How Not To Give Appalling User Support

More and more developers are using WordPress to build and sell online products (web apps, SaaS, etc.), and providing excellent user support is a skill certainly not to be taken for granted. This presentation features 10 tips and 5 tools I use to provide good user support. [Lightning talk, full presentation available]

Transcript

1. How not to give
   appalling user support
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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2. 10 Tips for Good User Support
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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3. Master your product
   Tip 1
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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4. Instructions need to be complete.
   Use screenshots, numbered lists and
   external links if that helps
   Tip 2
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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5. Speak the jargon your user
   is ready to understand
   Tip 3
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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6. Get in touch with the user
   after they signed up
   Tip 4
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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7. Help your users, but don’t
   forget the goal of your product
   Tip 5
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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8. Call to action
   Tip 6
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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9. Forget these words & phrases
   actually you should have
   if you had read the documentation
   the truth is
   trust me
   unfortunately
   Tip 7
   @franzvitulli
   #wcldn
   

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10. Don’t be afraid to propose
    something a bit hacky
    Tip 8
    @franzvitulli
    #wcldn
    

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11. Actively involve your team
    with user support
    Tip 9
    @franzvitulli
    #wcldn
    

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12. Build a good FAQ or
    documentation page and
    keep it up-to-date
    Tip 10
    @franzvitulli
    #wcldn
    

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13. Tools we use to provide
    user support
    @franzvitulli
    #wcldn
    

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14. @franzvitulli
    Customer communication, made easy
    #wcldn
    

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15. @franzvitulli
    Live Chat on Websites
    #wcldn
    

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16. @franzvitulli
    Knowledge base software
    #wcldn
    

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17. @franzvitulli
    Online scheduler for Google Calendar
    #wcldn
    

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18. @franzvitulli
    Measure & improve user experience
    #wcldn
    

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19. Thank you. @franzvitulli
    

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