Customer Support Options
TL;DR ✨
There are several customer support options, but a few absolutely fundamental things have rules that are worth following.
Group email should be sent to addresses such as fakturace@connectica.cz or adminsitrativni@connectica.cz, from which it can then be forwarded to all employees in the relevant groups.
There are several customer support options, but a few absolutely fundamental things have rules that are worth following.
Email¶
Email addresses should have a clear structure based on departments and employees.
Group email should be sent to addresses such as fakturace@connectica.cz or adminsitrativni@connectica.cz, from which it can then be forwarded to all employees in the relevant groups.
For employees, it is useful to have an email naming system such as:
- prijmeni.jmeno@connectica.cz
- prijmeni.pocatecniPismenoJmena@connectica.cz
Suitable general-purpose addresses include:¶
- podpora@connectica.cz (for a ticketing system, for example)
- info@connectica.cz (for inquiries from international clients)
- obchod@connectica.cz (for sending business offers, inquiries, and similar correspondence)
- jsmenej@connectica.cz
- mojebanka@connectica.cz (for importing bank statements into accounting software)
It is a good idea to use a standardized company signature in every email. Pavel Minář has more on that subject.
Likewise, it is useful to follow a few principles when writing emails.
Ticketing¶
The author considers a ticketing system one of the best support solutions for his services. It is a distinctive way to resolve problems systematically and bring order to chaos.
In brief, a ticketing system works as follows: when you have a problem, you send it to info@connectica.cz, or you can create a ticket through the website.
The ticket is handled by someone in support, or passed to the appropriate person, and resolved. All communication, changes, and attached files are added to a single ticket, so everything is processed systematically and kept in one place. More details about ticketing are available here.
The author became accustomed to the ticketing system integrated into GroupOffice. Another recognized option is RT by Best Practical.
Telephone support¶
Telephone support varies. Some people are content simply to have a phone and think no further about it; others prefer rules, order, and a system.
Telephone support should generally have some kind of system, primarily to separate work from private life and to ensure that customers know where, with whom, and when to communicate. Keeping these two worlds separate is useful in precisely such cases. VoIP technology can help with that separation; it is not widely known, but is incredibly useful and flexible.
The ideal structure of telephone lines in a model medium-sized company should look as follows:
HOTLINE/Order line¶
- A suitable special-rate number with the 800 prefix that prospective customers can always call.
- The line is free for the caller, which is convenient when accepting new orders.
Help/operator line¶
- A charged special-rate line beginning with the 844 prefix is not particularly useful. It usually just annoys the customer. A company should choose a charged line if telephone support costs more than using other options.
A fixed VoIP telephone number for each employee¶
Every employee should have a telephone number corresponding to their role in the company, ideally in a sensible and memorable sequence:
| Role | Example number |
|---|---|
| Secretary | 582 360 005 |
| Warehouse worker | 582 360 004 |
| Billing clerk | 582 360 003 |
| Sales manager | 582 360 002 |
| CEO | 582 360 001 |
Plus a range for additional new employees, up to perhaps 9-999 people, depending on the company's growth.
Many very useful features can be configured with VoIP. For example:
- Forwarding to an operator when the employee is unavailable or in the field
- Recording calls when information needs to be archived
- Automatically forwarding the line after working hours to an automated voice system triggered by a script from 16:30 to 08:30
Mobile phones¶
Not everyone works in an office, and many employees spend time in the field. Mobile phones are intended for them. It is useful to obtain a continuous number range from the operator, similar to the VoIP arrangement, and reserve several numbers for future employees:
| Role | Example mobile number |
|---|---|
| Secretary | 730 330 005 |
| Warehouse worker | 730 330 004 |
| Billing clerk | 730 330 003 |
| Sales manager | 730 330 002 |
| CEO | 730 330 001 |
This raises the question of how to separate private and work calls. One option is a Dual SIM phone on which the work SIM is disabled after working hours, leaving only the private SIM active.
If a Dual SIM phone is not an option and carrying two phones is undesirable, callback is another possibility.
Callback works by connecting from a GSM phone to the PBX, which then dials the preferred customer from the user's fixed VoIP number. The user subsequently speaks to the customer through the mobile phone as though calling from a landline. This makes it possible to keep a personal phone and use it for work calls.
Web chat¶
Web chat is one of several services that can supplement customer support. It is suitable, for example, for international companies serving customers from different countries and therefore in different time zones. It is also easier for people in other countries to overcome the language barrier with Google Translate in a web chat than to call a helpline and struggle to make themselves understood.
The author tried Zopim, but it did not prove effective for him as a support medium. He considers ticketing combined with an FAQ a better option.