Your team is struggling with customer support. What’s the best way to get them back on track?

Start by conducting a comprehensive analysis of your customer support operations. Review metrics such as response times, resolution rates, customer feedback, and any recurring issues. Gather insights from your team members to understand their challenges and where they feel support is lacking.

Customer is the King..And Customer Support Team - "the King Maker". Create value for team alongside identifying issues where team is falling short of their target. - Spell out clear mandate. - Identify shortfalls of team / members. - Convey the value & impact they can deliver by retaining & valuing a customer. - Communication is the Key. - Role Play - Let the team also become customers to realise what 'King' is expecting. - Vision & Mission based Training & Exhaustive Assessments - a game changer. - Reward / Convey appreciations shared by satisfied customers. - Create incidents as test / competition to identify most patient& professional customer support executive in team. Happy Customer is an addictive feeling.Make the team taste that !!

The 1st step would be to assess the situation and identify the gaps, then list them, prioritize them based on severity. Later, have a joint call to talk about these gaps and set the expectations basis on role of each team member. Ensure to have a feedback loop meeting within teams on every alternate day to identify if they are still struggling or having any issues. Also have a feedback meeting with client to understand if they are satisfied with the team support (this will help you validate your plan).

Understand the specific areas where the team is struggling. Provide targeted training sessions or resources to address the identified weaknesses. This could include product knowledge training, communication skills, or conflict resolution techniques. Empower them to make decisions within defined parameters to enhance customer satisfaction. Continuously monitor performance and provide regular feedback. Encourage an environment that fosters learning and improvement.

O primeiro passo é identificar a causa da dificuldade no momento, agimos diretamente nela de forma a solucionar a situação naquele primeiro instante. O proximo passo é entender os gaps durante o process que geraram aquela dificuldade, é necessario garantir que foi algo pontual e não um problema sistematico da organização. Implementar o PDCA durante todo o ciclo de vida das ações junto ao cliente é o necessario para garantir a qualidade do serviço e relacionamento junto ao cliente.

I’ve experienced that any goal will be made possible if you get the right people around the table. You need to pick the resources who could support you in this venture. Clear goal setting is a must with time lines and measurable tools

Based on your assessment, define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your team. For instance, reducing response times by 20% within a certain period or increasing customer satisfaction scores by a set margin. Clearly communicate these goals to the team and align individual objectives with the broader team goals.

Una de las dificultades en Retención es llegar tarde. Es como ser un bombero y llegar cuando el edifico está completamente extendido, solo se puede enfriar y esperar que se apague solo. Por tanto, hay que intentar generar alarmas, indicadores que nos anticipen la bondad de nuestras acciones. Nos equivocaremos pero se podrá corregir antes de que el fuego consuma al cliente.

Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for providing clarity and direction to your team. KPIs help measure and monitor the success of your customer support efforts. By setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) KPIs, you establish clear expectations and goals. Well-defined KPIs ensure everyone is aligned and accountable, motivating them to work towards common objectives. Tracking progress and identifying areas for improvement through KPIs allows you to make data-driven decisions, enhancing the quality and efficiency of customer support.

The comments have nailed it. Above all, get full buy in and commitment from the CS team of what we are doing and why. Try and get any potential issues or objections out in the open before you start

In the dynamic and evolving field of customer support, regular training and coaching opportunities are crucial for enhancing the skills, knowledge, and confidence of your team. It is important as a leader to align with the training team to ensure that the content and objectives are in line with the organization's goals and strategies. By collaborating with the training team and maintaining regular communication and feedback, you can tailor the training programs to address the specific needs and challenges faced by your customer support team. This alignment will contribute to the success of the customer support function and overall organizational objectives.

... send them to your customers! Show up early, work side by side all day... leave last! We've become lazy and complacent thinking emails and calls are "enough" to keep sales on track. Don't tell them you appreciate thier business... show them!

In my career I felt customer service is thankless job,me and my fellow teammates wanted to move in sales,as a customer service persons have to face sales team,boss, and customers, pressure from these 3 stakeholders demotivates,and some times it's a nightmare for service team,and focus on work reduces automatically,so what we can do to increase outcome for each call/customer meet 1. Understand and empathize service team 2. Give recognization, doesn't matter the achievement size 3. Give training in fun way, so team can understand easily in place of pressurize to understand the task 4. Don't compare your team to other, instead of direct comparison make it case study 5. In place of meeting them via video conference, meet your team in-person.

Customer support should have the latest and greatest information about the product, timeline for releases as well as internal company wide goals/discussions in order for them to proactively and reactively keep the customers informed. For this to happen, ongoing training of the products features, team processes is key along with making sure that each team member grows professionally by attending company sponsored and other webinars, outside training etc. Having the proper knowledge inspires confidence and trust within teams and therefore, customers.

One key is having access to an updated knowledge base with EASY TO FIND answers to common questions. AI helpers can make this much easier, even displaying potential answers to cases within the case itself. In a self service world having good answers at your fingertips allows for better support post training, fewer calls to supervisors, and faster learning overall.

A good customer support software can bring numerous benefits to your team and customers. It automates and streamlines your workflow, allowing you to efficiently manage and respond to customer inquiries across various channels. By centralizing all customer interactions, it enhances your ability to track and prioritize tickets, ensuring that no customer concern is overlooked. The software also enables you to collect and analyze customer feedback, providing valuable insights to improve your products and services. With features like automation and knowledge base, it helps reduce response times and empowers your team to provide faster, better, and more consistent support.

Invest in robust customer support software or tools that streamline workflows, manage tickets efficiently, and provide analytics for performance measurement. Choose software that integrates well with your existing systems and provides insights into customer behavior and support trends. Automation can also help in managing routine tasks, allowing your team to focus on more complex customer issues.

