Being Human Rules for Customer Success

Art by: Iryna Korshak for Netguru

Shut up and listen - it might just be the kindest thing you can do. When it comes to helping other people, especially in business, let them talk. 

Everybody has a point. From their perspective the world looks a certain way. Try to consider that, get to know them as people, and offer to help them figure it out as a fellow human being.

This applies to CS, sales, dating - you name it. Listening to people and doing what you can to make them feel heard is a skill (search it here on DeepStash!), which means we can all get better at it with a little effort. 

Art by: Roberlan Borges Paresqui

Surprise a customer with something delightful and the effect is magical. It takes very little to do this, but it has very big returns. 

Here are a few examples of my personal experience with customer delight:

• Fast response & product replacement (Pax)   
• Going the extra mile to help (TurboTax) 
• Personalization (Netflix)

Each of these customer experiences gave me unexpected, delightful moments. Even when I didn't get the outcome I wanted, these companies earned my loyalty with great experiences that made me want to stay and buy more.

Art by: Ryan Vatzlavick

"Let me ask my manager and get back to you..." This sucks.

Leaders of CS teams must empower CSMs with a range of things they are authorized to offer unhappy customers.

Some examples include:

• Access to exclusive content, swag or benefits
• Offering a free month or two (subscription products)
• Providing discounts on upgrades
• Replacing products or offering free services
• Invites to customer training sessions

These are just a few things that can work if offered in a first or second touch. The more you have to offer the faster you will build trust with the customer. 

Art by: Sergey Deykin

Lists of customer success tips can provide some great insights. But use them as your starting point.

Every business has different needs, depending on what you sell, how you sell it and to whom. Being responsive and flexible while caring about their success should be a goal for every CS team.

• Write a list of your own values and best practices.
• Keep track of what works and what doesn't.
• Be willing to change things that don't work.

One of the ideas from Being Human Rules says, "broken systems cannot success." Always look for ways to deliver the best of what you have to offer.