Support Ops

Learn to be a customer support pro.

Archives for June 2013

The Customer Support Weekend Roundup #11

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Every week, there’s some great articles out there on customer support and the overall customer experience. Most of us working on support teams tend to be busy helping customers so we don’t have a chance to go scouring the web for them.

This week’s roundup is a tad different. Our show on Monday will focus on a single theme – live chat support. We’ll talk about the great, the good, and the bad of it. So all the articles this week center around this theme.

I recommend reading through the articles this weekend rather than having to skim them quickly during the live show.

Make sure to join us at 5:30pm Central / 6:30pm Eastern for the live Support Hangout!

Did you see a good article that I missed this week? Leave a link to it in the comments. I’ll include it in next week’s support roundup!

Grab Your Google Reader Feed

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reader

This Monday, Google Reader shuts down. I’ve been using it for years and while I’m sad to see it go, it just means that there’s a chance for even better RSS apps to thrive.

If you’re like me, you use RSS feeds to keep up with a ton of sites. Hopefully you’ve already made the move on to your new reader of choice. But just in case you haven’t or if you just want a backup to be safe, you can export your Google Reader feed easily.

Just click on this export link -> http://www.google.com/reader/subscriptions/export

You’ll get a file called google-reader-subscriptions.xml. Keep it around just in case.

What do you think of the way the Reader shutdown has been handled by Google? 

How to Ship New Features

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SS United States

Rolling out a new feature or tool to your customers can be a challenge. If you do it right, everyone loves you and the new feature. Do it wrong and you’ll get a flood of angry customer emails headed your way.

The shipping lane

At 37signals, we have what we call “shipping lanes”. When a new feature enters the lane, it means it’s close to shipping so the final rounds of design, QA, etc. start. The size of our team gives us room for two shipping lanes at any time. The support team knows we’ll never be launching more than two features at any time, which makes us all breathe a little easier.

When a feature enters the lane, our QA lead works really closely with all of us on support to keep us informed. Usually there’s at least one support walkthrough where we all visually walk through the new feature (usually in a GoToMeeting or such). From there, all of the support concerns are relayed back to the shipping team so they can make tweaks based on our advice.

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Free Workshop on Setting Up Your Customer Support

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When you just start setting up your customer support experience, it can be tough. You’ve probably been focused on your company or your product so far. Now you’ve got to switch gears and start supporting what you created.

With our awesome partner Snappy, I’ll help you nail the basics of a great support experience. In 30 minutes, you’ll go from a customer support noob looking for answers to a customer support pro.

I’ll cover a few main topics:

  • How you can help customers help themselves.
  • What a good FAQ article looks like.
  • Ways you can communicate better and faster through email.
  • What phrases and words to avoid with customers.
  • Tips to save you time.

I’ll have a Q&A session at the end too so you can get any questions you have answered.

Sound like something up your alley? Find out more here.

Support Hangout Episode #5

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This week we talk about asking how your customers are feeling when they send you a support email. Then it’s a quick dive into a casino tracking your actions during your gambling stay. And to round everything out, a look at two solid customer experiences from two very different airlines. There’s also some real-world use of hashtags and Jeff becomes our sound effects guy.

All that and more from the best team in customer support on this episode of the live Support Hangout!

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5 Essential Tools for Remote Working

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Note: New for this article, you can listen to it if you’re on the go. Find the audio version at the end.

I’m a huge fan of remote working. It lets me live where I want, work where I want, and travel where I want. With Lindsay and Bryan’s articles last week, we’ve had a great conversation going within our community on how you can work remotely with your customer support job.

Over the weekend, I got several emails from people wondering what tools they needed to start working remotely. While there’s no secret, you-must-have-this kind tool, there are a few that work really well for me.

Here’s a few tools I use every day to work wherever I want.

1) MacBook Pro – 13in with Retina Display

I grew up a Windows person. But as soon as I started with 37signals, I switched to a MacBook and never went back. My MacBook Pro is the most important tool I use every day. It’s easy to carry, powerful, and extremely fast. Since I’m on it 8 − 10 hours a day, I sprung for the Retina Display, which has made a world of difference. Without it, none of the other tools below matter.

2) Basecamp

Every project I work on lives inside Basecamp. It keeps my notes organized and my to-dos easily accessible. I use it for projects at 37signals, organizing dates and to-dos for Support Ops, and even for keeping track of things around the house and farm. It’s simple to use, easy to work with, and makes sure that I never forget anything.

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The Customer Support Weekend Roundup #10

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Every week, there’s some great articles out there on customer support and the overall customer experience. Most of us working on support teams tend to be busy helping customers so we don’t have a chance to go scouring the web for them.

We’ll also use these articles on Monday’s live Support Hangout. You’ll get to hear what our panel of customer support pros think about them. I recommend reading through the articles this weekend rather than having to skim them quickly during the live show.

Make sure to join us at 5:30pm Central / 6:30pm Eastern for the live Support Hangout!

Did you see a good article that I missed this week? Leave a link to it in the comments. I’ll include it in next week’s support roundup!

Misconceptions, Challenges, and Tips of Remote Working

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remote worker beach

My name is Lindsay and I am a remote-working Customer Account Manager for Create.net, a Brighton-based company that enables businesses to build their own online shops and websites.

I have only been working remote for the last year. But over that time period, it’s become apparent to me that more and more modern companies are adopting remote workers for customer services.  I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on working remotely in what has always been, and should continue to be, a job that requires a close connection with people.

Misconceptions

Whether you are an employer or employee there are definitely some misconceptions about working remotely in customer services.

“Working remotely is lonely”

Maybe true in some industries, but not at all working in customer services. Customers are not a ‘to-do’ list. They are people who need your help. Connect with them!

If you were to paste standard replies to a list of enquiries all day, you would be bored and lonely but speaking to and conversing with real people is the opposite of being lonely, it’s being social. I promise you being sociable will not only make your customers happier, but make your days much more enjoyable.

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