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? 

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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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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Congratulations! You’re part of a culture of employees that are storming the battleground of the support world from the comfort of, well, wherever they want, really.  Their desks at home, their couch, the local Starbucks, the library, or even the park.

We could say that it’s complicated, has its own difficulties, and can be as daunting as an office job, but, who are we kidding?  You can “go to work” without pants on, and sandwich crumbs on your face, if you want.

Okay, so, while that’s true, it does have its intricacies, and being able to work without showering for three days doesn’t automagically make your job a walk in the park.  You need to develop your own positive workflow, avoid distractions, and find the discipline to manage yourself in whatever environment you choose to work in.

Lets start by taking a look at some of the more common issues faced by remote employees.

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In the quest to save a few bucks, many companies turn towards customer powered support. These are the forums you see where customers help other customers with their questions and problems. Execs talk about how they’re “leveraging the power of your customer base”. I’ve even talked to one person who said their customers knew more about the product than the staff so the customers were perfect for providing support.

Pure craziness!

Customer powered support doesn’t work. At least, it doesn’t if you want to provide a great support experience for your customers. Here’s why.

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You’ve probably seen UserVoice come up a few times already on the site here. Their head of community Evan Hamilton was on the podcast a few episodes ago. The UserVoice team really gets customer support so let’s take a look at their support app itself.

More than a helpdesk

UserVoice provides the whole deal. When you sign up with them, you’ll get

• Feedback forums to let your customers help you know what’s important to them.
• A knowledge base to provide customers with a self-service tool.
• A support ticket system to track customer interactions when they reach out for help.
• Metrics and reporting for all of that.

It’s definitely targeted towards the company that wants everything in one system.

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Fun question for a Friday!

Where are you working right now?

Does your company have an office? Are you supporting customers from a coffee shop or home office?

I’m outside on my deck for today. The weather’s nice and there’s a cool breeze to keep the temperature down.

Leave a comment with where you are along with a photo of your workspace if you’re adventurous.

Best spot wins a copy of High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service. It’s a solid book for any customer support team.

Now let’s see where you’re at!

I got to have a wonderful conversation with Deepa from Uber the other day. We had a great example that came up that’s perfect to show support at it’s finest.

I’m sure you’ve used (or at least heard of Uber), the app that gives everyone a personal driver. Every experience I’ve ever had with them has been outstanding. Only once have I ever heard of a bad experience, which is what prompted this idea the other day.

A friend ordered a Uber taxi only to find that the taxi driver could never find where they were. Instead of continuing to look, the driver just gave up and cancelled the trip request. The driver drove away and left my friend stranded.

Talk about a bad experience.

From the customer standpoint, they could try again with another driver. But what happens if that customer just gives up on Uber instead? Uber loses a customer because of a driver that they can’t really control.

There’s got to be a better way, right?

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I’m constantly amazed at how many companies don’t want to talk to their customers. You go to a company’s help site only to find an endless amount of articles and FAQs. There’s no place to send them an email, chat with them on Twitter, or any other way to find an answer to your question.

I’m in customer support. That means I need customers to help. And I only get to help them if they can actually find me.

That’s why it’s easy to find our support team on our help site. But I’m also in all sorts of other places where customers can reach me.

I’m @chaseclemons on Twitter

I’m “chaseclemons” on Skype.

I’m chase at 37signals.com for email. Or you can reach me with chase at supportops.co.

I’m easy to find online. That’s intentional because I love talking to customers. When a customer writes in frustrated because of a problem, I don’t shy away from it or let someone else handle it. And who doesn’t love a customer that writes in to say how awesome you are or how much your product helps them? It’s only by being out there for customers to reach me that I can hear everything about our products.

I need customers. That’s when I can do my best work.

Over to you with the same question. Do you make it easy for customers to find you?