Working With Customers

Posted on December 12, 2024  •  3 minutes  • 525 words

I spent over five years as a Tier 2 support representative, honing my approach to consistently deliver exceptional customer satisfaction. Here are the key principles I followed to keep customers happy.

1. Be Extremely Responsive

Everyone wants to feel heard, especially when struggling with a problem. My rules were simple:

• When a ticket first comes in, respond immediately and ask questions.
• If the end of the day arrives and you haven’t solved the problem, update the customer. Let them know you’ve been working on it and share the steps you’ve taken to reproduce their issue. This often leads to valuable feedback, helping you refine your approach.
• Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Many people avoid this for fear of dealing with angry customers, but ignoring them is far worse.

2. Have Empathy

There is a human being on the other end of that phone call or email. They’re likely doing their best to overcome the issue they’re facing and need your help.

• They probably didn’t create the problem. How often have you inherited a system with existing issues?
• They may not use the product daily as you do. Knowledge gaps are normal, and using your product likely isn’t their full-time job. Be patient and guide them.
• If they seem angry, remember they’re likely under pressure. You’re probably not the source of their frustration—just the one receiving it. Don’t take it personally.

3. Keep the Ball Moving

Always strive to make progress when solving issues. Whenever possible, avoid having the ball “in your court.” Nobody should be waiting on you.

• Passing the ball isn’t about stalling or placing blame—it’s about responsiveness and obtaining the information you need promptly.
• If your manager asks for an update, you should be able to say, “I’m trying to reproduce X, but I’m also waiting for Y and Z from the customer.” The key is to keep working with the information you have.
• Ask the customer for diagnostics and clarify your questions (see “Ask Good Questions” below).
• Escalate to peers when needed.

4. Ask Good Questions

Few things are more frustrating than being asked for help by someone who hasn’t done their homework.

• Don’t waste people’s time with frivolous questions. They’ll see through it and assume you’re stalling or being lazy.
• Clearly state the problem rather than jumping to conclusions about its cause.
  • Good: “The two servers cannot communicate.”
  • Bad: “I think someone unplugged a cable somewhere.”
• List your diagnostic attempts. When seeking help, the first thing I often ask is, “What have you tried?”
• Present your research. Sharing relevant articles or customer documentation helps others understand the problem quickly and saves time.

5. Keep Notes for Future You

We all forget details. Five minutes of note-taking today can save you hours later. I’ve often encountered errors I couldn’t immediately recall, but detailed notes saved me.

This practice is invaluable when supporting large enterprise customers. By keeping notes on their environment, you can build a comprehensive profile that streamlines future interactions.

Obsidian is a great, free note-taking tool. I sync my notes with Git as a backup.

6. Everyone is a Customer

These principles aren’t just for customers—they’re equally effective when collaborating with other teams in your organization!