Buyer Profile: Customer Support

What is Customer Support?

Customer support (sometimes called customer success) teams are teams of individuals who are responsible for providing assistance and support to customers who have questions or issues with a company’s products or services. They are typically the first point of contact for customers and are responsible for addressing customer inquiries and concerns, troubleshooting problems, and resolving issues.

Customer support teams can take various forms, from in-house teams to outsourced teams, and can be organized in different ways; for example, teams may focus on phone support, email support, chat support or social media support.

The importance of customer support teams lies in their crucial role in building and maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty. They are responsible for ensuring that customers have a positive experience with a company and that their issues are resolved quickly and efficiently. This can help build customer trust and loyalty, ultimately leading to increased sales and revenue for the company.

Moreover, customer support teams can also identify and address any issues or problems with a company’s products or services. They can provide valuable feedback to other departments, such as product development, marketing, and operations teams. They can help to improve the customer experience and, ultimately, the business performance.

Customer support teams play an essential role in maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty, resolving customer issues, and providing valuable feedback that can help to improve a company’s products and services. They are critical for the company’s reputation and overall business performance.

What is the difference between B2B and B2C teams?

B2C (Business-to-Consumer) and B2B (Business-to-Business) customer support teams have some key differences, although some aspects of the customer support process may be similar. B2C and B2B customer support teams differ in terms of the type of customer they interact with, the nature of interactions, the volume of interactions, product/service offerings, the decision-making process, communication channels, support process, and SLA. For example:

• Type of customer: B2C customer support teams typically interact with individual consumers, whereas B2B customer support teams interact with other businesses or organizations.
• Nature of interactions: B2C customer support interactions are generally less complex and more transactional in nature, whereas B2B customer support interactions may be more complex and require a deeper understanding of the customer’s business needs.
• Volume of interactions: B2C customer support teams may handle a larger volume of interactions than B2B customer support teams, as there may be more individual consumers than businesses.
• Product/service offerings: B2C customer support teams typically support a wider range of products and services, whereas B2B customer support teams may focus on specific products or services that are more relevant to businesses.
• Decision-making process: B2C customer support teams may have less involvement in the decision-making process, as the customer is typically the person making the purchase, whereas B2B customer support teams may be more involved in the decision-making process, as multiple stakeholders within a business may be involved in the purchase decision.
• Communication channels: B2C customer support teams may use a wider variety of communication channels, such as social media and chat, whereas B2B customer support teams may focus more on email and phone as the primary communication channels.
• Support process: B2C customer support teams may focus on quickly resolving customer issues, whereas B2B customer support teams may focus on building long-term relationships with customers to ensure their ongoing satisfaction.
• SLA (Service Level Agreement): B2B customer support teams are more likely to have SLAs (Service Level Agreements) in place, which set clear expectations for response times and issue resolution.

How do customer support teams succeed?

Customer success leaders and team members need to understand the customer, communicate effectively, build relationships, be proactive, measure and report, continuously learn and improve, collaborate with internal teams, and exhibit empathy to succeed.

1. Understand the customer: A customer success leader and team members should deeply understand the customer’s business, goals, and challenges. This knowledge is essential for identifying opportunities to help customers achieve their goals and resolve any issues they may have.
2. Communicate effectively: A customer success leader and team members should have strong communication skills and be able to effectively convey the value of the company’s products or services to the customer. They should also be able to listen actively to customer feedback and concerns and provide clear, concise responses.
3. Build relationships: A customer success leader and team members should focus on building positive customer relationships. This includes understanding the customer’s needs and pain points and providing tailored solutions to meet those needs.
4. Be proactive: A customer success leader and team members should identify potential issues and take action to prevent them from becoming problems. This includes proactively reaching out to customers to understand their needs, providing regular check-ins, and following up on customer feedback.
5. Measure and report: A customer success leader and team members should have a good understanding of the metrics that are important to the customer and be able to report on those metrics regularly. This will help to demonstrate the value of the company’s products or services to the customer and to identify areas for improvement.
6. Continuously learn and improve: The customer success role is constantly evolving, and a customer success leader and team members should continuously learn about new trends, best practices, and technologies in their field. They should also be willing to adapt and adjust their approach as needed to serve the customer best.
7. Collaboration: A customer success leader and team members should work closely with other departments within the company, such as product development, marketing, and sales, to ensure that the customer’s needs are being met and that the company is providing the best possible service.
8. Empathy: A customer success leader and team members should have empathy toward customers’ needs and be able to understand and relate to their problems. This will help to build trust and establish a positive relationship with the customer.

