or just getting them connected to their data. We can provide resources that change an entire workflow.

What do you feel Tech Logic does really well on the customer care side?

Joel: We pride ourselves on ensuring that the library receives a timely response to their questions. For example, if we’re dealing with supply chain challenges, we want to let the library know where we’re at in that process. Whether we’re working on shipping hardware or investigating an issue on their behalf, we want to keep the library informed and up-to-date, so they know that progress is being made.

How would you like to see customer care grow at Tech Logic?

Joel: Tech Logic's new ERP—with its customer center portal and its knowledge base structure—are big advancements for us. I also like seeing new products come in.

How do you like Tech Logic's new baseCAMP management portal?

Joel: Yes, I like the advancements in baseCAMP from both the customer care perspective and the end-user/library perspective. The involvement of IT users and end-users capabilities are magnified greatly with the baseCAMP web interface. That is a huge advantage and advancement, and it also addresses former limitations. It's web-based, so everyone who has proper login credentials can use the baseCAMP interface. It allows for a much more robust management of Tech Logic systems, both for library staff and for Tech Logic's customer care team.

Would you care to share any fun facts about yourself, inside or outside of work?

Joel: I like to travel. In the last couple of years, I've made trips to Ireland and Iceland. One of the more interesting activities that I’ve found is signing up for walking tours. You get a local guide and they take you around town and show you where events happened and teach you about the local folklore. They are not usually very expensive and you get to meet people. You can join a small group of 12 people or so and wander around listening to stories. It’s interesting to get the local perspective.

‍If you have any additional questions for Joel or you would like to connect, please feel free to reach out to us!

Tech Logic connects libraries with their communities through dynamic, innovative, and efficient workflow technologies—delivering unparalleled service and outstanding patron experience. Since 1997, we have worked exclusively with libraries to develop solutions that empower library patrons and staff.