I take great pride in the quality of the support that the SiteSell Support team delivers. The problem is that I kind of expect it in return when I am the customer.
Recently, I set up a profile with a certain company. An issue arose so I e-mailed to ask them about it and received back, nearly 12 hours later (which is OK since I did e-mail at 4:30 AM), this reply...
We are aware of the issue you are currently experiencing and we are working to release a possible fix for this week. If you are still experiencing this problem by next Monday, please respond to this message. We appreciate your patience while this issue is being resolved.
This puts all the onus back on me. I'm the one who has to go to the site and check to see if it's working. I'm the one who has to remember. And I'm the one who has no idea, really, when it will be fixed. Which means I'll forget all about it, of course. Now...
If they are aware of it, that means that it's not a small bug. And if they are aware of it, the release should not wait for a scheduled release to fit their convenience.
The message I received may look relatively harmless, but underneath it shows an entire "no-customer focus," a Support system set up to make their lives as easy as possible, not mine.
At Sitesell, we'd let you know we're aware of a bug and working on it, but we'd also assure you that we'd get back to you within 48 hours on its status, fixed or not. And at the tech end, bugs take priority. We fix anything of any type of substance as top priority and do special releases, usually within 24 hours and always ASAP.
Why? Well, if you're thinking about the customer, it simply makes sense. It's not as if the bug is going to go away. So fix it. And organize your tech procedures so you can do mini-releases between scheduled ones.
As the old saying in usability goes...
"One person doing something weird with your software, well, that may simply be weird. Two's a trend. Three's a problem. Fix the problem."
There is great lesson here if you have a monetization model that involves dealing with customers. Always be customer-focused. Aim to OVERdeliver customer delight.
And that's why a strong Support team is essential...
Your Support staff represents your company to those who are in trouble, for one reason or another. All day long Support staff fix problems. That is their job, whether they work at Apple or SiteSell. No matter how good your product is, there are problems. No one should solve problems for more than 30-35 hours per week. They need to stay fresh and caring about helping. If they aren't delivering customer delight, they aren't doing a good job.
Here's how SiteSell sets up Customer Support...
1) There are no quotas, merely an equal share of the work load. So work self-regulates. For example, we get worried when someone is taking longer than the others to do the same amount of work because it means s/he's working too hard. Our Head of Support spends time one-on-one to make sure the tools are used more efficiently, not to whip someone into meeting quota (i.e., work smarter, not harder)!
2) We keep the number of hours replying to e-mail per week well under 30. Why are hours so low?
3) Because Support is a hard job, at any company. I couldn't do it myself. Remember... all anyone sees in any Support department at any company is problems. Yes, I know that's like saying all a doctor sees is patients. But it's important to understand the implications of this...
4) Even with great customers like SBIers and a great product like SBI!, it takes patient people who like to help. But too many hours lead to burnout, no matter how much of an angel you are. So we not only keep hours reasonable...
5) We try to keep it one-on-one as much as possible. Each Support person checks and replies to their e-mail at least every 4-6 hours, 12 hours overnight. It's more efficient, and actually seeing a problem through to resolution is rewarding. Of course, that means we look for special people -- the right folks for Support are not just those who like to help, but those who are like many of us... on the computer a lot, anyway.
6) Support staff work to templates for the common questions and answers. But they have a lot of leeway to customize. For a product like SBI!, the "customizable template" is especially necessary because there are literally hundreds of questions in our knowledge-base and there is a lot of thinking on your feet involved.
7) They must, of course, be respectful. But they deserve it in return. I'll fire customers who are persistently (i.e., despite warnings) rude and hurtful of our Support staff. Life is too short. The result is that "pleasantness" is a two-way street.
8) Stress? Our turnover is near-zero, except to promote within. Staff can take their laptops and do support from a wireless hot spot, whatever. Or they can be at home with the children. Their only job is to give support, not to be in a cubicle with 100 others.
9) The pay scale is top-of-end, including healthy bonuses for those who excel.
This totally decentralized approach to Support depends on finding honest, caring, responsible people. Yes, I can and have been burned, once, by our good faith approach. But I can't change a system into your typical handcuffed-and-whipped approach due to the occasional bad apple.
One last point... be open.
We all make mistakes. Our Support staff does. I do. We have a 10% Question/Answer program that monitors all outbound messages, a constant feedback loop to get better. Customers can complain to me directly, of course, through the e-mail address found in every outbound from Support.
And finally, if I drop the ball, we invite them to come to a special SBI! forum for support and let us know. I receive more kudos than complaints through these mechanisms, but the point is to be open.
Why not? The goal is to improve, not to hide mistakes. Everyone understands that mistakes get made. When one happens, fix it and move ahead.
SiteSell's approach to Support is not brilliant -- it's just common sense. Treat both your customers and those who support them well.
All the best,
Follow Ken at Twitter
As one who uses Support regularly, I can attest to the excellence of the service.
Without those kind and patient folks, I would get nowhere.
Thanks!
Gina
Posted by: Gina Bisaillon | August 06, 2008 at 10:13 AM