What Makes Software Support Great!

Written By Pam Rasmussen,
Technical Support at Rockton Software

You've likely had to reach out for support of an application or system at some time in your career, maybe more times than you would like to admit.  If you are like most people, you start by asking co-workers, friends, or even search the Internet for answers. Eventually, you realize you need to go one step further, so you send an email or make the phone call to support and wait. What happens next will be a “sweet” or “bitter” experience—preferably sweet, especially when working with Rockton Software (www.rocktonsoftware.com).

I would like to talk about some attributes that will make for great support, consistently. A support team that consistently provides a “sweet” experience typically includes people with excellent verbal and written communication skills. They are also detail oriented and able to work with Users at all levels. There’s more to it than that though.

A support person has to have the ability to develop a professional relationship with the customer and earn their trust. Someone can tell you whatever they think you want to hear, but if you don’t trust them, then you are not going to be fully engaged in what they are saying and they might as well be telling you blah, blah, blah because that is what you’ll be hearing. Trust comes in many forms, be it giving the customer the correct information, being knowledgeable about an application, or treating them with respect.

A support person has to genuinely care about the customer’s issue and be able to feel any frustrations they are having. In other words, they must be compassionate and able to empathize with the customer. If you have ever reached a person on the other end that makes you feel like they wished you would just go away, you know how important having these qualities are.

They must be able to stand out from other support people in some way. We all experience service people (cashiers, tellers, clerks, etc.) in our everyday lives, but we always remember that one clerk or that teller that remembers we have three kids. They’re the one that asks you how little Johnny is feeling after a case of the flu, or how little Susie likes first grade. It’s a warm and fuzzy feeling and we all like it.

Another important attribute that comes to mind, and it is probably the most important one, is honesty, which Rockton prides itself on. Nothing makes a person distrust someone faster than hearing non-truth from them. In the support world, it is crucial to tell the truth. For example, if a support person doesn't know the answer to a customer’s question, it’s alright to say, “I don’t know” followed up with, “but I’ll find out the answer and get back to you.” You cannot possibly know everything about each product or feature. People want to hear the truth, even if it doesn't answer their question immediately. It makes them feel like someone cares about their question and is going to take the time to find out the answer for them. It gives them instant gratification without getting an answer—pretty impressive.

Lastly, not only does a support person need to be a problem-solver, have compassion, build trusting relationships with their customers and so on, they need to have a positive and non-intrusive attitude and personality, respectively. They need intuition and sensitivity to communicate with so many different levels of customers. From one moment to another, they could be talking to a CEO, Accountant, or Warehouse worker. It varies greatly and to have a balanced personality and good attitude, will only bring success to those relationships while dealing with a software support case.

If you think back, there is likely at least one person that has made a “sweet” impact on your life in a support/customer type role.  Think about why or how they did that. Then, take from that to become a better support person.

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