The “Everyone Does Support” Approach for Company Success

This article proposes a unique and effective customer support approach for companies of all sizes: “Everyone Does Support.” This philosophy emphasizes the importance of a company-wide dedication to customer service, recognizing its direct impact on business success.

• Customer support is a top priority.
• Quality customer support strongly correlates with company success.
• Talking to customers is not a chore or someone else’s problem.

Company-Wide Support: A Holistic Approach

This method goes beyond a designated customer support team, advocating for a culture where everyone actively contributes to positive customer experiences. It’s a shift in mindset that sees customer interactions as valuable for all employees, regardless of their role.

The Benefits of “Everyone Does Support”

Implementing an "Everyone Does Support" approach can offer various benefits for companies, including:

• Enhanced product development through direct customer feedback.
• Improved customer retention through personalized support.
• A stronger company culture rooted in customer-centricity.
• Increased employee engagement through direct customer interactions.

“Everyone Does Support” in Different Company Stages

This approach adapts to the evolving needs of companies as they grow:

• Early-Stage Startups: Founders wear multiple hats, handling customer support, sales, marketing, and product development. This direct customer interaction provides valuable feedback for product development and customer understanding.
• Medium-Stage Startups: Defined roles and departments emerge. A dedicated customer support team guides other departments through the “5% Support” model, where team members dedicate a portion of their time to support.
• Late-Stage Companies: Customer support is ingrained in various departments, from marketing and sales to customer success and engineering. Maintaining a culture of support through training, onboarding, and periodic shifts ensures customer-centricity.

Leadership’s Role in Company-Wide Support

Top-level leadership plays a crucial role in fostering a company-wide support culture. Examples from successful companies demonstrate this commitment:

• Jeff Bezos (Amazon) emphasizes customer support and requires all employees to undergo call center training.
• Richard Branson (Virgin Group) values customer feedback and directly calls customers for insights, sometimes undercover.
• Tony Hsieh (Zappos) integrates customer support into the company culture, influencing hiring practices and process development.
• Paul English (Kayak) provides his personal cell phone to customers and emphasizes a customer-first approach.

Tools and Processes for Company-Wide Support

Implementing “Everyone Does Support” requires tools and processes that support transparency, communication, and efficiency.

• Helpdesk Solutions: Groove is an example of a powerful tool for managing tickets, internal communication, and knowledge base.
• Email Management: Tools like Streak and Tout help manage emails, set reminders, and automate follow-ups.
• Live Chat Widgets: Olark provides a live chat widget for real-time customer engagement.
• Social Media Management: Hootsuite helps manage social media accounts and can be used to direct inquiries to relevant team members.
• Collaboration Tools: Google Docs and Trello can be used for documenting feature requests, tracking bugs, and planning product development.

Measuring Customer Satisfaction: Key Metrics for Company Success

Monitoring customer satisfaction metrics helps assess the effectiveness of customer support efforts and guide improvements.

• NPS (Net Promoter Score): Measures customer loyalty and likelihood of recommendation.
• CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score): Assesses customer satisfaction with specific support interactions.
• CES (Customer Effort Score): Evaluates the ease and efficiency of getting support.

Conclusion

The “Everyone Does Support” approach fosters a company culture that prioritizes customer experience and empowers all employees to contribute to success. By embracing customer-centricity and implementing the right tools and processes, companies can achieve greater customer satisfaction, product development, and ultimately, business growth.