Is the Support Model Broken?

For many companies, customer support gets the shaft and the support model is truly broken. This doesn’t have to be the case for your company. There are ways to ensure you’re not using a broken support model. Below, we will discuss why the typical support model is broken and how you can avoid using a broken model for customer support.

Why Most Companies Use a Broken Support Model

The main reasons many companies use a broken support model is simple; they really don’t care. Customer support isn’t something they care much about and it’s not something they invest much into. In fact, it’s one of the first places new CEOs and other executives make cuts to ensure they get their bonuses and the stockholders are happy.

Part of the issue is the large corporate structure usually leads to a disconnect with customers. Many corporate businesses don’t understand how frustrating bad support is and how getting stuck in the loop makes a customer want to scream. While some larger companies get it right, many are still using a broken support model.

How is the Support Model Broken?

There are several ways the customer support model is broken including:

• Getting Stuck in the Loop – Have you ever called a company for support only to get stuck in the loop? You give your order number/customer number or other information to the first person, tell them your problem and they transfer you to another department. Then, you have to repeat yourself a few minutes later and go through it all over again. By the time you’re done, you’re an expert on your story and you know your order number by heart even though it’s 10 digits long.
• Assembly Line Mentality – Many companies use an assembly line structure for their customer support. This is why you, as the customer, get stuck in the loop. They move you from one person to another and by the time you’re done, you’ve spoken with 5 different employees and nothing has been solved.
• Sticking to a Script – Most support agents are given a script to stick to and they go by the situation or problem. However, not all problems are the same and can be solved with a one-size-fits-all solution. This causes a disconnect and often means you’re stuck speaking with more people that cannot help you.
• Support Teams are not Teams – When you have to repeat yourself over and over, even after the first person says they will note it in the computer, the support team isn’t working together. They are not a team at all because they are either not putting in the notes or not reading the notes when they receive a call.
• Designed for the Process, not the Customer – Most support models are designed for the process of support, not the customer. However, the entire point of customer support is to provide support to the customer. Instead, most get stuck in the process and they can’t get help or it takes far too long to get help.

How to Avoid Using a Broken Support Model

Regardless of your industry, customer support and service matters. If you’re a hosting company and you plan to compete on any real level, you have to provide excellent customer support. Without great support, you’ll become a revolving door for customers to come in, post a bad review after a bad experience and leave for a different company.

By choosing a support model that isn’t broken, you can keep your customer acquisition cost down and make life much easier on yourself. There are several ways to make sure you’re not using a broken support model.

First, look at the most recent reviews about your support. Are they horrible or are they great? What did the customer have to say? Did they get stuck in the loop or have to wait forever?

Second, address the issues you have right now with providing support. Maybe your call system provides too many options and too many levels. Maybe your wait times are the problem. Take a good look at what you’re doing well and what you’re not doing well and make changes to provide better support.

Finally, hire the experts to handle your support. Sometimes, the best solution is to get out of the customer support game altogether by outsourcing support to the experts. When you choose the right provider for your customer support, you won’t have to worry about it anymore. Now, you can concentrate on your core business as your customers will be happy and won’t get stuck in the loop or receive bad support anymore.

For many companies, the support model is completely broken. This doesn’t have to be the case for your company. Outsource your support needs to the experts and you’ll be able to read glowing reviews about your support from now on.