Part 1: Knowing When To Switch Customer Support Software

Even in everyday life, people are bombarded with the concept of “change” and “switch.” Whether it’s driving by a billboard advertising a cool new car or seeing a phone company commercial on TV and wondering if you can get more data for less money, there’s always someone out there trying to paint a picture of a greener pasture. 

Companies want you to switch, but how do you know when it’s a good idea? In the first part of our three-part series on changing support software, we’ll go through a list of questions to ask yourself so you can better understand if you need to make a change with your support software.

• Can managing support interactions be chaotic? Believe it or not, some companies are still relying on spreadsheets to manage different areas of customer support. This is often a clear sign of chaotic support interactions. Other signs include no software integrations (which creates duplicate work), software not matching their industry (B2B vs B2C), and no set standards for responding to customers based on their issue severity.
• Are your different support channels talking to each other? If your support team all too often tells a customer one thing via chat and another via email, it’s time to think about switching. A support software solution should be a home point for all customer interactions with information that’s visible and accessible to support, sales, and product development teams. 
• Are agents frustrated with support workflows? If a support team has high turnover and poor collaboration, it’s a major red flag that your support software is probably making internal communication difficult. Support software should simplify collaboration how team members work together, not make it confusing and frustrating. 
• Is there an uptick in negative agent reviews and comments?  Negative agent reviews and comments can fluctuate, but if they’re feeling like the norm, it may be time to switch your support software. This is especially true if complaints are continually being escalated to the executive level because it’s the only way they can get resolved.
• Can your current support solution grow with your business?  Maybe your support software is just OK. It’s not good or bad, and it does the job for now. But surviving as a business is rarely about remaining at status quo, and companies who think like this are often left behind. Ensure your support software meets the needs of today but can also grow with your business through key integrations, automated technology, and much more. 

If any of these scenarios sounded familiar, it’s probably time to switch your customer support software. Here's Part 2 of our series where we will discuss strategies for evaluating different support software solutions!

About the Author: Katie O’Connell is a Business Development professional at TeamSupport. With previous experience at Yelp and Allied Integrated Marketing, Katie is an experienced business strategist.