Customer support: The ultimate guide

In an increasingly complex and competitive world, customer support is vital to your company's success. With effective customer support, you can avoid poor client outcomes, low interactions, and, ultimately, damage to your brand.

Providing good support is more complicated with the proliferation of online and offline channels. Not only is support vital to your success, but you have to deliver it across your customers’ preferred channels.

It sounds like a big task, but with the correct information and the right tools, setting up a successful customer support strategy for your business is within your grasp.

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What is customer support?

Customer support gives answers, help, and guidance to your customers when using your services or products. These interactions help clients understand and use your products.

Moreover, they are critical for how they think about your company. Customer support examples include onboarding clients, troubleshooting, answering questions, and managing complaints.

Often, the terms customer support and customer service are used interchangeably. Customer service typically covers the entire interaction with customers.

In 2024, customer support will happen across all available channels such as email, phone, chat, in-person, and via documentation and self-service guides.

The importance of effective customer support

Effective customer support is vital to businesses in 2023 and beyond. Clients today expect you to help them get value from your product. If they don’t, they’ll switch to a competitor.

Customer support increases success and leads to higher levels of customer experience (CX). Positive CX means your customers stick with you. This reduces churn, increases the lifetime value of customers, and improves reviews and brand reputation.

Types of customer support

Today, customer support comes in two main forms: self-service and assisted. A blend of these two types is necessary for most companies to create a well-rounded, successful, and budget-conscious customer support framework.  While traditional structures have been largely reactive, in response to a customer reaching out with a specific question or concern, proactive support is trending.

Self-service support

Self-service support refers to help that the customer can access on their own without direct interaction with a person on your team. This type of help is the most cost-conscious because it does not require your team’s time, which is an expensive and limited resource. It is also typically faster. In addition, it is preferred by some types of clients. In 2023, some level of self-service assistance is simply expected. 

However, it must be well-designed, accurate, and easy for the customer to find and use. If a customer hits a roadblock, a negative CX results. Make sure to spend the time upfront to develop your self-service options. And going forward, regularly audit and update the resources to ensure continued positive customer experience.

In addition, every person is different and learns in their way. Providing self-service support options in a variety of formats increases the chances your customers will find exactly what they are looking for.

Knowledge bases & FAQ

Knowledge bases and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are online repositories of information that your customers can reference when questions and issues arise as they use your product or interact with your company.

A knowledge base is typically a large written database containing everything your clients need to be successful with or derive value out of your product or solution. It includes all manner of information such as instructions on how to use various features, definitions of terms, and directions for carrying out common interactions such as updating their account, initiating returns, or even accessing assisted support, which we’ll talk about shortly.

FAQ are a much smaller written list of frequently asked questions to answer the most common queries and to give the most important advice that your customers need to succeed. FAQ are very targeted and concise. They may contain links to other resources for customers seeking more information.

Video tutorials and how-to guides

Written instruction isn’t for everyone. Video tutorials and how-to guides go beyond the written word to give customers the information they need in various visual formats.

Video tutorials are videos on how to use specific aspects of your product and how to interact with your company. Tutorials come in many styles, from screen captures and spoken instruction to fully produced professional videos. YouTube and TikTok have widely popularized video support. Google “How to ANYTHING” and you’ll get plenty of answers. Creating your own video tutorials is an excellent way to support your clients both at the beginning of their journey with you and whenever questions or issues arise.

How-to guides combine words and images to explain your product or how your company functions. These visuals are especially helpful in explaining workflows and processes.

Assisted support

Of course, sometimes customers have issues that require human interaction. And that’s where assisted support comes in. This is probably what first comes to mind when you think of customer support. It requires a live agent and generally takes longer than self-service options, making it more resource-intensive than self-service support. However, customers expect you to offer assisted support. They consider it part of the price of your product.

Live chat and instant messaging

Live Chat and Instant Messaging are the newest members of the assisted support universe. They enable customers to access your team through messaging apps or live chat features on your website. They can ask questions and you provide answers just as you would when text messaging with a friend.

