Happy to Help: How We Design for Customer Support

These assist moments are vital. A nasty assist second makes a irritating expertise even worse, whereas getting the assistance second proper can construct lasting belief between an organization and a human. You gained’t be stunned that we’re all the time striving for the latter 🙂  

Oh and permit us to introduce ourselves! We’re a design and analysis duo from the CSAT crew (it stands for “Customer Support Systems And Technology”). We work on the assist expertise at Spotify — particularly the sources that assist customers assist themselves. Beyond conventional product and model design, we have a complete bunch of companies at Spotify that want design magic. And it’s our job to make sure that our service really serves the wants of the individuals!

So how do we attempt to get the assistance moments proper? In plenty of little methods, after all, however furthermore by beginning to observe some foundational rules that we really feel are notably suited to designing for our Support expertise. We got here up with these rules over the previous few months by 1) speaking with customers to grasp their wants, and a couple of) adopting acquainted design patterns that we’ve seen work effectively at Spotify. 

Below, we clarify every precept and illustrate the way it applies to an expertise on our Support website. There’s additionally a helpful guidelines that exhibits how we consider whether or not we’re delivering on the precept. You’ll discover that not each illustration ticks each field on its corresponding guidelines, however that’s okay! They’re meant to be a reminder of our objectives, and each guidelines merchandise could not apply in all conditions.

Note that these rules are newly established, so in time they’ll form how we take into consideration the Support website. That means the illustrations you see beneath don’t replicate what’s on the Support website now. Rather they’re a peek into our private crystal ball and a glimpse of what’s to come back.

Ok, sufficient precept preambling — listed here are the rules themselves!

Principle 1: Transparent

Offer customers seen and direct entry to assist, with clear communication in each human and automatic channels. 

What customers say:

“Tell me why the issue was caused in the first place. And just tell me what you did when you went away for ages. Not just ‘I have sorted it.’” 

Checklist for clear:

• We’ve knowledgeable the person of what’s occurring and why. 

• We’ve supplied proof and communicated progress. 

• We’ve supplied entry to assist in a manner that’s seen and direct. 

Principle 2: Empathetic

Listen to our customers, belief what they are saying, and make them really feel valued in a well mannered and customized manner. 

What customers say:

“The worst is when it’s a different support advisor every time I have to go through everything AGAIN. I already spoke to 3 different people. Surely, I mean surely, they have notes from my case?!”

Checklist for empathetic:

• We haven’t wasted the person’s time, and all steps within the expertise add worth. 

• We’ve used what we all know in regards to the person to simplify their expertise.

• We’ve listened to the person and responded in an clever and related manner.

Principle 3: Flexible

Give the person the ability to strategy their assist scenario based mostly on their preferences within the second, that are depending on the problem and surroundings. 

What customers say:

“I wouldn’t call tech support or customer service while I’m on the go, like while I’m on the subway train… In that case I would use an app or chat instead. But I’m not sure I would actually solve a problem like this when I’m on the go, unless it’s extremely urgent.” 

Checklist for versatile

• We’ve tailored to the person’s assist scenario and supplied choices to entry assist (search, browse, or contact).

• We’ve empowered customers to self-help for points the place self-help is feasible.

• We’ve supplied direct contact choices for points the place suggested assist is required.

So these are the rules! Beyond referring to them through the design course of, we use them as a typical language, so everybody on our crew can take part in conversations about our customers’ wants. The rules are a lens all of us look by means of to see what our customers see, enabling us to agree on what we need to obtain.

In many circumstances, what customers need is for us to right away repair, make clear, or redesign the factor that introduced them to our Support website within the first case. We can’t all the time do this, however our rules allow us to react in a manner that’s, effectively, principled. We can acknowledge our customers’ emotions. We can present not only one path, however an expertise that adapts. And we will behave at each flip in a way that’s respectful, caring, and human.