Beyond Self-Service Support

Self-service (or Tier-0) support improves outcomes for both customers and businesses.

For customers, it’s often the fastest way for them to resolve their issues. It empowers them and increases satisfaction.

For businesses, it lowers CS costs and increases CSAT scores.

Sometimes, though, customers need more than self-service.

What happens when a customer needs more?

Imagine a customer attempting to resolve an issue through self-service. They read the FAQ, consulted the KB, asked the community, and chatted with a bot. They tried to fix the problem on their own.

It’s time for them to reach out to the support team.

This customer is now in a different state. Contacting the support team was likely their last resort. They’ve already spent time trying to resolve the problem. They’re frustrated, have less patience, and are worried about wasting time. Their expectations are higher than if they had contacted the team immediately.

The support team needs to adjust accordingly. Here’s what they can do to turn this escalation into a success.

Handling T-0 Escalations

Resolve the issue quickly. The customer has already been on the clock too long. Acknowledge the time they’ve spent and show them you’re prioritizing.

Open with a new solution. Nothing is worse than repeating the same steps that didn’t work the first time. Make sure to start with something different.

Be human. This is the time for empathy and understanding. Respect their time by staying attentive and aware of their needs.

Read the room. Take conversational cues from them. The customer might be chatty and thankful. Maybe they want to vent a bit. Maybe they want to wrap up the issue as quickly as possible.

Optimize your tier-0 tools. These escalations show you exactly where your self-service tools need improvement. It’s time for iteration.

Overall, a successful self-service support program needs an empathetic, tuned-in team. It’s what draws the line between customer enablement and abandonment.

Deliver Excellent Support from Start to Finish

A good support strategy is only one side of the coin. If you want help implementing these strategies, we’re here for you.

We know how to deliver effective support at every tier. For T-0, we can design and build a self-service system that actually solves your customers’ problems.

For T-1 and beyond, we’ll assemble the right team to help customers when unresolved issues remain.

And we can do it all with the lowest prices in the industry (which is one of the benefits of self-service support in the first place).

Get the efficient, white-glove support your customers deserve. Give us a call, and we’ll show you how.