These methods are typically the fastest of the assisted support channels. And many customers prefer not having to talk to someone on the phone. Plus the online nature of this channel makes it easy for associates to access the technology they need to provide fast, personalized service.

Phone support

Phone support has been around since businesses and customers had phones. Today, this method allows your clients to call your company and directly speak with agents or employees when they have questions, complaints, concerns, or–on a good day–compliments.

Many businesses have dedicated support agents answering phones, hopefully at all hours of the day or night.

Phone support is very resource-intensive as it requires both phone system and agent availability. Many companies staff call centers to manage the volume of calls, sometimes at great expense. However, it’s a very popular channel for customers, because they can get quick answers and hopefully, develop a positive rapport with the agent.

Email support

Email support provides one-on-one assistance through email. It’s convenient for clients and companies because it's asynchronous. Clients can email any time of the day or night and agents don’t have to be available around the clock. However, this is also what makes email a much slower channel. Because of the back-and-forth required, it can take days to resolve an issue.

However, it’s a very cost-effective channel requiring only an email address, which makes it attractive to companies. And it does not require talking to anyone, which makes it attractive to clients.

Social media support

Social media is an emerging and diverse assisted support channel. It allows customers to human help via social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more.

With so many people spending so much time on social media, you can truly meet your clients where they are. 

Of course, with the proliferation of social media platforms, it can be difficult to truly be everywhere. Companies need to identify which platforms it makes sense for them to monitor. And then they must be monitored. Like email, this channel can be async, but in social media, faster is always better.

Building a customer-centric support team

Effective teams center on the customer. So make the customer your focus for every decision you make building your team. In addition, you want to integrate the support team into your company. Tools like Freshdesk can facilitate communication between teams.

1. Role of customer support agents

Your agents are critical to providing great customer support. They are truly the face of your company once the sales agent hands them off, which gives them great value to your company. Ensure that your customer support representatives are well-resourced with the right tools.

It’s also important to ensure that your agents are given assistance and respect within your organization. According to the Harvard Business Review, support agents have a very high turnover rate relative to other industries, so do your best to make your agents happy so they, in turn, can make your customers happy.

2. Hiring and training customer support representatives

Start by hiring the right people and then by training them well upfront and providing ongoing training over time.

On a basic level, agents must understand every aspect of your product so they can communicate how it works to the end-user. But they must also be well-trained on the tools you use such as your CRM and other support software. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they must have a deep understanding of your clients and how best to interact with them.

You can also take pressure off your agents by using a platform that incorporates automation to make their job easier. Reduce manual tasks, decrease errors, and help them work faster.

3. Empathy and communication skills

Customer support is all about communicating with and relating positively to customers. When you are building your team, take time to teach and stress the importance of empathy and communication skills.

Empathy is the ability to understand other people’s feelings. In a customer support setting, this is critical. If your agents understand where a customer is coming from, they will be better able to serve them and resolve issues.

Additionally, the customer will be listening not only to what you are saying but HOW you are saying it. Your agents must be able to communicate clearly on a variety of channels.

4. Multilingual and global support considerations

In a global world, your clients will likely speak multiple languages and reside in multiple time zones. Your support team must be able to accommodate this diversity. Dive into your customer analytics to uncover where they are and what languages in which they prefer to access help. Then schedule and staff your team accordingly.

However, it’s very difficult to offer every language at every time. Leverage the power of technology to fill in these gaps. AI and chatbots can address both of these considerations. If your human team isn’t available 24/7, add a chatbot to answer basic questions at any time of day. If the question is too complicated, the bot can schedule a follow-up with a human agent.

Solve language barrier issues with translation tools. Enable your bots to understand and respond in different languages, and to provide translations for your agents during live chat sessions.

Effective communication in customer support

Effective communication skills are probably the most important element of customer support. Your self-service materials should be clear and correct and your agents should be able to respond correctly and effectively to all manner of customer queries.

1. Active listening and understanding customer needs

Agents providing assisted support should focus on active listening and understanding customer needs.

