Matthew Boniface

I’m responsible for the technology Chrome Telecom provides to its customers, making sure they always have the latest technology while keeping dependability as the priority.

I run what I believe to be the best technical support team in the telecoms industry.  A fantastic team of installation engineers and support engineers who genuinely care about our customers and their businesses. Nothing is ever too big an ask.

My work is about making sure our customers and our staff are happy and trust Chrome Telecom, rain or shine. Keeping our team ahead on training and technology is a must, and the benefits speak for themselves.

Before Chrome, I was actually focused on being a personal trainer. An opportunity then came my way building high-powered lasers, and I jumped at the opportunity.

Part of that role involved working with fibre optics, which I enjoyed, and allowed me to focus on the defence and telecoms industry.  There i was involved with manufacturing and testing various types of highly complex fibre optic cable, some of it ended up on the Mars rover.

Since then I’ve moved to the reseller side of telecoms, making sure customers are supported, installations are carried out to a high standard and, most importantly, that the technology we provide is among the best on the market. My time at Chrome has taken me from installation engineer to Technical Manager and now Technical Director. The bit I enjoy most now is helping people grow, achieve their goals and do well in an industry that never stands still.

My proudest achievement to date has to be the amount of awards Chrome has won. It shows that what we’re doing actually means something, that it’s recognised in the industry, and it fills our team with the confidence that they’re in the right place.

The other is the progression I’ve made in the industry. Going from a trainee engineer who knew nothing to Technical Director has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears. That hard work has now given me the opportunity to pass that knowledge and mindset on to the people around me, and hopefully further their careers too.

An experience that shaped how I am today came from a previous job, looking up to senior people who were unable to help, or didn’t want to. It made me decide that the people I work with should never feel unsupported. So I make sure I’m always available, always up to speed on their daily tasks and always happy to get my hands dirty when needed.

I was once told that the only thing worse than making a bad decision is not making one at all. That sits with me daily at Chrome, and I’m fortunate to work with a team that has the power to make decisions, so our customers never face delays in support or in moving their technology forward.

For me, it starts with dependability. You can own a Ferrari, but if it doesn’t move, what’s the point?

From there, I look at what customers genuinely need, as well as what they want. Recommending things such as private VPNs (a secure connection into the business network for staff working elsewhere), CCTV and of course our latest phone system, ChromeX, has seen our customers benefit from things that work as well as things they wanted.

Equally, I’m comfortable advising against something if I don’t believe it’s right for our customers or our staff. There’s no point recommending an expensive, complicated setup when a simpler option will do the job just as well.

For me this is simple, and the main outcome is our customer’s satisfaction.

Each project starts with our pre-installation team getting to the bottom of the customer’s specific requirements. Then the installation team delivers our solution to a high standard, including keeping things tidy and sorting out any old mess. After that, our onboarding team keeps communication excellent every step of the way, and of course our technical support team is always on hand if things change.

The real win is great feedback from the people who matter most, our customers.  This shows in the amazing reviews we receive on a regular basis.

Away from work, I enjoy barbecues, sunshine, family time and keeping fit. I like to slow down and enjoy the smaller things in life instead of the hustle and bustle. I suppose I should also admit I’m quite an avid gardener.