Response Time: Vol. 32
You satisfy your customers, but can you satisfy our curiosity?
With Laura Bedoya, Technical Support Manager at Vitally.
Please tell us a little bit about your company and what you do there.
Vitally is a customer success platform (CSP) that combines real-time customer data with dedicated workspaces and automation to maximize productivity for customer success teams and beyond. I’m the Technical Support Manager, and I lead our global Support team and manage our external documentation.
What word or phrase in customer service jargon should be retired?
“Hi {customer name}, I see that you’re reaching out about {reiterates what the customer just said}.”
Which celebrity would be really great at your job, and why?
Not sure! But anyone who has had to manage exceptional customer service.
What’s the most valuable thing that working in customer service has taught you?
Patience, empathy, and to always assume that we’re all doing our best.
Describe the essence of great customer service using only three words.
To the point.
What can you do that a bot will never be able to replicate?
The human experience is irreplaceable. The empathy humans can provide to each other is not something that can be truly replicated.
What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever said/done to a customer?
When I was working at the Apple genius bar, we would have to troubleshoot issues on iPhones and Macs, and there were a few times that private things would be pulled up. It was less embarrassing for myself and more for the customer, but it was something that happened so often and the awkwardness was really bad.
“You can create an entire career in support, you just need to know what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about”
Do you identify more with the title “customer support,” “customer service,” “customer success,” or “customer experience,” and why?
“Customer support.” We are supporting the customer, their experience is the action of that support, and their success is the end result.
What’s the one piece of advice you would give to your peers in the customer service industry?
There are MANY doors and you can create an entire career in support, you just need to know what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about. Support has been around for more years than most roles, it’s an industry that can easily be reinvented and you can try new and improved things – don’t be afraid to do things differently. Just because it isn’t broken doesn’t mean it can’t be better.
What’s the worst customer service you’ve ever experienced?
I was renting a car while my lease was in with the mechanic for some air conditioning issues. I was told (and I confirmed about four times because it seemed off) how much I would pay at the end of my rental. When it came time to return it, the bill was hundreds of dollars – way more than I was told. Six hours of talking with multiple managers and explaining that I wouldn’t have agreed to that price and they needed to keep their word; six hours of repeating the same story, and they had proof of their mistake. By far one of the most stressful and awful experiences.
What’s your greatest productivity hack?
Knowing how to prioritize your tasks and setting goals (as well as milestones for big projects) so you’re able to accomplish what you need, when you need to.
What book are you reading at the moment?
CXOXO: Building a Support Team Your Customers Will Love by Mercer Smith.
If customer service was an Olympic sport, what would be the main event?
Person who is able to not just provide a solution to a problem, but proactively think about long-term solutions.
What’s the best thing a customer has ever said to you?
“I wouldn’t be able to do my job without you.”
What gif best describes your mental state right now?
Where do you get your support leadership news?
Mixture of LinkedIn and Google searches!
What do you wish people knew about working in customer service?
You need to actually care. For some businesses and customers, the product you’re supporting is a very big deal for them.
If you wrote a book about your experiences in customer service, what would the title be?
“Stop taking everything so personally.”
What’s the strangest thing a customer has asked you?
They couldn’t understand why their take-home pay was not higher than what the total payment was. It was such simple, basic math that I didn’t know how to actually respond.
What’s your most used emoji in customer chats?
Smiley with sunglasses 😎
Conversation closed… for now 😏
If you’re interested in being featured in our Response Time series, you can share your insights on customer service – and what jargon should be retired – with us here.
