Customer Support Leaders Charlotte Ward

Mastering Incident Management - Part 1 of 6; with Kat Gaines
Unlock the secrets to seamless service as we navigate the critical world of incident management with the expertise of Kat Gaines from PagerDuty. Prepare to be armed with a deeper understanding of the complexities that define an incident, and why this knowledge is a game-changer for teams committed to providing uninterrupted excellence. Kat's seasoned perspective will guide you through the layers of incident severity and the essential preparedness for the unexpected. This episode isn't just a conversation; it's a toolkit for anyone in the support and development trenches, laying the foundational strategies for robust incident response.
 
Embark on a journey through the collaborative core of incident management, where the role of support engineers is reimagined as a pathway to career growth and the position of an incident commander becomes the linchpin of crisis resolution. With a focus on the symbiosis between structured protocols and the agility to adapt, we dissect how cross-functional cooperation and continuous process refinement are the cornerstones of an organization's resilience. From prioritizing responses to managing bugs, this dialogue with Kat is more than just an exploration—it's an invitation to evolve your practices and prioritize your customers in the face of adversity. Join us for an eye-opening series that promises to redefine your approach to incident management and elevate your team's capabilities.


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Connecting Actions to Customer Outcomes; with Sarah Caminiti
Unlock the secrets of truly impactful leadership and customer support with our special guest, Sarah Caminiti, a seasoned expert in the field. Together, we dissect the profound implications of aligning our deeds with our pledges, both in steering teams and nurturing customer relationships. Discover how the subtleties of what isn't done can be as telling as the actions we take, casting long shadows on how customers and colleagues perceive their value within an organization. 
 
 Venture into the realm of strategic communication, where Sarah and I examine the delicate art of sharing key information without inundating our teams. Our conversation reveals how a well-honed communication strategy within a company serves as the cornerstone for trust, transparency, and loyalty—qualities that not only elevate employee morale but also resonate deeply with customers, cementing a brand's promise and integrity. Join us for an enlightening journey through the dynamics of words, actions, and the silent echoes that shape the heart of a business.
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Empathy isn't just a buzzword—it's the cornerstone of exceptional customer support. Discover the transformative power of understanding and walking a mile in your customer's shoes with Matt Dale, a consummate expert in the field. We peel back the layers of customer interactions and examine how empathy can be more than a trait; it's a skill that, with the right training and mindset, can be honed to perfection. Whether you're born with a natural inclination to empathize or find it more challenging, this episode promises actionable insights to elevate your support game to new empathetic heights.

Matt not only sheds light on the parallels between physical and emotional skills, but also provides a practical framework for integrating empathy into your team's DNA from day one. Drawing from his rich experience with educators, he illustrates how context and understanding are instrumental in transforming potentially frustrating support scenarios into opportunities for connection and resolution. As you tune in, prepare to be armed with the strategies that can turn any support team into an empathetic powerhouse, making every customer interaction not just a transaction but a genuine human connection.
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Enhancing Everyone's Experience with Exceptional Supportability; with Alexis Grant
Unlock the secrets to crafting a B2B SaaS experience that customers love and support teams can rally behind. That's what we're bringing to the table with Alexis Grant. 
Alexis is a seasoned expert in B2B SaaS support, primarily as a support engineer for developer tools and tech products such as New Relic, HashiCorp, and Zapier, and is currently at Semgrep. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her cat and claims to only truly love two pieces of software: cURL and jq.
Together, we go diving headfirst into the concept of “supportability”. We chart the course for designing products that are not just powerful but also a breeze to support. Alexis imparts wisdom on how meticulously engineered reliability, predictability, scalability, and usability form the bedrock of products that practically support themselves. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone keen on elevating their SaaS customer experience to new heights.
 
 Steering the conversation towards the empowerment of support teams, we dissect how vital knowledge sharing and the right tech stack can be in bolstering a team's capabilities. The introduction of a supportability checklist and the role of a 'support champion' come to light, detailing how they prepare new releases to face the frontline, fully equipped. We also stress the magic that happens when teams across the board—from support to product development—align their efforts. By embedding supportability into the DNA of every product cycle, we share how organizations can ensure operational success and deliver an unmatched customer experience. Tune in and transform your tech support experience!
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Building a Truly Customer Centric Culture; with Michael Hinshaw 
Embark on a transformative journey with Michael Hinshaw of McorpCX, a beacon in customer and employee experience, as we unlock the secrets to fostering a customer-centric culture in support scenarios. Michael bestows his expertise on the intricacies of nurturing an environment where support staff thrives and customer interactions flourish. We dissect the sobering reality of how internal practices can inadvertently lead to employee burnout and compromised service, emphasizing the necessity for a supportive ecosystem that empowers workers to embody their company's values and ethos with every customer exchange.
 
Drawing on the profound insights of Brené Brown, our episode delves into the pivotal role of empathy and empowerment in customer support. Discover how cognitive empathy becomes a lifeline for maintaining sincere connections amidst a myriad of communication styles, and how the dexterity of support teams in adapting their approach can lead to resolutions that resonate with customers. We also unravel the delicate balance between autonomy and accountability, illustrating how giving support teams the latitude to creatively solve problems within a guiding framework can translate into extraordinary customer experiences and, in turn, bolster business success. Join us for this enlightening episode as we explore these critical dimensions of customer support with Michael Hinshaw, and learn how to elevate service to an art form.
Michael has recently written a book on his “Experience Operating System”. Check it out!
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Revolutionizing Customer Support: All-Hands Support Delivery from across the Organisation; with Sarah Caminiti 
Get ready to revolutionize your perspective on customer support as Sarah Caminiti joins me, Charlotte Ward, to unveil the power of all-hands support. Imagine a workplace where the CEO and the newest developer alike roll up their sleeves to tackle daily customer queries. This is the reality at Sarah's company,  DNSimple, where fostering a deep understanding of customer needs across all team levels has led to a transformative support experience. We delve into the nuances of creating a knowledge-rich environment that empowers both customers and engineers, ensuring the latter aren't swamped by trivial issues. Sarah's approach has not only streamlined support but has also cultivated an atmosphere where engineers embrace customer interaction with confidence and stress-free ease.

In our second chapter, the art of managing a remote support team takes center stage. Striking the perfect balance between responsiveness and team cohesion in a virtual environment is no small feat. I open up about the meticulous orchestration behind our 24-hour response policy, highlighting the vital role of documentation and transparent communication in keeping our remote wheels turning smoothly. Through mentorships and performance reviews, I strive to spotlight process optimization over finger-pointing, fostering a culture where feedback leads to growth. We share our strategies for keeping dialogue channels open, ensuring that our team feels supported in voicing any concerns. Join us for this compelling exploration of cultivating trust and efficiency in the ever-evolving realm of customer support.
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