Active listening is a customer support technique that asks the agent to focus entirely on the customer’s question without judging, assuming, or interrupting. This technique began in therapeutic mental health settings but it’s widely applicable to other situations. The goal of the technique is that the speaker should feel heard and validated, which is a great outcome of any interaction.

While the customer is speaking, it’s important to let them speak and not interrupt. However, if there are pauses, agents can express empathy with comments like I understand, I see/I know what you mean. Resist correcting them if at all possible.

When they have finished explaining their issue, demonstrate that you have been listening by repeating and paraphrasing what your customer has told you.

2. Clear and concise responses

Provide your customers with the information they need in as few words as possible. This decreases resolution times. One way to do this is to provide templates and scripts to your agents. You can also use AI to connect agents with your knowledge base so they are providing accurate answers.

It’s also vital to provide continuity across channels and between agents. Every customer should get the same level of help no matter who they interact with or on what channel.

3. Tone and language in written communication

Your tone and language should be consistent across channels and in keeping with your branding. Carefully review your knowledge base and any templates or scripts you give your team to make sure they comply with your company image and communication goals.

4. Managing challenging conversations

Sometimes conversations are difficult. Many customers initiate an interaction because they are having a problem. That means they may be frustrated before they even get to you. In these cases, it’s vital to tread carefully.

First, consider a chatbot that learns over time so it can detect when a customer is upset and quickly get them to a human agent to resolve their issue. An angry customer needs a person, not a bot.

Second, provide your agents with training on these conversations. And ensure that they know the customer’s emotions are not about them.

Third, have plans in place to help agents escalate issues up the chain as needed.

Implementing live chat and messaging support

More and more conversations are taking place via messaging platforms. It’s convenient for clients and often faster for your agents as well.

1. Real-time assistance for customers

Live chat shines in providing real-time help. For many platforms, customers can be connected to help in a single click. This minimizes the time the customer spends needing help and improves CX.

2. Proactive chat initiation

Proactive chat initiation is when your website, app, or platform invites interaction with a user. This invitation could be a sound or visual cue such as a chime or a box popping up in the corner. The strength of this is that your AI can anticipate the need for help before the customer does.

3. Balancing automation and human interaction

While AI and automation are perfect for some situations, it should not be your only mode of customer support. Make sure to balance bots with human interactions. It’s a good idea to make it easy for the user to get from AI to a person. 

For example, place a link to live chat from the chatbot window and equip your bot with the ability to escalate to a human. Or in the case of an automated email, make it easy for the recipient to reply to a real person rather than to an unmonitored inbox. If your platform doesn’t allow for that, place a link to the help desk email in the text or offer a number so the client can easily make a phone call.

Optimizing Email Support

1. Quick response time

Strive to answer email requests as quickly as possible. Customers are increasingly impatient, so reduce wait times.

Consider an autoresponder so customers get an immediate response from your company so they know their message has been received. The autoresponder should acknowledge their email and give them an estimate of when a live agent will be able to respond.

However, you can do more in an autoresponder by providing links to self-service options such as your knowledge base.

2. Personalization and tailored solutions

Just because email is asynchronous doesn’t mean it shouldn’t feel personalized. Make sure that you are getting your client’s name and the details of their issue correct. Your CRM can provide key information such as what products the customer is using. And then your agents can develop a solution just for them.

This is key in 2023 as customers expect a high level of personalization. They do not want to feel like just another ticket. Because email is a step removed from direct interaction, the risk of that is high.

3. Writing effective email responses

Email can be a tricky communication medium. Tone and intent are easily misunderstood when the parties can’t see or hear each other. So it’s vitally important that you and your agents craft responses carefully.

First and foremost, agents should make sure they thoroughly understand the issue before responding. If they have any questions, they should reply with those questions respectfully.

To increase the chances of success, provide customized templates for your agents to use. There’s no reason for them to type out the answer to the same question five times a day–or even two times ever. And make it even easier by giving them access to these templates right on the platform.

However, a template should not feel like a template to the customer. Train your agents to adapt the templates to each unique customer.

