Applying the 7 P’s of Customer Support

7 Ways To Improving Customer Support with Remote Visual Support Software

Customers have come to expect great customer support from companies. Those who get high marks are rewarded with customer loyalty and a brand that attracts new customers without spending huge marketing dollars. But great customer support is not a given nor easy to achieve in a short amount of time. The responsibility falls on the companies vying for their customer’s attention to provide the tools that nurture their customer support practices and ingrain customer-centric thinking into their culture. Although Viewabo cannot help with changing a company’s culture, we can provide the tools needed for great customer support services. Viewabo has defined 7 key areas of customer support that apply to all companies and used our product offerings to illustrate how remote customer support can enhance both the customer and the customer support agent’s success.

Related Link: Don’t Stop at Customer Support, Think Bigger

Viewabo currently has two tools on the market: Viewabo Live and Viewabo Request. Viewabo Live allows an agent to send an SMS link to access a customer’s phone camera. Once clicked, the agent can see in real-time what the customer sees and can help the customer navigate directly to the source of the problem. Viewabo Request alternatively is the easiest no-app way to allow customers to send video recordings to the agent directly from their phone. Both these tools do not require the customer to log in, download, or submit any additional personal information. 

Remote Visual Support Designed To Help 

Viewabo’s remote visual support software can be a great additional tool to help companies improve their customer support offering. For the customer, these tools help them communicate their situation and show the agent exactly what they are calling about. For the customer service agent, it allows them to get visuals and quickly focus both parties’ attention on the problem and figuring out the solution. 

The 7 Ps Of Customer Support 

While building these applications, we looked at 7 key areas of customer support and designed around them. The Viewabo 7 P’s of Customer Support are: 

1. Product 

Product knowledge and expertise are a given to any customer support agent. Customers turn to a company’s representative for help after trying their best to solve the issue themselves. By the time the customer makes the call, they are already frustrated and probably not in the best mood. In-depth product training is a prerequisite before the call comes in. During the call, agents should be gathering information about what they don’t know: the current situation. 

How does Viewabo support product knowledge and expertise?

Viewabo allows agents to quickly assess the current situation and use this additional information to come up with resolutions for the customer without obsessive questioning.

2. Promptness 

Time is key, as tempers are short. When a customer calls in, they need to go through a series of steps before reaching an agent. Then another series of processes before receiving an efficient resolution. All this takes time that the agent may not be aware of. The faster a company can handle and resolve a customer support call, the better. 

If the company values its customers, they need to value its customer’s time. Companies should anticipate and prepare for support calls to be needed. This means having your customer support information readily available, the agent easily reachable, and finally, resolutions promptly deliverable. 

How does Viewabo support prompt customer support? 

Viewabo focuses on helping the agent provide prompt resolutions. Agents send a link to request access to a phone’s camera or video without apps downloaded or logged in by customers. Viewabo helps the agent get to the information and deliver resolutions faster. 

3. Politeness

Customer support is a service job that requires patience and compassion. Call agents deal with people’s emotions as well as technical problems. To do this well requires a high level of emotional intelligence. Being an empathic listener can be the difference between providing standard or excellent service. Agents should focus on customer-centric thinking and be encouraged to treat people as individuals. 

How does Viewabo aid in respectful customer treatment? 

Viewabo cuts out potential misunderstandings and leverages visual learning. It helps both parties to understand each other better and build rapport since 65% of people are visual learners.

4. Professionalism 

Customers should be treated professionally. They are seeking support because they do not have the knowledge or skills to find the solution themselves. This should be expected, as they are not as informed as the agent. Agents should be present and listen rather than assume. They should ask questions, learn, and solve problems without judgment or prejudice.

How does Viewabo help agents be more professional? 

With Viewabo, the agent has an additional communication tool to be more competent and show off their skills as a professional problem-solver. 

5. Personalization 

Customers appreciate being treated as individuals and their situation as special. Although agents are experts in the product offering and can generalize the cause and effect of most situations, they should expect the unexpected. Assumptions and preconceptions should be balanced with an open mind to listen and understand. Resolutions should always be customized to the customer’s situation and ability to comprehend. The agent should explain how they came up with the solution adequately and what the customer needs to resolve the issue. 

How does Viewabo help agents seem more personal?

Viewabo is a tool that encourages both parties to communicate at the individual level. Customers show exactly what they are dealing with, and the agent can respond appropriately. Viewabo Live allows agents to walk through with a customer their thought process and work with them to find resolutions as a team. 

6. People 

Invest in training customer support agents, offering the right tools, and empowering them to make decisions independently. Working in customer support is the most humanistic of a company’s business practices. Agents need to be empowered and trusted to make judgments and have the freedom to do what they think is required to offer exceptional service. 

How does Viewabo help agents be better agents? 

Viewabo helps agents see what the customer sees. Customers are not just a phone number or a chat box. Viewabo brings the customer support experience closer to a real-life interaction and understands its customers as individuals. 

7. Promote 

Companies should promote good practices and share their experiences. Although most agents work individually, they should have opportunities to share what they have learned and achieved with the team. Review and implement best practices as standard procedures. 

How does Viewabo help agents promote themselves and their work? 

Viewabo allows the session to be saved for record keeping. Agents can refer to previous sessions to learn what happened before. The recordings can better profile customers and identify situations that reoccur often. Best practices can be identified and exceptional work rewarded. 

Design Tools for People, Not Companies 

We designed the 7 P’s of Customer Support to help us think about how we want to shape our products. Companies and individuals are encouraged to regularly reflect on their work and use this framework to help themselves. We have tried to make Viewabo more than just a tool to share videos but to help customer service agents and customers have a better experience. Customer service is vital to a company’s success and focusing on designing purpose-built tools to aid people in communicating better is our top priority. To learn more about Viewabo, click here.