Happy to Help | A Customer Support Podcast

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Priscilla and Buzzsprout support specialist Serena return from the Support Driven Expo in Chicago to share their biggest takeaways. From new opportunities for support professionals to the importance of slowing down, we’re exploring what it looks like to grow with our industry while keeping human connection at the heart of our work.

We unpack six takeaways to help you:

• Explore how your customer support role can grow beyond answering tickets
• Find your voice in technical conversations and share your team’s perspective
• Support your teammates through challenges you can’t solve
• Manage urgency so you can make better decisions and avoid burnout
• Create a team culture where it feels safe to share ideas, experiment, and fail
• Find new ways to connect with customers as AI takes on more of the inbox

Plus, we share a few memorable customer service experiences from our trip and talk about why finding your support community can remind you just how valuable your work really is.

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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What if your support team could answer customers’ questions before they ever submitted a ticket?

In this episode, we’re joined by Cara Pacetti, host of Podcasting Q&A and a member of Buzzsprout’s Podcaster Success team, along with Happy to Help producer and longtime podcaster Jordan Blair. Together, we explore how businesses can use podcasting as a proactive customer support strategy for educating customers, answering recurring questions, and building trust at scale.

We look at how Buzzsprout transformed Podcasting Q&A from a marketing initiative into a customer education resource, why support inboxes are full of potential episode ideas, and how a branded podcast can give customers more than step-by-step instructions. It can also teach the strategies behind a product, service, or feature.

We also discuss the unique ability of podcasting to create authentic relationships and brand loyalty. When customers regularly hear the voices of the people behind a company, support begins to feel more personal, familiar, and approachable. Over time, listeners can even become super fans who help educate and encourage other customers.

In this episode, we cover:

• How podcasting creates proactive and scalable customer support
• Turning frequently asked questions into evergreen content
• Using educational content to prevent customer frustration
• Building customer trust and brand loyalty through audio
• Adding support elements to an existing branded podcast
• Giving support professionals creative opportunities beyond the inbox
• Choosing topics, hosts, equipment, and production roles
• Using AI to identify recurring questions and brainstorm episodes
• Starting a podcast without overthinking the technology
• Why even a limited 10-episode series can become a valuable customer resource

Resources mentioned:

• Listen to Podcasting Q&A
• Follow Buzzcast
• Listen to Buzzsprout’s How to Start a Podcast series
• Learn more about Buzzsprout Fan Mail

If this episode inspires your support team to experiment with podcasting, send us Fan Mail and tell us about it! 

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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Metrics shape the way support teams work, but not every metric tells the full story.

In this episode, we’re joined by Meghan Gallagher, Support Operations Consultant and Founder of MG Consulting, to talk about how support teams can measure what actually matters. We discuss why common metrics like CSAT, first response time, and average handle time can be misleading when they’re used on their own, how speed-focused goals can create bad habits, and why support leaders should use data as a starting point for better conversations.

We also dig into better ways to measure support’s impact, including recontact rate, replies to resolve, customer sentiment, retention, product feedback, and team bandwidth. 

Plus, Meghan shares practical advice for telling a clearer story to leadership, motivating your team without burning them out, and revisiting your metrics as your support team grows and changes.

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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We’re talking with Leslie O’Flahavan, owner of E-WRITE and writing expert, about how customer support teams can write better help docs in the AI era!

AI is changing the way customers find answers, but that does not mean we should forget about the humans reading those answers. Leslie explains why great knowledge base content still comes down to plain language, clear structure, and accurate information, whether the reader is a person or an AI tool pulling from your help center.

We discuss:

• How AI uses help articles
• Why outdated or vague documentation can create bigger problems faster
• Ways support teams can improve their knowledge bases

Leslie also shares practical writing tips you can use right away! These tips include how to write clearer article titles, when to use summaries, why “notes” and “read more” links can cause confusion, and how to revise your most-used articles without overwhelming your team.

So, if you write help docs, edit AI-generated support content, or manage a knowledge base, this episode will help you make your writing more useful for customers and more reliable for AI to pull from!

Links mentioned in this episode: 

• Leslie's LinkedIn Profile
• E-WRITE
• Help Scout article/webinar: Why Analytical Reading Is a Must-Have Skill
• LinkedIn Learning

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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Customer support is where every company decision eventually shows up.

In this episode, we’re talking with Andrew “Coach” Rios, a customer experience and support operations leader with more than 25 years of experience building support teams at companies like Cisco, Fitbit, and Cityside Fiber.

We dig into why support teams often feel overlooked, how support leaders can communicate their value to the rest of the company, and why customer insights need to be translated into the language other departments actually understand.

We also talk about how coaching youth sports shaped Coach Rios’s leadership style, why “winning” looks different for every support team, and how leaders can start building influence even before they officially have a seat at the table.

Plus: how to create a support report people actually read, why employee satisfaction may be the most important support metric, and why great support leaders should constantly sell, market, and advocate for their teams.

This episode is for support leaders who want their teams to be heard, respected, and integrated into the bigger picture and for support pros who know their work is about far more than answering tickets!