How customer support evolving

n the past, customer support teams and leaders were primarily focused on resolving individual customer issues as they arose. This often involved handling a high volume of phone calls or emails and providing standardized responses to common inquiries. The focus was mainly on resolving the immediate issue rather than understanding the overall customer experience.

Some of the specific practices that customer support teams and leaders no longer do now include:

1. Relying solely on phone and email support: With the rise of digital channels, customer support teams and leaders now have more options for interacting with customers, such as chat, social media, and mobile apps.
2. Providing only reactive support: In the past, customer support teams and leaders would only respond to customers when they reached out for help. Now, they are increasingly proactively reaching out to customers to check in on their satisfaction and identify potential issues.
3. Using only standardized responses: In the past, customer support teams and leaders often relied on standardized responses to common inquiries. They are more likely to use data and analytics to personalize the customer support experience.
4. Not measuring customer satisfaction: In the past, customer support teams and leaders would typically not measure customer satisfaction, and may not have had a clear understanding of how customers felt about their experience. Now, they use metrics such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) to measure customer satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.
5. Not having a comprehensive view of customer interactions: In the past, customer support teams and leaders often had limited visibility into a customer’s interactions with the company. They now have access to more comprehensive customer data, allowing them better to understand the customer’s needs and pain points.
6. Not considering the customer journey: In the past, customer support teams and leaders typically focused on resolving individual issues rather than the customer journey. Now, they take a more holistic approach and consider the customer journey to provide a better overall experience.
7. Not integrating with other departments: In the past, customer support teams and leaders would typically operate in silos, and may not have had a lot of interaction with other departments such as product development, marketing, and sales. Now, they work closely with these departments to meet customer needs.
8. Not providing proactive support: In the past, customer support teams and leaders would typically wait for customers to reach out for support; now, they proactively reach out to customers to check in on their satisfaction, identify potential issues and offer assistance.

How will customer support teams be successful?

The customer support function is rapidly evolving. Major trends include:

1. Artificial Intelligence and Automation: Artificial intelligence and automation are becoming more prevalent in customer support. Chatbots and virtual assistants handle routine inquiries and tasks, freeing human agents to focus on more complex issues.
2. Self-service: Customers increasingly use self-service options such as online FAQs, knowledge bases, and forums to find answers to their questions and resolve issues independently.
3. Omnichannel support: Customers expect to be able to reach out for support through their preferred channel, whether it’s email, phone, chat, social media, or a mobile app. Companies are investing in omnichannel support platforms to provide a seamless experience across all channels.
4. Proactive Support: Instead of waiting for customers to reach out for support, companies are proactively reaching out to customers to check in on their satisfaction, identify potential issues, and offer assistance.
5. Personalization: Companies are increasingly using data and analytics to personalize the customer support experience, tailoring responses and recommendations based on a customer’s past interactions and purchase history.
6. Remote Support: With the rise of remote working, more and more companies are shifting to remote support models, with customer support teams working from home or other remote locations.
7. Emphasis on customer experience: Companies are placing more emphasis on the overall customer experience, not just resolving individual issues, to create loyal and long-term customers.
8. AI-driven personalized engagement: AI-driven personalized engagement is becoming more prevalent, where chatbots and virtual agents can understand customers’ needs, preferences and behavior to offer personalized support.

