Jocelyn W.

Area Vice President, Onboarding

What attracted you to a career opportunity at Toast? 

I was first introduced to Toast shortly after we opened the office in Omaha. As Director of Operations for a bar and restaurant group based in Omaha, I was actively looking into switching our point of sale system to Toast. I happened to meet a couple of wonderful Toasters at a tech event we were catering, and I was jazzed after hearing them speak to how much they loved working for Toast. I instantly started scouring the job postings for something that would fit my interests and experience. After being in the industry for over 15 years and watching my husband work at a tech startup for five years, I was constantly envious of his work-life balance and the culture he was a part of. Toast was the perfect fit for what I was craving professionally, while still allowing me to flex my knowledge of an industry I had loved since my first restaurant job- scooping ice cream at the age of 15. 

Photo credit: Michael Pysh

How has your past experience in the restaurant industry helped you in your role at Toast?

Let me count the ways! I think first and foremost, my past experience has allowed me to really connect with our customers, since I have been in their shoes so many times. I understand what it’s like to have a menu that isn’t built for my staff to be as efficient as possible, or to have my online ordering site stop working during our peak takeout hours. Being able to empathize with our customers is a super power! 

My experience has also helped me to “roll with the punches.” In a fast-moving tech company, adaptability is key. Just like in restaurants, there are no two days that are alike. Dealing with an unexpected late night rush requires the same sort of mental shift that is needed when there’s a sudden change in goals or priorities at Toast. Everyone pitches in, works hard, and pushes that priority towards the finish line. 

And lastly, I’ve never stopped being customer obsessed. Without loyal customers, the restaurant or bar or software company cannot be successful, which is why it is so important to provide the best customer experience possible each and every time.

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about a customer who needs an extra side of ranch or a customer who needs a little extra help with their menu. Ensuring that they walk away from their experience with a smile on their face is the ultimate goal!

Describe your role and team.

I oversee our Menu and Guest Onboarding teams, which are responsible for consulting on and configuring the menu and our guest-facing products: Online Ordering, Mobile Order & Pay, Scan to Pay, Gift Card, Loyalty, Email Marketing, Toast Takeout, Toast Delivery Services, and our Third-Party Ordering integrations. 

My day-to-day consists of working with my team of Directors and Managers to ensure we have the right strategy in place to execute on our goals and provide the highest quality experience both for our internal partners and our customers. I meet regularly with our product, POS onboarding, customer marketing, and training teams to ensure that we’re aligned and executing on the goals we’ve set. 

Our Menu and Guest Consultants work with three to four customers per day, consulting on and configuring their menus and guest products, so our customers have all of the tools to be successful on their Toast POS system and beyond! The role is highly customer-focused, so the key ingredient we look for is customer empathy. Restaurant experience is a huge plus in understanding our customers’ needs. The team members are managing multiple customers for varying lengths of time, so we also look for organization/project management skills, as well as strong communication skills. 

What is your advice for those looking to grow their career within Toast?

My advice is always stay hungry! If there’s a project or initiative that speaks to you and would help you grow your skills, raise your hand, because I promise, there are five other people ready to raise theirs and take that opportunity. If a team member or customer is in need of help, go the extra mile. A little bit of empathy goes a really long way. I’ve built and nurtured so many genuine connections with my teammates at Toast, many of which started because I took the time to respond to their question or help them put a fire out.  And lastly, always be yourself, even if you end up being branded as the Girl Fieri of Toast due to your Guy Fieri obsession.