- In the era of automation and AI, creating a performance-driven environment without unnecessary bureaucracy is fundamental. - Analyzing a tool that is cost-effective, easily accessible, and has a user-intuitive interface for customers to create support tickets with comprehensive information is critical. - The selected tool should also feature robust notifications and escalation settings, proper reporting modules, and a self-service bot. - During the development phase, incorporating fault detection mechanisms and notification systems while maintaining sufficient logs and audit trails is imperative.

A great way to hinder innovation and collaboration is to have employees fill time with tasks that software can automatize. Companies must be willing to implement customer support software to minimize mindless tasks, allow employees to expand their talents, and look for new ways to improve job functions and customer experience. Implementing new software not only streamlines processes and makes employees' jobs more accessible, but it usually enhances the customer experience and brings consistency and professionalism from start to finish.

Create a wishlist board where team members can anonymously share their software preferences and concerns. It encourages honest input. tart Small, Scale Smart: Don't overwhelm your team with an all-encompassing software suite right out of the gate. Start with a small-scale implementation to allow your team to adapt gradually. Focus on solving a specific challenge, like improving response times or better tracking customer interactions. Hands-On Training Sessions: Provide hands-on training for your team to familiarize them with the new software. Customization for Comfort: Ensure that the chosen software is customizable to suit your team's workflow.

Rewarding your team is indeed a great way to keep them motivated. When you recognize and reward their hard work and achievements, it shows that you value their efforts and contribution to the success of your customer support team. This recognition can come in various forms, such as verbal or written praise, incentives or bonuses, or even opportunities for professional development and growth. Additionally, creating a recognition program or system allows you to consistently acknowledge and appreciate your team's accomplishments. By celebrating milestones and successes, you create a positive work environment that encourages continuous improvement and fosters a sense of pride and satisfaction among your team members.

Establish a culture of appreciation by acknowledging and rewarding exceptional performance. This could be through bonuses, incentives, public recognition, or awards for outstanding customer service. Celebrate milestones and achievements as a team to foster a positive and motivated work environment.

"Your outstanding performance consistently surpasses expectations. Your dedication and hard work are truly commendable." "Your exceptional performance sets a high standard for everyone on the team. Thank you for consistently delivering outstanding results."

Reward and recognition encourages employees to perform beyond expectations, set targets first which employee can achieve easily and then reorganise their performance in front of stakeholders, which will definitely add value to your team.

Open communication is crucial as it allows us to share ideas, feedback, and thoughts. Through this exchange, we can identify areas for improvement and determine how to enhance our processes.

Create channels for open communication where team members can freely share their ideas, concerns, and suggestions for improvement. Foster a collaborative environment where collaboration among team members is encouraged. Encourage brainstorming sessions or regular team meetings to exchange best practices and collectively solve challenges.

The best ideas and perspectives typically come from those in the trenches, doing the work. These team members have the most to gain and have the largest impact on customers.

Adicionalmente a los canales informales con supervisores o responsables es muy enriquecedor el tener reuniones cortas (15min Max) para tratar temas concretos que se repiten y enfrentan las personas pegadas al front de la operación

First, step back from daily operations to gain perspective. Daily routines can hinder clear assessment. Break from these to analyze the bigger picture, and gather vital team feedback. Once the problem is clear, set personal and team goals with a defined path for achievement. Conduct team-building with a focus on coaching and mentoring, not just questioning, to encourage ownership of issues. Track outcomes rigorously. Verify alignment with set goals. If successful, appreciate and provide regular feedback to your team. If not, be ready to revise goals or adjust strategy. This iterative process ensures adaptability and continuous improvement.

Foster a culture of feedback and collaboration within your team to facilitate learning, knowledge-sharing, problem-solving, and innovation. Encourage constructive and honest feedback, create a safe and supportive environment, and facilitate regular meetings and discussions. Utilize collaborative tools and platforms to enhance communication. Embracing feedback and collaboration not only strengthens team connections but also promotes engagement and value, contributing to a more cohesive and effective customer support environment.

The Popular quote by Steven Covey comes readily to mind "Seek first to understand before you are understood". Before all the bogus strategies and impeccable powerpoint presentations, a basic understanding of the intrinsic motivating factors and overarching objectives of the needs that the customers are trying to fulfill will go a long way in having tailor-made support for them. Closing with another popular words of Simon Sinek "100% of customers are people. 100% of employees are people. if you don't understand people, you don't understand business". It all starts with UNDERSTANDING!

I think working on the root causes and developing the team will give you excellent results in the short term, but ensuring that you have a positive, competitive culture for your team that encourages them to innovate and be involved in the big picture will make them consistent. You have to work on their career development and motivate them in different ways including but not limited to incentives, bonuses, development courses, appreciation, recognition, team-building activities, etc.

Talk to them. Ask lots of questions. Really listen to the answers. They’re the ones doing the job. Make a list of all their responses. Then have a think tank with all of them to brainstorm solutions. If they feel a part of the solution, they’ll buy in to it.

It’s a systemic approach to the issue indeed I would like to highlight that such issues can never be fixed with packaged solutions or a few workshops For ongoing business it must be a bespoke solution based on wide, deep, and reflective analysis Understanding that the solution isn’t only training but also management maturity, style, and responsiveness are keys to success Make sure to keep this an ongoing exercise not just one off

Make it personal, pick your favorite friend, relative and ask yourself how would I want them to be helped and treated when they walk through the door. Teach empathy from a personal experience. Teach how to see your perspective is not theirs. You will be able to serve most people is you see how they see things.