Actually, the tech billionaire Bill Gates is currently enjoying his retirement, which practically means he is engaged with humanitarian organizations. However, he made an exception for his daughter and sought direct customer contact.
Why did Bill Gates work in customer service? His daughter, Phoebe Gates, co-founded the startup Phia with her former Stanford classmate Sophia Kianni. The company offers an app and a Chrome extension that is supposed to search over 40,000 websites for the best clothing deals, prioritizing second-hand purchases and pointing to sustainable alternatives.
A week ago, the proud father announced on linkedin.com that his daughter asked him if he would take a shift in the company’s customer service. Bill Gates emphasizes that there can only be one right answer: yes! The founder of Microsoft further explains:
I have thought a lot about how to make technology systems more efficient, fairer, and more accessible. But over the years, I’ve learned that you best understand how something works or where it breaks when you talk directly to the people who use it.
Tech billionaires and their clothes … :
A lot of praise from the community
There is an important tip for the entire industry: If you want to understand your customers, get to the front line, get your hands dirty, and seek direct contact with your target audience.
Many people in the industry praise Bill Gates for the action. Community manager Hassa Alsuwaidi writes: “A great example of how to stay grounded while supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
Did some customers realize that Bill Gates himself was handling their case? He found it incredibly exciting to briefly be part of the startup scene again. Bill Gates actually never has to work again, even though he continues to donate millions of dollars to humanitarian organizations: While Bill Gates sleeps, he earns almost 15 million dollars night after night, yet his fortune is shrinking
