The Different Customer Support Models And Tiers You Need To Be Aware Of
The terms 'customer support models' and 'customer support tiers' are often used interchangeably – which is pretty unhelpful given there's a clear difference between them.
Customer support models refer to the overall framework used to deliver customer support. There are three kinds you need to be aware of: collaborative customer support models, automated customer support models, and SaaS customer support models.
Customer support tiers on the other hand are different levels of customer support, graded by complexity or expertise. There are typically five tiers from 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.
In this article, we're going to unpack what each of these models and tiers look like in practice, when they're best applied, and how you can choose the right mix for your business' specific customer support needs.
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Ready? Let's dive in…
What is a collaborative customer support model?
Key Definition: A collaborative customer support model involves specialists from different departments across an organization coming together to solve customer requests or inquiries using a ticketing system.
There's nothing worse for a struggling customer struggling with your product or service than getting passed from agent to agent, and department to department, in search of a resolution.
Aside from the rage-inducing feeling that they're dealing with an organization that's disconnected, their frustration is compounded by having to re-explain their issue to each new agent. Again, and again, and again.
Collaborative customer support models aim to put an end to this death spiral. They do this by ensuring that everyone involved in your customer support process – regardless of their department or expertise – has access to the data they need. This means having a 'single source of truth' so everyone is working from the same data and creating a way to bridge any communication gaps between agents or departments.
But before you rush to implement such a model be warned – in reality, not every customer query can be resolved by a single agent. For example, highly technical or complex issues can only be by a specialist department or team member.
Collaborative customer support models deal with this using a centralized ticketing system that puts these specialists on the same page.
In practice, this might be when one agent writes a note, the system ensures other agents can view the information saved so they update themselves on the customer's issue. Another example might be giving agents access to purchase history, the number of contact points the customer has had already, and what they've been told and promised at each point.
The result is a much more coherent and connected customer support program, and fewer customers hitting boiling point because they've repeated themselves one too many times.
What is an automated customer support model?
Key definition: An automated customer support model involves the use of tools such as chatbots, automated call handlers, and automatic email follow ups. Modern support models often leverage AI and machine learning (ML) to enrich the level of support they can offer.
The goal of an automated customer support model is to reduce the need for human involvement in customer support tasks where automation technology can provide parallel, equivalent – and when done well, enhanced assistance.
As you've probably already clocked – the key words to follow for success here are “parallel, equivalent or enhanced”. All too many businesses rush to add automation to their customer support program purely in an attempt to cut costs. Badly implemented automation will likely cost you more in the long run.
But when used correctly – it's a whole different story. That's because unlike humans, automated customer support systems are available 24/7 to handle simple, repetitive tasks and direct tickets to the appropriate departments. Not only are they more cost-effective than human customer support representatives, but they also free up those representatives to focus attention on customers who are genuinely in need of human support.
So let's be clear: this isn't about eliminating the need for any human agents. It's about simplifying and streamlining their workflows.
And in order to access the sizable benefits of using AI for customer support, you need to use it within a well-crafted strategy that outlines how AI and human customer support are woven together into a unified, coherent customer support service.
Want to learn more about automated customer support? We've written a whole article on it here.
What is a SaaS customer support model?
Key definition: A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) customer support model is a set of support services that are geared towards ensuring that a SaaS company's customers have a positive user experience with their software.
SaaS products are often feature-rich, intricate things. So SaaS customer support models are distinct from other customer support models in that they include pre-sales support, hands-on implementation support, and a continued support program that is often paired with a comprehensive customer success plan.
Not only are these support services of huge benefit to SaaS customers, but they also provide an important feedback loop for the SaaS business itself.
Because SaaS products are iterative by their nature, a well-structured SaaS customer support model can be an excellent way for SaaS companies to gather information. For example, for their product teams to identify where the issues with their software are which can then be fed into future planning decisions.
And because SaaS is based on a subscription model – which is renewed (or not) each month – offering a first class customer support service is one of the most effective ways to keep those customers subscribed. Which will keep SaaS business moving forward.
Different tiered customer support models
Simply put, a tiered customer support model incorporates multiple support tiers that cater to different incoming customer support needs and issues.
Tiered customer support is based on a hierarchy, with the different levels managing issues of varying complexity. Typically, the lower level customer support tiers are focused on resolving more straightforward queries and troubleshooting, while the higher levels deal with more complex issues.
That means that each tier will be staffed differently, with lower levels employing more self-service and automation technology and the higher levels being staffed by personnel with more technical and product expertise.
Watch out for the big banana skin here. The tiered customer support model lives and dies on efficient escalation and your ability to ensure quality of support. So if you think you can skimp and have low quality agents at lower levels, you're wrong.
It's why at ModSquad, we use elements of the tiered approach but provide customers with expert-grade customer support across the board. This avoids the situation in which, your all-important first customer contact is with an agent with little experience, knowledge, and – let's face it – interest in your product.
