Getting to Know Binti’s Bi-Lingual Customer Support Associate: Jackie Ruiz-Ortiz

What’s your background and what brought you over to Binti?

I was raised by an immigrant single mother and two older siblings so Spanish was my first language and English was second. My brothers never quite caught on to Spanish as well as I did (thanks to soap operas!) so I was the one translating for my mom everywhere we went.

I have been in customer service my whole adult life. At age 15, I volunteered as a Spanish-student election worker where I met many people and loved every interaction with the voters and other volunteers. Helping my community on such an important day made me feel amazing and that’s when I knew I wanted to continue in a career that made a positive impact. When I came across Binti, I was thrilled for a chance to be a part of a greater change in my community, country, and soon around the world!

You’ve been in Customer Support for some time now, both at Binti and prior to joining Binti. What is the most rewarding part of your job and what is the biggest challenge?

I feel lucky to be working with an amazing group of people everyday, I’m always learning something new. My colleagues are constantly looking to learn from one another and improve the product for our customers to do their work better — I find that very rewarding and inspiring.

One of the biggest challenges is when I really want to help someone with an issue but it is out of my control. Workarounds are my best friend, but in some cases there is no temporary solution and the issue needs to be escalated to a member of engineering or technical account management. However, this also becomes an opportunity for me to learn more. I know I cannot learn how to code overnight but it allows me to think outside the box or dig deeper into the issues at hand to better assist our customers if this occurs again.

Which one of Binti’s values resonates with you the most, and why?

Binti is the first mission driven company I’ve worked for. I did not know that having such a powerful mission would change the way I work, how I see the world and the issues around me. “Put the Child First” is the value that resonates with me the most.

I found my passion at previous employers by helping others. I knew this is what I enjoyed doing and it made me feel good knowing that I’m making a positive impact. I think of my parents and the struggle they have gone through in this country with language barriers and limited resources. I am proud to be able to support the Latinx community in finding a home for every child, which Binti is making as easy as possible.

Tell us about a particularly memorable moment during your time at Binti.

During my first 90 days at Binti, I took a phone call that ended up lasting 3 hours. The caller was an applicant needing assistance completing their online application to become a foster parent. I helped walk her through the applicant portal and navigated her questions to the best of my ability. Although some questions the caller had were not specifically about the product and I wasn’t able to answer them, she was still extremely thankful and nice.

As a new employee, this particular call helped me get familiar with some frequently asked questions but more importantly, it was a real-life situation proving why Binti’s solution was so valuable. The applicant had a deadline to meet and she wouldn’t have been able to submit all her required forms quickly enough without Binti’s online family portal. My interaction with this applicant helped me to feel comfortable on customer support calls and shed light on the impact Binti has for foster families and social workers. Helping a customer at Binti means so much more than helping someone with a return or finding their size at a retail store.

You’re a Bay Area local. What are some of your favorite local places that you would recommend to someone traveling there for the first time?

I’m such a homebody and when I’m not working I like to spend time at home with my family cooking or playing games. My mom was in an accident a while back and as her primary caregiver I try to keep her entertained and get her out of the house for some fresh air. We recently discovered beautiful local gardens like the Japanese Garden in Hayward which she really enjoys or short walks at Don Castro Regional Park. Although now that the weather is starting to get chillier, I’m the one needing recommendations. 🙂