The Support You Get is Equal to the Support You Give: Nurturing Your CX Human Infrastructure

I’ve witnessed it countless times. Organizations embarking upon efforts to implement or strength their support side operations the case more often than not, is that as the technicals invariably spring to the forefront, the personal or “human” element recedes into the background. This isn’t necessarily intentional. Support operations are regrettably so, the last realm of consideration for startups, and many established companies for that matter. You of course need a robust help desk in place first before agents can populate it. Not to mention the setup logistics and long term maintenance among other considerations. But this is a mistake. The human element must be addressed in tandem with the technical. A focus dedicated primarily to the latter while sidelining the former is to cultivate a petri dish of infectious, long-term issues. Should the human element go protractedly unaddressed, a dangerous imbalance between top down support teams receive, and the support they’re willing to provide your customer base will loom large. The consequence of which, if left to flourish, will metastasize throughout your entire organization and straight to your customer base. Premier support isn’t built on technical infrastructure alone. It is, rather, a convergence of technical and human infrastructure. The fanciest help desk software is only as good as the team behind it, and the team behind it is only as good as the support they receive from their organization. If employees start to find themselves dissatisfied with their position that feeling can bleed into the support experience customers receive, and could compound into a nasty trend of sub-par customer engagement. Luckily, there are ways to build upon, and nurture the human infrastructure of support, along with ways to balance both the technical and human elements vital to achieving the premier support experience your organization is striving for.

Let’s start with a simple question:

What exactly makes for a great support team?

They are not just proficient and efficient, but they are engaged. They are inspired and connected to their coworkers. They are solution-oriented, results-driven professionals, engendered with the feeling they are all a part of the same mission.

If you find your team has become disengaged, and the support experience being provided has dropped from the standards initially set forth, don’t just review KPIs alone - ask yourself the following questions: ”Why is our team falling short?” “What can be done to improve on the ground conditions and re-ignite engagement?” There are three pillars to consider when seeking to answer this question; Compensation, Culture, and Training.

Compensation

The proverbial elephant in the room; without question the most important area of first consideration is pay. This is not some profound insight, it’s obvious, of course. Yet it’s still necessary to emphasize as many organizations languish in addressing stagnant, too often “incongruent to the work” wages until the very last minute. Subsequently the consequences of this neglect can foment a culture of minimum effort, low moral, high internal churn and a bruised reputation in the eyes of potential hires. The competitive climate in todays business landscape leaves little room for companies to afford underestimating the significance of fair support agent compensation. Beyond being a financial consideration, equitable remuneration is a strategic investment in customer satisfaction, employee retention, and sustained business success. Recognizing the vital role support agents play and compensating them appropriately is not just a matter of ethics but a critical ingredient for long-term growth and prosperity. While every business should work to ensure salaries stay competitive, not every organization can overhaul it’s compensation structure in the short, or even long-term. But compensation can come in additional forms outside the financial.

Culture

Paramount to any healthy team dynamic is the culture undergirding the collective. A healthy company culture is robust and alive; it can be felt by each individual. What makes for the right culture is going to vary across each organization, but there are a few key principles all should emphasize in the pursuit of establishing their own healthy company culture.

Transparency: A healthy culture encourages open communication and fosters trust and transparency. Situated at the forefront of customer interactions, support teams greatly benefit from an environment where they can openly express ideas, concerns, and feedback. Agents thrive in a realm where their voice is not simply heard, but encouraged. This openness has the dual effect of strengthening teamwork and empowering agents to share crucial and overlooked insights that can lead to greater process improvements.

Well-being: Prioritizing the well-being of support agents, for that matter any employee, is essential. A healthy company culture emphasizes work-life balance, and mental health and allocates as many resources to help manage stress as possible. When employees feel emotionally supported and valued, they are more likely to be engaged, resilient, and focused on providing exceptional service.

Recognition: Acknowledging the hard work and dedication of support agents goes a long way in boosting morale. A culture that recognizes, values, and validates individual and team achievements creates a positive feedback loop, motivating agents to consistently deliver outstanding customer service.

Company culture is not a mere luxury but a necessity, especially for support agents navigating the intricate landscape of customer interactions.

Training

There are a plethora of factors that influence whether agents start off outfitted for day one success, or start off lost in the woods; mired in the unknown, second-guessing, stressed and left rendered feeling ineffective. Of chief importance, a robust training apparatus is the make-or-break factor here. It can mean the difference between those that thrive out the gate and those that struggle in the moment. Onboard training in hand with continuous learning opportunities guarantees support agents stay top of their game at every point, in the face of every challenge. These initiatives need not break the bank, but simply require a bit of time and structure. In fact you may be underutilizing one key Zendesk feature elemental to strong training infrastructure. A well-maintained Zendesk Knowledge Base serves as the go-to resource for quick reference. It is the the bedrock of knowledge, the source of truth within your department. Regular updates help information stay current, empowering team members to resolve customer queries seamlessly and with ease. When building out your knowledge base it’s beneficial to keep in mind it need not simply be page after page of text, invigorate those help articles with graphics and videos! Loom videos are a fantastic resource, a dynamic tool to vital to taking you training to the next level. From tutorials and process walkthroughs to feedback sessions and team updates, Loom provides a visual feast and accessible medium for communicating information. Training doesn't end with onboarding. Cultivate a climate of continuous learning by organizing regular webinars, providing access to external platforms, and encouraging team members to voice areas where they feel additional training is needed. Shadowing is another fundamental piece of any solid training program. Mentorship fosters a sense of community and facilitates knowledge transfer. Pairing new hires with experienced colleagues creates a support system where questions are encouraged, insights are shared, and community built.

Final Musings

Investment in human infrastructure doesn't have to be a massive, million-dollar overhaul. It is a long-term process, but with a few considerations, you can start the process towards reinvigorating your support team, an effort that will pay dividends down the line. Take care of your people, so they can take care of your business.