Customer Support Professional Blog

This is a sequel of the previous post. Time in support is of the essence.

Quick turnaround time on support queries should be a top priority.

Customers light up when you answer their questions quickly. They’re so used to canned responses that show up days later (if at all) that you can really differentiate yourself from competitors by offering a thoughtful response right away. During business hours, we answer 90% of all email support requests within 90 minutes — and often within a half-hour. And people love it.

Even if you don’t have a perfect answer, say something. You can buy goodwill with a response that is delivered quickly in an open, honest way. If someone is complaining about an issue that can’t be fixed immediately, tell them something like, “We hear what you’re saying and we’ll be working on it in the future.” It’s a great way to diffuse a potentially negative situation.

Customers appreciate directness and will often shift from angry to polite if you respond quickly and in a straight-shooting manner.

(c) Getting Real. Chapter 14.