Get the details on our experts-only approach to customer support here.
What are the benefits of tiered customer support?
Tiered customer support models are popular because they bring a host of benefits to the organizations that employ them. These include:
- Efficiency – Tiered support systems streamline operations by categorizing and prioritizing inquiries. Frontline agents can handle simple issues quickly while more complex cases are reserved for expert-level support. This optimizes resource use and speeds up resolution times.
- Cost savings – Tiered systems reduce overall labor costs and improve cost-effectiveness by directing the right calls to the right people – ultimately reserving specialized personnel for complex problems.
- Scalability – Tiered systems are adaptable to business growth or changes in demand, allowing companies to scale support resources up or down as needed, ensuring service quality while controlling operational costs.
- Consistency – Standardized procedures and clear escalation paths ensure consistent service quality across all tiers, which directly impacts customer satisfaction.
Remember, if your tiered approach is built on putting low-skilled agents as your first customer touch point – you're playing fast and loose with your customer satisfaction levels. Your MO should be to deliver quality at all touchpoints.
What is tier 0 customer support?
Tier 0 customer support is also referred to as zero-touch or self-service support. This tier is designed to provide the resources needed for customers to resolve basic issues and inquiries themselves – without any direct involvement from your support team.
Tier 0 includes self-education materials such as product explainers or FAQ pages, as well as automation such as email auto responders, chatbots, and functions like password resets.
"Underestimate the importance of self service customer support at your peril. It's been nearly 10 years since the term 'generation mute' entered the industry in reference to modern customers' aversion to phone conversations. Things have continued to evolve in a similar vein. Customers want to be able to find the answers for themselves, and if they can't, they want to speak to agents with real knowledge and expertise."
What is tier 1 customer support?
Tier 1 customer support is the initial point of contact that customers have with members of your customer support team. This tier requires involvement from your support agents but the focus is on low-complexity tasks and basic inquiry handling. This could be information on product updates, release dates, account information requests, or simple product feature questions.
It's here that we at ModSquad recommend that you tread very, very carefully. Unless you can guarantee quality at this tier, you could end up damaging your brand. The folks at PWC will tell you the same.Their report showed that an eye-watering 17% of customers will churn after just one bad experience with your brand.
On top of this, the benchmark is that Tier 1 customer support should be able to resolve 45-65% of all inquiries and issues, it is also the first escalation point for more complex or technical support inquiries or issues.
So information gathering and analysis is also a key part of tier 1 support agents' role, as they are tasked with identifying issues that require the knowledge or expertise of more specialist customer support team members.
What is tier 2 customer support?
Tier 2 customer support is the escalation point for more complex troubleshooting that cannot be managed by tier 1.
This tier is typically associated with technical support inquiries that while not heavily complex, do require deep product knowledge. For example, tier 2 customer support might include implementation or connectivity issues, in-depth feature walkthroughs and issue resolution.
The in-depth nature of this support makes it a real dealbreaker for customers. It's why we think the best technical support isn't just about helping solve acute customer issues, it's a vital information channel. It's your eyes and ears on the frontlines of real life user testing.
Want to see what technical support that enhances your brand looks like? Read our page on that very subject.
What is tier 3 customer support?
Tier 3 customer support is for complex inquiry handling. This tier is reserved for expert-level problem resolution and, as such, is staffed by folks with specialist knowledge and skill sets. This could be addressing major product maintenance issues such as prolonged downtime that requires urgent remedying, or security issues and cyber attacks. This could also involve complex contractual or billing issues.
What is tier 4 customer support?
Tier 4 customer support is a highly specialized level of support that's beyond the scope of traditional outsourcing. It's for the cases in which one company's product involves components supplied by another company.
Example: Let's say the fictional company Radiomergency supplies radios to first responders across the U.S., but those radios use microchips supplied by (the equally fictional) MiniChip. In specific situations, Radiomergency might recommend that its customers seek support directly from MiniChip. That kind of support would fall under tier 4.
Tiered vs collaborative support models – can you do both?
Think that collaborative and tiered support models are inherently at odds with each other? Many do – and with good reason.
The tiered approach organizes expertise in a hierarchy that depends on efficient escalation to deliver successful customer outcomes. While a collaborative approach flattens that hierarchy, allowing customers to access expertise from the point of first contact.
But here's the thing, they aren't the natural enemies they first appear to be.
In fact it is possible to take a key characteristic of a collaborative customer support model and apply it to the tiered approach: the ticketing system.
By deploying a data-driven ticketing system to a tiered customer support structure, you minimize the friction as customers pass between the different tiers of expertise by creating the single source of truth that every member of your customer support team can refer to.
At ModSquad we believe in the power of a data-driven approach to customer support, whatever model you choose. In fact, we're borderline data obsessed – which is good news if you want quality to increase while cost goes in the opposite direction.
It's how we helped folks like Spotify achieve 92% CSAT and 87% global resolution rates, at the same time as reducing their agent numbers by 1%.