The year was 2020, and the world was thrown into disarray. As the new Senior Manager of Global Customer Support at [Anonymous Company], I wasn't just facing support tickets – I was facing an avalanche. The pandemic hit, sending shockwaves through our team and causing a 68% surge in support volume. My team, with an average tenure of 8 years, were seasoned veterans, but even they were caught off guard. We needed to adapt or be overwhelmed.
First, leadership. I took the reins, guiding my geographically dispersed team through this unprecedented situation. We weathered the storm, but the challenges kept coming. I knew we needed to work smarter, not harder. We cut the average resolution time by over 50% by streamlining processes and making strategic hires. But the sheer volume of requests demanded more.
So, I expanded our support network. We partnered with a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) provider, offering 24/7 support and increasing our staff by 80% – all while reducing the department's budget by 3.4%. It was a delicate balancing act, but we pulled it off.
However, knowledge is power, and my team needed more of it. Working with our knowledge manager and technical writer, we built a robust 2-week training program, ensuring new hires were "fully operational" within five weeks. We also implemented GURU, a knowledge management system, creating a company-wide library of resources. Articles poured in, and adoption soared. We even streamlined external documentation updates with the GURU API, making the process even more efficient.
I established key performance indicators (KPIs), using Salesforce to track team productivity and predict support volume, allowing us to allocate resources effectively. We also analyzed support category trends, identifying opportunities to improve products and documentation. We even launched a post-support customer satisfaction survey, ensuring our clients' voices guided our decisions. The feedback was clear: we were on the right track, with an average CSAT of 4 or higher (out of 5).
But I wasn't satisfied with just meeting expectations. We embarked on a 3-month project to upgrade the client/agent ticketing system. Now, agents readily have vital customer information, reducing response and resolution times. High-revenue clients received priority treatment, with a 15% faster first response and a 7% faster resolution time, ensuring they felt valued and supported.
Finally, I looked beyond reactive support. I co-created a New Product Introduction program, ensuring smooth launches with clear documentation and feedback mechanisms. We also revamped our self-serve portals for sellers and buyers, empowering them to find answers and solutions independently, reducing ticket volume and resolution times.
My [Anonymous Company] journey wasn't just about numbers – it was about a transformative journey. We faced challenges, embraced innovation, and delivered exceptional customer support. This wasn't just my story; it was a team effort. And to my team, thank you for being part of this incredible journey.
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