The Way of the Support Pro
If you’ve ever had to contact customer support, you know it’s a broken system for many companies. A simple action can turn into a lengthy wait only to be met with rude assistance from a rep. You’re left all alone to figure it out.
But a growing number of teams are challenging this status quo. We’re learning how to be support pros. As we learn and grow in our craft, we look towards these principles to guide us.
1. You first. Put on your oxygen mask first. You can’t help others if you’re gasping for air yourself.
2. Customers matter. They are why you’re here. From high-value VIPs to the brand new user that just signed up, every person chose to do business with you and can leave at any time.
3. Customer support is a feature. When done right, it can set you apart from your competition. An app can be recreated easily. A solid support experience is much harder to copy. When customers know they’re going to get great support, they’ll choose you over the competitor.
4. Keep your promises. You should be absolutely honest with customers. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t hide behind corporate mumbo-jumbo or false promises. Always under-promise and over-deliver.
5. Create happiness. You’re here to change how customers feel about you and your product for the better. Every interaction is an opportunity to connect and leave a person happier than they were before. Go ahead and include that GIF or emoji in your reply to them.
6. Simple is better than clever. It doesn’t matter how clever your solution is, customers love clear and concise answers. Keep everything as simple as possible.
7. Find the pattern. Be on the lookout for any patterns you see from the customers you interact with. Patterns are like a nudge towards the next thing to focus on.
8. Try new things. It’s only when you experiment, tweak, change, and try that you’ll see what works. That’s how you find out what works best to keep your customers happy.
9. Deliver daily. Make a tweak to your help site. Write just one thank you note. Even if it’s a small thing and nobody notices that you did it, take initiative and deliver on one thing today.
10. Say thank you. Let customers and your team members know that you appreciate them. Give thanks rather than complaints.
If any of these principles makes you shout “YES!” in your head, check out The Support Ops Hangout. It’s our weekly podcast that helps you deliver a better support experience to your customers.
