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In this episode of Happy to Help, we dive into the essentials of building a thriving customer support team that’s both happy and productive! We sit down with special guest Suneet Bhatt, a leadership expert dedicated to helping people and organizations reach their full potential. 

Suneet shares actionable insights from his “Happy, Proud, Not Yet Satisfied” workshop, offering powerful strategies for preventing burnout, encouraging personal growth, and empowering customer support teams to be their best. Learn why fostering empathy, promoting healthy work-life boundaries, and supporting personal well-being are crucial to long-term success for any support specialist. 

Whether you’re a manager seeking ways to uplift your team or a customer support professional looking to create sustainable work habits, this episode will provide you with practical tips to build resilience, boost morale, and ensure your team feels truly supported.

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.

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In this episode of Happy to Help, we dive into the transformative power of whole company support and its impact on product development and team processes!

Special guest Kristi Ernst Thompson, Senior Technical Support Specialist at Help Scout, joins us to share how involving every department in customer support—from developers to leadership—fosters innovation, strengthens cross-team collaboration, and enhances customer satisfaction. 

Whether you’re part of a small startup or a large organization, this episode offers insights to help you connect with your customers and build better products!

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.

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In this episode, special guest Megan Nelson joins us to dive into customer support during a crisis! Whether it’s a sudden server outage or an unexpected system issue, handling customer needs under pressure is a challenge every support team faces. Join us as we share real-life lessons from Buzzsprout’s 2021 DDoS attack, where our team went into overdrive to keep customers informed and reassured. 

We’ll cover essential strategies for crisis management, including how to communicate effectively with customers, coordinate with internal teams, and stay resilient as a support team.

Tune in to learn how a solid crisis plan can transform a potentially negative situation into an opportunity for building trust and customer loyalty!

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.

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As the holiday season approaches, we are sharing practical tips on how to ensure customers receive timely assistance while giving your support team the chance to rest and celebrate!

From flexible scheduling to balancing half-day shifts and planning early, we discuss Buzzsprout’s approach to managing customer support over the holidays and how you can apply similar strategies to your team. 

We hope these insights help you navigate holiday coverage without sacrificing your team’s well-being or customer satisfaction!

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.

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This week we are recapping our time at the ElevateCX Conference in Denver! Kate Chupp joins us to discuss some of our main takeaways from our time at ElevateCX!

In this episode, we'll discuss specific talks from the event, why ElevateCX doesn't feel like your typical work conference, and how our time in Denver inspired us to continue providing remarkable support experiences for our customers. Plus, you'll hear directly from support professionals as they share their advice, software recommendations, and insights into the future of Customer Support!

If you're able to make it to ElevateCX in London, we highly recommend it. 

Tools featured in this episode:

• Slack 
• Forethought
• Notion
• Airtable
• Alfred
• Habitica

Special thanks to everyone who interviewed with us at ElevateCX!

• Ashley Hayslett
• Cheryl Spriggs
• Deon Nicholas
• Kate Wilson
• Kristi Ernst Thompson
• Lance Conzett
• Mercer Smith
• Sarah Caminiti
• Sarah Hatter

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.

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We're doing a deep dive into the essential skills of writing remarkable customer support emails! Kate Chupp from the Buzzsprout Podcaster Success team joins us to discuss the balance between technical and creative writing, how empathy can be effectively conveyed through written communication, and offer practical, actionable strategies for sharpening your writing skills. 

If you haven't already listened to them, we recommend going back and listening to our episodes about aligning support goals and tone with your company values:

• Establishing Communication Goals for Your Support Team
• The Right Tone for Remarkable Support

Whether you’re new to customer support or a seasoned pro, this episode will provide valuable insights to help you enhance your email clarity, build stronger customer relationships, and improve your overall customer experience!

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.

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We are diving deep into the tricky topic of customer feedback with special guest, Chase Clemons! Chase is the Head of Customer Support at 37signals and has over 15 years of experience in customer support!  

In this episode, Chase shares tips on effectively understanding and translating customer feedback and feature requests. You'll discover how 37signals approaches customer-driven product development, the best ways to identify the real needs behind feature requests, and the importance of open, honest communication with customers—even when the answer is “no.” 

Chase also offers insights into the importance of balancing customer desires with company vision, and the role of support teams in relaying valuable feedback to product teams.

Whether you’re leading a small support team or working at the front lines, this episode is packed with actionable advice on improving customer interactions, turning feedback into actionable insights, and building a stronger relationship with your customers!

Check out 37signals' products: Basecamp, HEY, and ONCE!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
• Jobs To Be Done with Bob Moesta
• Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters

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.

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We’re thrilled to have Sarah Hatter, the brilliant mind behind ElevateCX, on today's episode to discuss the importance of community in customer support and give us a sneak peek into ElevateCX's upcoming events!

We discuss all things community, from the importance of finding your people to ways to get connected virtually! Sarah shares why she decided to start ElevateCX over a decade ago, and how it has evolved over the years. Plus, she gives us a glimpse into the upcoming Denver and London ElevateCX events.

As a support professional, finding a community, especially when working remotely, is vital to a healthy work life. This episode will give you a jump-start on finding the community that is right for you!

To learn more about Sarah, find her on LinkedIn and at ElevateCX.co!

Join the ElevateCX Slack Channel to get connected right now! Then get your tickets for the ElevateCX Denver and London events!

Books Mentioned:

• The Customer Support Handbook

• 11 Kinds of Loneliness

• CXOXO: Building a Support Team Your Customers Will Love

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.

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Balancing inbox coverage with important outbox tasks can be challenging, but it's the key to improving your customer experience!

In this episode, we give tips for the best ways to schedule support coverage while allowing margin for other projects and development. We highlight the significance of allowing for deep work, taking intentional breaks from the inbox, and setting clear expectations to foster a productive, yet flexible, support environment. These dynamic approaches will create a more efficient and enjoyable support experience for both your team and your customers!

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.

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Brian Johnson joins Happy to Help for the second time! In this episode, we discuss training new hires! Brian and Priscilla dive into prioritizing new hire training, a recent training project, and tips for developing your own training program!

They touch on training in small teams, the importance of flexibility and adaptability in training, hands-on inbox training, personalized self-study topics, and fostering an environment where questions are celebrated! 

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!