Support Your ProductAndrea Rennick

Wordcamp Columbus 2015

Me and my Stats

mu forums: 6,690 posts. 3 years

regular forum: 5,370 posts. 9 years.

Total wp.org forum posts: 12,060.

CERB totals:

mu forums: 3 years of posts. 223 pages on profile, 30 on each page. 6,690 posts. 3 years,regular forum: 9 years of posts. 179 pages. 5,370 posts. 12,060 posts. BUT… TEN *years*.CERB total: over X years.

last month

What is a product?

Before you help

• Help the user help themselves

• NUX / UI

• Docs

• Use cases

you have a product. You need to anticipate how the user finds out information on how to use it.New user experience. Where do they go for directions? Where do they go for help? Your job is to help the user help themselves as much as possible. How do you do this? Some of it is dev centric. How many in here develop as well as support their own code? At some point, the support process helps identify issues that need to be fixed in development. next slide: “you’re holding it wrong”

You’re holding it wrong!

Always keep improving the UI.Constant work on docs. Docs are never done.Make the docs easy to find from multiple points.Watch users USE your product. This can be eye opening.

Example: installing a plugin and trying to find the directions / no settings page

Pain Points

Identifying pain points – stats can help. You don't need anything fancy, analytics can show what docs are most used. In the case of studiopress, how to edit the footer is a consistent top ten. Forums threads vs download stats. 50 threads vs 100 downloads = not good. What percentage of users are asking for support?

Managing customer Expectations

what can the customer expect you to help them with? Set up a doc if needed. Outline turn around time for replies (usually 24 hrs), what you can help with, what you can refer elsewhere. Customization! Support person is the signpost / information booth. Start noting the support YOU receive from other places.

Tools

What tools to use- forums vs help desk vs email- troubleshooting to help them (firebug, view source)- snippets (text expander, popchrome)- SPELL CHECK, keyboard shortcuts- standards for staff, internal docs. Notes on tickets. Doc everything in case you're hit by a bus.- form on customer end when submitting ticket gathers extra information

How to

How to answer tickets / threads efficiently. First in first out (oldest first) professional, polite and helpful (embrace inner canadian) straightforward ones, and speedtriage for busy time spent replying handing off tickets or waiting.

Communicate what is happening so customer feels in the loop.Speed: get in the zone but dont go full Kanye.

Phrasing – WHAT do you say? help it;s broke fix it i;m mad and it;s all your fault psychic support mirroring back at them, clarification – what happened? Steps to reproduce. focus on the positive educate the user so they can help themselves more words are better. Until they aren't.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how

you made them feel.”

― Maya Angelou

if you need to deliver bad news: positive / negative / positive offer a solution (make it right) even if it is not your product it's not the users fault (“Text was broken here” vs “you forgot or did this” ) get to know frequent fliers when you screw up (say sorry, offer the reason, not an excuse. Then move on and make it right.) maya angelou quote “never forget how you made them feel”)

Handling difficult customers apologize, empathize address the problem, not the emotion apologize again, offer solution – even if it's not you. make it right escalate if needed. break. Save draft, walk away. It;s always better to wait at least 15mins in a heated exchange than to fire off rapid reply. When all else fails, time to fire. Still offer choice. If abusive, clearly outline what behaviour is not acceptable. May need to be delivered from person with top authority.

When to hire support people. who does the support? Devs and support empowering support people

Support Care

Support Care taking breaks (pomodoro, chrome extensions, actual timer) TRUST your team. healthy habits (food, water) ADD / OCD letting off steam (rage quilting) Never ever do this in public. Done because you can question your own sanity & capabilities. comparing notes (collaboration not competition. How this helps.) hanging out with like minded people (support manager hangout).

Questions?

@andrea_r

Questions?Where to find me – but don't ask for support!