There is no substitute for working with customers; dealing with different situations, personalities and support mediums. I had my first break in customer service when thrown into the deep end in my first job and I learned so many important lessons from that first couple of months! That was a time before the content marketing boom though. Now there are oodles of resources to help you out and reduce the trial and error that is inherent in any new job. Below are a collection of the best places to hangout and learn about customer service.
One of the most commonly used enterprise helpdesk apps out there. Zendesk is preferred by some of the biggest online businesses, so you can be sure they know what they are talking about when it comes to support.
They have a range of resources in a bunch of different formats; webinars, blog posts, videos, infographics… you name it. Because of their position in the industry they do cover some very high level topics but there are also insights for front line support teams.
Looking to start from the beginning and make sure that you’ve got the the basics down? Then look no further than Lynda which has a bunch of videos that can help get you started.
I didn’t get into Twitter at the ground floor and I resisted it’s charms for quite a while because I didn’t see the value in it as a resource. But if you can get over that initial hump then Twitter is an invaluable source of information where all of the customer service big guns drop their knowledge daily.
It’s also worth remembering that Twitter is an important customer support channel for a lot of companies and you’ll often be asked to give your Twitter handle when applying for jobs.
Another helpdesk app in a similar vein to Zendesk. Their blog has a similar feel, covering customer service from a high level to the frontlines. There is also a worthwhile resources section on their website with a lot of useful information.
And yet another helpdesk app! However, instead of being aimed at large and enterprise businesses Groove is for the little guys. This is small business support software, which means that their blog is a bit more gritty and down to earth. Very useful insights for small customer support teams and businesses that are providing support on the fly.
This is where it’s at! Started and run by some of the startup scene’s brightest support talents from companies like Buffer, Basecamp and Wistia. There are weekly podcasts and blog posts that talk about in depth strategies but also some amazing tips on how to break into customer service from the people that are doing the hiring.
OK, so you’ve read watched and listened to enough blog posts, podcasts and videos to take down a charging elephant! After taking all of that in you’ve now got a bunch of questions that you’d like to ask someone that’s in the know. Well, this is the place to do it, this super active support channel is chock full of the nicest, most helpful people on the earth. So don’t worry and get involved!
Lincoln is a consultant and thought leader on Sales, Marketing, Customer Support and Customer Success. His content is mostly aimed at business owners and support team leaders but it’s about as insightful as it gets and if you want to be a customer service rockstar some day this is where you can find out what that means.