Customer Support Style test

Toward the high end, people tend to open with a line that shows they understand what the problem has cost the customer, such as a lost afternoon or a late order, before they start troubleshooting. Someone pressed for time may find that opening slow. Toward the low end, people tend to go straight to the steps that will solve it. That suits a customer who just wants it sorted, but an upset customer may not feel heard, even when the fix works.

Fix comes first

You tend to start troubleshooting straight away. The fix gets going quickly, though customers may not hear that you noticed the trouble it caused them.

This week, open each first reply with one sentence that names what went wrong for the customer, then start on the fix.

Varies what comes first

Some customers hear that you understand their trouble before you start fixing it. With others, you go straight to troubleshooting without a word about what it cost them.

Before each first reply this week, ask yourself whether this customer needs to hear that you understand first or wants the fix straight away.

Acknowledgement comes first

You tend to show customers you understand what went wrong for them before you start on the fix. That can settle an upset customer, though one in a hurry may want the fix sooner.

This week, keep your acknowledgement to one sentence and put the first step of the fix in the same message.

Toward the high end, people tend to sort a messy issue into one clear next action and check that the customer agrees before the conversation ends. The issue moves on quickly, but the conversation can close before the customer has said all they wanted to. Toward the low end, people tend to let the conversation continue without confirming a next step. That gives the customer room to explain, but it can end with nothing agreed, and the customer may need to get back in touch to find out what happens next.

Follows the conversation

You tend to let a conversation run on while the issue is still messy. That leaves space for the customer to explain, and it can end without a next step you have both confirmed.

This week, end every conversation by saying what happens next, who does it and by when, and ask the customer to confirm it.

Confirms some next steps

You turn many messy issues into a clear next action, though some conversations still end before anyone has confirmed what happens next.

This week, note which conversations ended on a confirmed next step and which did not, and what was different about them.

Confirms the next step

You tend to boil a messy issue down to a single next action and confirm it before the conversation ends. That keeps things moving, though a customer who is still explaining may feel cut short.

This week, ask the customer one more question about what they need before you name the next step.

Toward the high end, people tend to bring in the person or team who owns that kind of problem as soon as it is clear the owner can solve it faster. The issue reaches its owner sooner, though the customer may have to start again with someone new. Toward the low end, people tend to hold on to an issue and work it through themselves. That can build their own knowledge and gives the customer one contact, but an issue can wait with them longer than it would with its owner.

Works issues through

You tend to keep an issue and work on it yourself, even when someone else might solve it faster. The customer keeps one contact and you build your own knowledge, though some issues wait longer than they would with their owner.

This week, set a time limit before you start on a tricky issue, and when it runs out, bring in the team that owns that area.

Hands some over

You bring in another owner quickly on some issues, and on others you hold on longer because you want to solve them yourself.

This week, each time you keep or hand over an issue, write one line on why, and at the end of the week check which of those choices made a customer wait.

Hands over readily

You tend to hand an issue on as soon as you see that its owner could solve it faster. Customers reach that owner sooner, though each handover is a point where they may have to explain the issue again.

With each handover this week, send the new owner a short note of what you have already tried, so the customer does not have to start again.