24/7 support vital part for internet provider; The Back Page In association with DLIB Working day: Chris Airey.

CHRIS AIREY is the operations director of Warrington-based Airangel, one of the UK's leading providers of branded wired and wireless guest internet access services. It works closely with hotels, conference venues and professional services firms across the UK.

Chris lives with his wife, Jane, and son, Charlie, in Cheshire. This is an account of his day:

7am: My three-year-old boy, Charlie, wakes me up right on cue. There is no need for an alarm clock in my house.

7.20am: I nip into the study to read a few emails before I head off to the office. I feel much better if I have a headstart on what the day ahead holds. It's too early for breakfast but a shot of caffeine is essential.

9am: Once I'm at the office, I get my laptop set up before touching base with Dean, our sales director, and then head to a meeting with our creative team. The meeting is to see how the portal design is progressing for the Malmaison hotel, in Aberdeen.

The hotel is a new-build and, as well as the portal design, we have to liaise closely with the site manager to agree an installation timetable. The actual installation will take two to three days from start to finish, so I review the project plan.

10.30am: After the meeting, I return to my office and set up a few meetings for Dean and myself to visit some prospective clients. These are a mixture of hotels and conference venues and, with WiFi being such a key part of their offer, we're expecting some lively meetings with lots of questions.

11.30am: I meet with our legal advisors and run through some contract terms and conditions for upcoming projects with a small hotel chain and a few independents. I'd rather be out with clients, understanding how we can make WiFi more profitable and successful for them, but it's got to be done so we venture off to a quiet meeting room.

1pm: I finally stop for something to eat and grab a sandwich. After a quick break, I'm back to catching up on my emails.

2pm: Next, I'm in the car and on the way to the Radisson SAS hotel in Liverpool for a site visit. It is really a courtesy call to touch base with the team there and check that our system is running well and meeting guests' needs.

3.30pm: When I get back to the office, I sit down with Ted and Janis, our in-house developers, to plan system improvements. We are always looking to enhance our services for our clients and are currently working on a new version of our internal helpdesk monitoring system. 24/7 support is a critical part of our offer as, without it, it's the hoteliers themselves that would have to deal with customers' WiFi queries. As a team, we review feedback from our clients as to any areas we could improve and agree several service innovations to deliver over the next six months.

5.15pm: While I'm catching up on emails, I receive a phone call from a hotelier in Wales who asks about our services and the scope for WiFi as a revenue generator across his three sites. He's shocked to find out that they could be losing out on almost pounds 50,000-a-year due to a revenue share deal and are keen to discuss working with us.

6.30pm: Back in the car and I drive home - I like to make sure I see Charlie before his bedtime. After a bedtime story, my wife Jane and I sit down to dinner and a glass of wine and catch up on the day.

No need for an alarm clock in my house

CAPTION(S):

I'd rather be out with clients . . . Chris Airey, operations director of Warrington-based Airangel