Scyther Spotlight: Terri Isidro

I dedicate the majority of my time to understanding and effectively communicating information to others, primarily through my conversations and troubleshooting with M.52 operators in the field. In my role, I help identify and solve any problems they are encountering by reaching into my magical bag of online tricks, which is usually the mower web interface and then summoning the incredible cohort of wizards known as our Field Service team.

In addition to addressing immediate concerns, I meticulously document operational and troubleshooting procedures for M.52 as we create knowledge bases tailored for support representatives, customers and technicians alike. Overall, my days are filled with dialogue and writing, yet the essence of my role lies in listening and strategic thinking.

Given my location on the east coast, Scythe’s flexible working style allows me to take the early morning support shift, which grants me the ability to tackle my writing projects and participate in team meetings later in the day. This adaptable schedule enables me to be productively collaborate with the team while also fostering a healthy work-life balance where I can prioritize time with my family!

Terri (left) with the Customer Team at the 2024 Scythe Summit

What is a project you’re working on right now?

My favorite project so far has been creating comprehensive Tier 1 and Tier 0 documentation for our support staff and customers, respectively, to reference when operating and troubleshooting M.52. I find this exciting because it requires such a deep comprehension of the mower's features and systems and it challenges me to distill complex information into clear, concise steps accessible to all.

As a former chemistry teacher, I know firsthand the importance of clearly presenting information in various forms to help others learn how to do things safely and effectively. When I’m documenting a process, I always put myself in the position of someone who has never used the mower. If I can explain it to that person quickly and effectively utilizing visuals and simplified steps, then I know it will be a valuable resource. 

The project also requires me to capture and customize graphics that illustrate these processes. I’m really looking forward to creating video documentation for the various systems and how to most efficiently operate them. I’m always learning new information and technologies to present information that helps others “get mow done” with our mower!

Accurate and user-friendly documentation is key for providing exceptional customer support and enhancing our operators' understanding and experience. This project is critical to the overall success of the company because without excellent documentation, it is not possible to provide a level of support to our customers that is consistently fast, effective, and enjoyable. This level of support is key to creating strong, trusting relationships with our customers and a reputation for reliability which builds the foundation of company excellence.

Terri's writing efforts earned her the official title of Documentation Queen of Scythe

Which of Scythe’s values means the most to you?

Gestalt plays a pivotal role in my work, as collaboration with various teams is how we come together to troubleshoot and get operators on their way! Acting as the primary liaison between customers and the team, I am constantly engaged in communication with Scythers from across the company, providing information, feedback, and seeking assistance and guidance.

For example, a customer may ask about an alternative way to log in to our mobile app or for training resources for a new M.52 operator on their team. I then reach out to our product manager, engineering team, and even our brand guru to let them know, get it on the radar, and develop a plan for this. The constant flow of information and interaction with the other teams never ends – and I love it!

What’s the best career advice you’ve received?

After spending some time in web development, I wanted to make a complete career change into teaching. My mother told me, "don’t worry about what anyone says or thinks, if it’s in your heart that you need to do it, then you have to." A decade later, feeling disconnected from teaching, my good friend Konul suggested I return to technology. Knowing me well, she believed the new challenge would reignite my passion, and she was right! However, it required an immense amount of discipline, patience, and persistence to accomplish.

Overall, my advice is that career changes are always possible at any point in life and bring great rewards, however you have to be willing to give your whole heart and mind to the endeavor to really succeed.

If you could build a robot to take care of any tasks in your daily life, what would you build it to do?

I am not very tall, so I would love to build a robot that could immediately sense when I am standing on tip-toes in my kitchen and say “Let me get that for you!” and then do so with extendable arms. This robot would also meticulously weed my vegetable garden and clean the snow off my car when asked (the only two things I really don’t like doing). It would have to be a pretty versatile robot with sensitivity, strength, and a lot of manual dexterity!

She might not work from our Colorado HQ but Terri still hits the slopes closest to her when she's not helping our operators

Who is your favorite fictional robot?

I love R2D2 because he’s loyal and a good problem-solver. He goes against the grain sometimes! Kind of fearless, smart, helpful, cute and likable with just the right amount of sass too. I want to be like him by not being afraid to step in and just get things done in a pinch, not afraid to try a new approach and always taking care of those around me!

Offering a snapshot of life at Scythe, the Scyther Spotlight series showcases our team members and the work they do as we pursue our mission together. From software to hardware, manufacturing to customer operations, you'll get to see what our
multi-disciplinary team members are up to and how they collaborate every day.