Multi-channel support strategy

Customers are engaging with your company on multiple channels, so it makes sense to provide support on more than one channel. For optimum options, consider technology like Freshdesk which offers collaborative ticketing that converts inquiries into tickets.

1. Consistency across channels

Although the way information is conveyed will vary by channel, the quality and content of assistance should remain consistent. An agent should give the same response on a phone call or during a live chat as the client would get from the bot or the knowledge base. This builds trust in your brand and keeps customers from getting confused.

2. Centralizing customer data for unified support

With an omnichannel approach to support, it is essential to keep centralize all customer data in a single place. A record of interactions from every channel should be available at all times. A robust customer relationship management (CRM) that integrates with all of your channels can streamline this process.

3. Coordinating information and responses

Using AI and automation

AI and automation can level up your customer support game in numerous ways.

1. Chatbots for basic inquiries

Installing a chatbot on your website, app, or platform enables you to provide instant help to customers right where they are. Not only does this help your clients, but it takes the pressure off your support reps. Customers using Freshworks chatbots handled 70% of inquiries. 

2. AI-powered predictive support

AI can power your company's predictive support capabilities. Predictive support anticipates and meets your customers’ needs before they know they need help. As its name implies, it predicts their issues. This allows them to then deploy help in the customer’s direction. Depending on your industry, assistance can take many forms. However, emails and notifications on preferred platforms are common ways to offer advice in advance.

3. Balancing automation with the human touch

Automation is great but you must balance it with the human touch. A good example of automation that facilitates human interaction is automated lead assignment. When a lead enters the system, AI determines which agent is the right fit based on their workload and skillset and then assigns that lead to that agent who can reach out as soon as possible. Similar technology can be used with live chat and your ticketing system.

Future trends in customer support

We’ve talked about the past and history of customer support, but what about the future? There are so many new and exciting things on the rise, it’s inspiring to see how far the industry has come. Here are a few of the more exciting things on the horizon for customer support:

1. AI-driven personalization

Personalization is truly the name of the game in 2023 and in the future. 72% of shoppers prefer to buy from businesses that provide personalization, according to McKinsey. And AI can deliver personalization at scale. 

2. Virtual reality (VR) support experiences

Virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming more common and more accessible. Businesses are just beginning to leverage VR in customer support. It is especially helpful for remote troubleshooting. 

When companies need to provide help for issues with physical products like washing machines, a service professional has to go to the customer. With VR, they can walk the customer through the process without a costly service call. As the tech continues to evolve and customers get more familiar with it, VR in customer support will expand.

3. Predictive support and issue prevention

The best customer support happens before the client even knows they have a need. Predictive analytics and AI tools help you and your team anticipate what a customer will need and provide it in advance. Use AI to analyze customer behavior patterns to identify where you can better support your clients.

The evolution of customer support strategies

Customer support has and continues to evolve. Let’s take a look at where we have come in recent decades. 

1960s: The establishment of the call center

Customer support in the modern sense began with the call center in the 1960s. With the evolution of business and technological advancements, companies transitioned from face-to-face to phone conversations.

1990s: The invention of email and live chat

Call centers remained the best option until the 1990s. With the internet's rise, email became the most efficient and cheapest communication channel.

2000s: The birth of support-specific software

At the dawn of the 21st century, companies started inventing their own software for enhanced technical support. And the technology wasn't just limited to a helpdesk, or ticketing software. The rise of social media platforms and next-gen capabilities such as artificial intelligence, cloud-based software, intelligent automation, and remote desktop support allowed customer service teams to expand their customer engagement strategy beyond the basics.

Today: Creating personalized, omnichannel customer experiences

Now, customers are firmly in the driver’s seat of their experience. Customers want convenience over everything else. And the top brands are already consistently providing it across channels, sometimes before the customer even knows they need help.

To compete in the future, customer support teams will need to provide an omnichannel, proactive experience. Customers won’t accept anything less than a well-designed, well-executed customer support strategy.

Suggested read: The complete guide to delivering an omnichannel customer experience