1.
deadly sins of
customer support7

2.
Despite replying on time…
Despite being grammatically correct…
Despite being nice and polite…
Are your customers unhappy?
It’s probably because you are
committing one of the 7 deadly sins.
Hint: They are deadly because they aren’t obvious

3.
#1 Grovelling when you’ve
made a mistake

4.
You made a mistake and your
customer is unhappy.
Accept your mistake
Apologize gracefully
Apologize once
DOs DON’Ts
Grovel
Bombard customer with
apology emails
Overwhelm the customer

5.
#2 Making the customer
switch channels

6.
If the customer likes talking over the phone,
she would have called you over the phone.
Do not switch channels unless:
1. The customer asks for it (Duh.)
2. It’s a high priority issue that cannot be
solved with one email.
Even then, ask the customer before calling.

7.
#3 Pointing out
customers’ mistakes

8.
A customer made a mistake.
Woohoo!
Don’t prove that you’re right at the cost of
hurting the customer.
Remember, the customer is always right.
Pick your battles. Learn to let some mistakes go.
Nearly everyone will ease up when
you shoulder some of the blame, even
if it’s not your fault.
Lo Marino, Boomerang

9.
#4 Not providing a reason for
why you’re resolving the ticket

10.
Your customer is not omniscient.
Always, always, always provide a reason for
your every move.
Reassigned a ticket? Explain why.
Changed ticket priority? Explain why.
Resolved a ticket? Explain why.

11.
#5 Using “but…” or “however…”
immediately after “Thanks” or “Sorry”

12.
Stop using these words
in your support emails
Sorry, however…
Thanks, but…
Actually,…
It almost doesn’t matter how good the news
is, if it comes after “actually,”.
Carolyn Kopprasch, Buffer

13.
#6 Resorting to a template every
single time

14.
The template is your map,
not your bible.
The template makes for an acceptable first
response. But lose it in the next one.
Dishing up the same boilerplate every time,
however polite and amiable, just makes you
seem robotic.

15.
#7 Rolling out the sales pitch

16.
When you up sell without
solving the customer’s problem…
The higher plan is the
right fit for the customer.
What you think What they think
The company doesn’t
care about my problem.
The extra functionalities
will make the customer
love the product.
The company only cares
about my money.

17.
“Behind every slideshare is a
great blogpost”
Read more about the 7 deadly sins over at
the Freshdesk blog:
http://blog.freshdesk.com/seven-sins-of-
customer-support/