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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In this episode, Priscilla is joined by Craig Stoss, VP of Solutions at Kodif, to break down what AI actually looks like in a real support workflow and how teams can use it in practical, low-risk ways.

They dig into why AI is more than just chatbots, where it actually saves time (and where it doesn’t), and how tools like summarization, tone refinement, translations, and reporting can make day-to-day support work more efficient without sacrificing quality.

Craig also explains the biggest misconceptions about AI, including why it can’t make human judgments, what it’s genuinely bad at, and why measuring success with traditional CSAT can lead teams in the wrong direction.

Plus, they discuss:

• Common mistakes when implementing AI 
• How to think about a “frustration index” instead of satisfaction scores
• The skills support professionals should start building now

This conversation is for support teams who want to use AI without losing trust with their customers, and for anyone trying to figure out where AI fits into their workflow without overcomplicating things!

Where to find Craig:

• LinkedIn.com/in/cstoss
• Kodif.io

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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Customer support comes with a real mental and emotional load.

In this episode, Priscilla sits down with Melody Wilding, licensed therapist, executive coach, and host of the Psychology at Work podcast, to talk about how support professionals can use psychology to protect their energy, communicate with confidence, and build healthier habits without emotionally detaching from customers.

We dig into why setting boundaries often fails in the moment and why setting clear expectations works better, how to spot boundary erosion, and what the “happy to help” mindset can turn into when it becomes overfunctioning. 

Melody also shares practical tools for handling frustrated customers without taking it personally and using the "broken record" technique when you need to stand your ground.

Plus: how remote work has changed rumination and workplace paranoia, why sensitivity can be a competitive advantage in support, and simple reset rituals you can use between tickets so one difficult interaction doesn’t spill into the next.

This conversation is for support pros who want to stay empathetic and protected, and for leaders who want to build a culture where sustainable support is the standard.

Where to find Melody:

Melody’s website: melodywilding.com

Podcast: Psychology at Work

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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Great customer support starts with mindset.

In this episode, we sit down with returning guest Sarah Caminiti to explore what a healthy customer support mindset actually looks like, why it matters so much, and how leaders can intentionally create environments where support teams can thrive.

We talk about the difference between clearing the queue vs. "building a cathedral", why assuming positive intent is essential for long-term success in support, and how mindset directly impacts everything from customer experience to burnout and team health. Along the way, we dig into creating space to pause, fostering curiosity, celebrating small wins, and helping support professionals take ownership of their work and their careers.

This conversation is for support leaders who want stronger, healthier teams, and for frontline support pros who need a reminder that the work they do is highly skilled, deeply valuable, and worth taking pride in!

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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The best support specialists can sometimes come from the most unexpected places!

We're getting into what really makes a great support team and exploring the unique, non-traditional paths that led each member of the Buzzsprout podcaster success team to provide remarkable customer support.

You’ll hear from everyone on the Buzzsprout podcaster success team as we share the skills we developed long before we ever worked in support—skills like representation, empathy, relationship-building, communication, adaptability, and staying calm in high-pressure moments.

This episode is for anyone hiring support specialists, building a support team, or looking to transition into customer support, and wondering how their past experience fits. We talk about what to look for beyond a resume, why loving to help people matters more than years of experience, and how diverse backgrounds can create a better support team.

We’d also love to hear from you! If you’ve picked up an unexpected skill from a past job that now helps you in customer support, or if your path into support wasn’t a straight line, text us and tell us your story!

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!

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Sarah Betts, the Director of Support and Operations at Vizit, joins us to talk about one of the most joyful parts of customer experience: intentional gift giving. We dig into why humans naturally connect through gifts, how the smallest gesture can make someone feel seen, and what it looks like to build a gifting strategy that is personal, thoughtful, and realistic for your team.

Sarah shares wonderful stories from her time in the corporate gifting world, including an unforgettable moment involving an Avengers superfan CEO and a beautifully targeted gift that immediately won his attention. She walks us through what makes a gift feel genuine instead of gimmicky, when branded items can strengthen a relationship, and why timing matters just as much as the gift itself. We explore simple ways to create delightful moments even when your budget is small, from handwritten notes to quick video messages that let your sincerity shine through.

Learn how to measure the impact of gifting, what mistakes to avoid, and which tools can help you scale your efforts once you have the basics in place. 

Sarah mentions some of her favorite gifting platforms, like Loop and Tie, Brilliant, Tremendous, and Sendoso. And of course, we look at Chewy, which continues to show the entire industry what beautifully executed customer delight can look like.

Where to find Sarah:

• Sarah on LinkedIn
• Support Driven community
• ElevateCX community

Later in the episode, Jordan and I take a moment to reflect on our second full year of Happy to Help. We look back on the incredible guests who joined us in 2025 and the big themes we explored together. It has been such a meaningful year of conversations, learning, and celebrating the craft of customer support. If you have ideas for topics or guests you want us to feature next season, tap the Text the Show link in the show notes and send them our way. We would love to hear from you.

We want to hear from you! Share your support stories and questions with us at [email protected]!
 
To learn more about Buzzsprout visit Buzzsprout.com. 

Thanks for listening!