Typical Customer Support Roles

Several different categories of customer support roles and titles may be found within a company. Some common ones include:

1. Customer Service Representatives: These individuals are the front-line of customer support and are responsible for answering customer inquiries, troubleshooting issues, and providing assistance.
2. Support Specialists: These individuals have specialized knowledge in a particular area, such as technical support, billing, or account management. They provide more in-depth assistance to customers.
3. Team Leads: These individuals manage and lead a team of customer service representatives or support specialists. They are responsible for ensuring that the team provides high-quality customer service, and may also handle more complex customer issues.
4. Supervisors: These individuals manage and oversee multiple teams of customer service representatives or support specialists. They are responsible for ensuring that the customer support function is meeting the needs of the company and its customers.
5. Managers: These individuals manage a company’s overall customer support function. They may have a team of supervisors and customer service representatives reporting to them and are responsible for developing and implementing customer support policies and procedures.
6. Directors: These individuals are responsible for the overall direction and strategy of the customer support function within a company. They may have a team of managers and supervisors reporting to them, and are responsible for ensuring that the customer support function is aligned with the overall goals and objectives of the company.
7. Customer Success Managers: These individuals are responsible for ensuring that customers are successful in using a company’s products or services. They act as a liaison between the customer and the company, and may also provide training and support to customers.
8. Technical Support: These individuals assist with technical issues or product functionality. They may have a background in IT or engineering and may be responsible for troubleshooting and resolving technical issues for customers.
9. Account Managers: These individuals are responsible for managing relationships with a specific group of customers. They may handle customer inquiries, renewals, and upselling opportunities.
10. Escalation Specialists: These individuals are responsible for handling high-priority or complex customer issues that are escalated from other customer support representatives. They may also be responsible for providing feedback to other teams or departments within the company regarding customer issues.

Typical Titles for Customer Support

Executives:

• Chief Customer Officer (CCO)
• Head of Customer Support/Service
• Director of Customer Experience

For managers:

• Customer Support Manager
• Customer Service Manager
• Customer Experience Manager

Individual practitioners:

• Customer Service Representative
• Technical Support Specialist
• Support Agent
• Account Manager
• Customer Success Manager
• Escalation Specialist
• Case/Ticket Manager

In some companies, customer support roles may be combined with other responsibilities, such as sales, marketing, or product development.

Typical Responsibilities

Customer support teams are responsible for a variety of tasks, including:

• Answering customer inquiries and providing assistance: This includes handling customer calls, emails, and chats, and providing information and assistance to customers.
• Troubleshooting and resolving customer issues: This includes identifying the root cause of customer issues, determining the best course of action to resolve them, and taking steps to prevent similar issues.
• Providing information about products and services: This includes providing detailed information about a company’s products and services and answering any customer questions.
• Managing customer complaints: This includes handling customer complaints in a timely and professional manner and taking steps to resolve complaints to the satisfaction of the customer.
• Providing feedback to other teams or departments within the company includes providing feedback to other teams or departments regarding customer issues and suggesting ways to improve products or services based on customer feedback.
• Managing customer data includes maintaining accurate and up-to-date customer information in the company’s databases and using this information to improve the customer experience.
• Providing training and customer support: This includes training and support on using a company’s products or services and providing ongoing customer support as needed.
• Managing customer relationships includes building and maintaining positive relationships with customers and ensuring that customers are satisfied with the company’s products or services.
• Identifying and implementing process improvements: This includes identifying areas of customer support that can be improved and implementing new processes or technologies to improve the customer experience.
• Managing and tracking customer interactions: This includes tracking and utilizing the data to improve customer support processes, identify potential issues, and report on performance metrics.

Gain Points

• Identifying areas for improvement: By analyzing data on customer interactions and support requests, customer support leaders can identify areas where the customer experience can be improved and take steps to address them.
• Measuring and monitoring performance: By collecting and analyzing data on customer interactions and support requests, customer support leaders can measure and monitor the performance of their teams, identify areas where they are excelling or falling short, and make adjustments accordingly.
• Identifying key drivers of customer satisfaction: By analyzing customer interactions and support request data, customer support leaders can identify the key drivers of customer satisfaction and take steps to improve them.
• Identifying at-risk customers: By analyzing customer interactions and purchase history data, customer support leaders can identify customers who may be at risk of churning and take steps to keep them engaged and satisfied.
• Improving self-service options: By analyzing data on customer interactions and support requests, customer support leaders can identify common issues and requests and improve self-service options such as FAQs or knowledge base to reduce the number of customer contacts.
• Identifying training needs: By analyzing customer interactions and support requests, customer support leaders can identify areas where team members need additional training or support and take steps to improve their performance.
• Benchmarking performance: By analyzing data on customer interactions and support requests, customer support leaders can benchmark their performance against industry standards and best practices and take steps to improve their performance.
• Building strategic partnerships: By analyzing data on customer interactions and support requests, customer support leaders can identify potential strategic partners and build relationships with them.

