Lessons learned from a year of customer support

Thoughts from a WordPress.com Happiness Engineer

Transcript

1. Lessons learned
   from a year of customer support
   Kristen Symonds

   @kristarella

   kristarella.com
   

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2. Happiness Engineer @ Automattic
   • WordPress.com
   • Mobile App
   • Jetpack
   • Akismet
   • WordPress.org

   • How-to
   • Payments
   • Account
   Recovery

   • Tickets (emails)
   • Live Chat
   • Helpshift
   

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3. Never Assume
   • Knowledge
   • Terminology
   • Computer skills
   

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4. Domains are hard!
   • Registrar ≠ Host
   • DNS
   • 60 days no transfer
   • Redemption
   

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5. Be flexible & teach
   • Start mid-level
   • Clarify terms
   • Use correct terms
   • Screenshots/casts
   • Lists
   

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6. Automate repetitive tasks
   • Done it 3x? Make it faster!
   • Tools
   • TextExpander, Dash
   • Alfred
   • CloudUp
   • Tasks
   • Explanations
   • Searches
   • Screenshots
   

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7. Kill with kindness
   • My mantra
   • Never reply while angry
   • Proof read
   • Reassure
   • A word about insults
   • “In your face!”
   

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8. Support & development
   • Product suggestions
   • Debugging
   • Implications of change
   

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9. Image Credits
   • Sima Dimitric
   • Spider.Dog
   • Brick 101
   • Anna
   • Juehua Lin
   • clappstar
   • d.aniela
   with permission & Creative Commons
   

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