Delegation is the art of getting others to do things for you. Working with other people, if you’re good at it, is often more efficient than working alone. It’s usually also more fun. It’s what makes life as a grownup better than it was as a kid. Here’s how to organize your customer support team.
In principle, delegation should be easy. In practice, it can actually be quite hard. Good managers get things done by getting other people to do them. But not everyone making the transition from “doer” to “manager” finds it easy to learn how to delegate effectively. And even those who are good at it find that there are special problems when they work with other smart people whose time is valuable too.
Growing a support team is one of the most important things you can do to build a sustainable business. But you can’t achieve growth if your customers aren’t happy. So if you’re starting from scratch, how do you make sure that you don’t only meet expectations, but exceed them? How do you set up your support team and department to thrive? And how do you keep that momentum going as your company continues to grow?
We asked some of the top minds in customer support what they would recommend to someone building a support team from scratch. Here is what they had to say:
We’re going to break down the process we used to build our support team and department right from the start, so you can use it as a template for your own team.
We started with just one person, but now have many members of staff in support. We’ve also got more people at various stages in the hiring process. We’re not planning on stopping there. As we continue to grow, we’ll be looking to expand our team even further.
The bigger your team becomes, the more challenging it is to keep it running smoothly and productively. Things can quickly become disorganized or fall between the cracks, so it’s really important to stay on top of things and make sure you have processes in place that help you manage your team effectively.
Congratulations on your new position leading a support team! It’s an exciting opportunity to build something great. There are many ways to tackle this task and many things to consider. We’ve outlined a few of the most important considerations below and provided some additional resources that describe how we’ve tackled these challenges at RisePath.
- Consistently exceed customer expectations
When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to put business goals above customers’ needs. But to build a thriving support team, you must keep customer satisfaction your top priority.
You’ll exceed customer expectations and deliver first-class service by:
- Setting clear communication standards that include response times, tone and language.
- Providing multiple ways for customers to contact you and respond in the channel they prefer.
- Reducing the time and effort it takes customers to get their problems solved.
- Examine legal requirements
Before you can offer services such as live chat or phone support, it’s important to understand your legal obligations. For example, in many jurisdictions, you must disclose who you work for during a live chat session or phone call. You should also look at issues around data privacy — for example, making sure only authorized agents have access to customer information.
- Decide which channels to support
Customers expect companies to offer a variety of support channels — from email and social media to live chat and phone calls. However, the exact mix depends on what works best for your particular audience. If you’re just getting started with support, we recommend focusing on email and social media before adding live chat or phone calls. A customer support service software can help you with this.
- Find out what your customers are using
The first thing to do is to find out what your customers are using (besides your product). What are they already doing to manage their workflow and processes? What tools are they currently relying on? What tools would they like to use? This is important information because it will help you determine which tools you should integrate into your product’s suite. Or, if you’re just starting out, it will help you decide which ones you should prioritize.
- Make the call
Then, make the call. Pick up the phone (or send an email) and reach out to each customer individually. This is something we do at RisePath, and it’s been incredibly helpful for us in many ways. We get to learn more about our customers by talking directly to them. And since our customers get to talk directly with one of our founders, they feel respected and valued.
- Capitalize on your existing skillsets
Customer support is often the final hurdle between someone buying a product and using it. It can be the deciding factor in whether a customer sticks with you or leaves forever. So if you want your startup to succeed, you need to get it right.
The good news is that with a bit of planning and some help from your team members, you can create an awesome support experience that encourages people to stay with you now and in the future.
Whether you’re a team of one or have an entire support department, this post offers eight key tips to help you get the most out of your time, your team, and your customers.
- Focus on providing an amazing product experience
- Define your support strategy
- Work closely with Design, Engineering, and Product Management
- Create a customer success team that champions user knowledge and engagement
- Find a great customer service support software tool (like RisePath CRM)
- Make customer feedback easy to give and fun for users, but easy for you to analyze
- Open up the lines of communication with your customers
- Hire the right talent
Final Words
Visit RisePath for better customer support because it is one of those things that can be hard to explain, but once you’ve been there and done it, you understand. It’s that thing that makes or breaks a customer’s experience with your company. And a good customer service support software can really help you achieve the best customer support. It can be the difference between a happy customer and an unhappy one.
For more information and a free informational ebook, please add your contact info. Thanks.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.