Pain Points

• Lack of visibility into customer interactions and feedback: Without access to data and insights on customer interactions and feedback, customer support leaders may struggle to understand customer needs and preferences, and make informed decisions about how to improve the customer experience.
• Difficulty in measuring and monitoring performance: Without a clear and consistent way to measure and monitor the performance of their teams, customer support leaders may struggle to identify areas where their teams are excelling or falling short, and make adjustments accordingly.
• Difficulty in identifying key drivers of customer satisfaction: Without access to data and insights on customer interactions and feedback, customer support leaders may struggle to identify the key drivers of customer satisfaction and take steps to improve them.
• Difficulty in identifying at-risk customers: Without access to data and insights on customer interactions and purchase history, customer support leaders may struggle to identify customers who may be at risk of churning and take steps to keep them engaged and satisfied.
• Difficulty in identifying and prioritizing areas for improvement: Without access to data and insights on customer interactions and feedback, customer support leaders may struggle to identify areas where the customer experience can be improved and take steps to address them.
• Difficulty in benchmarking performance: Without access to data and insights on customer interactions and support requests, customer support leaders may struggle to benchmark their performance against industry standards and best practices, and take steps to improve their performance.
• Difficulty in building strategic partnerships: Without access to data and insights on customer interactions and support requests, customer support leaders may struggle to identify potential strategic partners and build relationships with them.

Typical Tasks and Activities

• Responding to customer inquiries typically involves answering questions, resolving problems, and providing information to customers.
• Managing customer complaints typically involves handling customer complaints, resolving disputes, and taking steps to prevent future complaints.
• Technical support typically involves troubleshooting technical problems, providing information on technical issues, and helping customers use products and services.
• Assisting with product returns and exchanges: This typically involves processing returns and exchanges, providing information on return policies, and helping customers to return or exchange products.
• Providing billing and account support: This typically involves handling billing and account-related issues, providing information on billing policies, and helping customers to make payments.
• Handling customer service escalations: This typically involves managing customer service escalations, providing information on escalation policies, and taking steps to resolve escalations promptly.
• Providing product and service information: This typically involves providing information on products and services, answering questions, and helping customers to make informed decisions.
• Tracking customer interactions: This typically involves keeping track of customer interactions, including phone calls, emails, and chat sessions.
• Training and support to customers typically involves training on products and services, helping customers use products and services, and providing ongoing support.
• Managing customer databases: This typically involves maintaining customer databases, including contact information, purchase history, and customer feedback.
• Providing customer feedback and survey support typically involves providing information on customer feedback and survey policies, helping customers to provide feedback, and analyzing customer feedback data.
• Managing customer loyalty programs: This typically involves managing customer loyalty programs, providing information on loyalty program policies, and helping customers to participate in loyalty programs.
• Providing customer service through social media: This typically involves responding to customer inquiries and complaints through social media platforms and providing customer service through social media channels.
• Managing customer service metrics: This typically involves tracking customer service metrics, such as response times, customer satisfaction rates, and customer retention rates.
• Continuously improving customer service processes: This typically involves analyzing customer service data, identifying areas for improvement, and taking steps to improve customer service processes and policies.

Business Questions to Consider

• How do you define customer success and measure it within your organization?
• How do you identify and prioritize customer needs and goals?
• How do you ensure that customer success is aligned with company goals and objectives?
• How do you track and measure customer engagement and usage?
• How do you use data and analytics to inform and improve customer success strategies?
• How do you handle and resolve customer complaints and escalations?
• How do you proactively identify and prevent customer churn?
• How do you continuously improve the customer experience?
• How do you ensure that customer success is integrated across all departments and teams in the company?
• How do you develop and maintain strong relationships with key customers?
• How do you plan and execute successful customer onboarding and training?
• How do you measure and reward customer success team performance?
• How do you stay current on industry best practices and trends in customer success?
• How do you leverage customer success insights to inform product development and strategy?
• How do you use customer feedback to improve customer success processes and policies?