Jake Balke
Grand Rapids,MI
Summary
Competitive Customer Success focused professional with 10+ years of experience across consulting, implementation, and sales support in the restaurant technology industry. Proven ability to support high-value accounts and drive smooth transitions. Relentless drive to make customers successful.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Activations Manager
Qu POS
Grand Rapids, MI
01.2026 - 10.2026
- Consulted enterprise customers during POS rollout, ensuring seamless integration and user adoption.
- Expanded my role by adding a new segment of onboarding customers to third party integrations like Uber Eats, Grubhub, and OlO, enhancing operational capabilities.
- Managed POS rollout to improve customer satisfaction to meet productivity goals
- Oversaw POS staging and installation quality, ensuring system functionality met customer requirements.
Installations Manager
Qu POS
01.2024 - 01.2026
- Communicated with customers throughout installation projects to ensure satisfaction with results.
- Supervised remote technicians supporting contractors and resolved escalated issues to maintain project momentum.
- Worked alongside every account at Qu during the rollout phase and helped grow the business from less than 200 live sites to thousands of locations within 6 years.
Implementation Lead
Qu POS
11.2020 - 01.2024
- Worked with brands to discuss strategy to gain efficiency and flawless installations.
- Guided customers and onsite technicians through physically installing their new POS System.
- Verified system functionality, supported escalations and resolved issues.
Implementation Consultant
Toast
02.2020 - 04.2020
- Consulted high-profile accounts on POS hardware and menu structure to optimize customer operations. Managed the relationship from onboarding to installation.
- Trained and supported Toast's largest customers in South East Region, facilitating seamless transition to new Point Of Sale platform
Regional Implementation Manager
Toast
10.2016 - 02.2020
- Interviewed and hired over 100 field techs. Trained, and supported new Field Implementation Engineers in the Midwest. Responsible for customer success, productivity, labor cost, and quality control.
- Traveled nationwide to high profile accounts to ensure a white glove transition to Toast.
- Product Expert for high-value accounts, leading product demos to showcase features and benefits of the Toast system.
- Collaborated with Sales, Support, and Project teams to enhance customer satisfaction.
- Resolved churn threat for customers remotely and onsite, ensuring retention.
- Maintained or exceeded quota at a 90%+ success rate while in this role. Including new sites installed, churn rate, and labor cost.
- Helped grow the company from 10 sites to 20,000+ in 6 years.
Implementation Team Lead
Toast
10.2015 - 10.2016
- Sold Toast POS to SMB restaurants in Michigan, enhancing their operational efficiency.
- Worked alongside GFS executives and sales teams at the corporate office, food shows, and on site with customers to build the Toast+GFS relationship.
- Facilitated onsite transitions for customers to a new system, providing training, installation, and support.
- Assisted team members in the field with issue resolution and escalation.
Implementation Specialist
Toast
Michigan
07.2014 - 10.2015
- Hybrid Sales/Installation role where I sold Toast to SMB restaurants across Michigan, enhancing their operational efficiency and managed the cycle from discovery to fully installed.
- Worked alongside GFS executives and sales teams at the corporate office, food shows, and onsite with customers to build the Toast+GFS relationship.
- Collaborated onsite with customers during system transitions to ensure seamless adoption.
- Trained and installed systems for customers, providing ongoing support to facilitate effective utilization.
- Employee 52 at Toast and was the first employee outside of the Boston Corporate office.
Various Job Titles
Various Restaurants
Grand Rapids, Michigan
09.2006 - 07.2014
- Performed various roles in the restaurant industry including host, busser, dishwasher, cook, server, bartender, and manager, gaining comprehensive operational knowledge.
- Gained experience across fast food establishments, sports bars, full-service restaurants, fast casual dining, carryout and delivery pizza services, and golf courses, enhancing customer service skills.
Education
Associate of Arts - General Studies
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids, MISkills
- Consulting
- Customer Retention
- Management
- Sales
- Team Leadership
- Customer Success
Timeline
Activations Manager
Qu POS
01.2026 - 10.2026
Installations Manager
Qu POS
01.2024 - 01.2026
Implementation Lead
Qu POS
11.2020 - 01.2024
Implementation Consultant
Toast
02.2020 - 04.2020
Regional Implementation Manager
Toast
10.2016 - 02.2020
Implementation Team Lead
Toast
10.2015 - 10.2016
Implementation Specialist
Toast
07.2014 - 10.2015
Various Job Titles
Various Restaurants
09.2006 - 07.2014
Associate of Arts - General Studies
Grand Rapids Community College