10: Future of Support with Jenny Dempsey

Charlotte Ward 0:14
Hello, welcome to the Customer Support Leaders podcast, Episode 10. I’m Charlotte Ward. The theme for this week is the Future of Support. So stay tuned for five leaders talking about that very topic. Today, I’d like to welcome back Jenny Dempsey. Jenny, I ‘d love to know what your thoughts are on what this year holds for support as an industry, and beyond, really?

Jenny Dempsey 0:44
Well, I think one of the main things that we’re going to see this year is more aligned with how the employee experience affects the customer experience. And when we look at challenges that our team is facing, or we look at interactions that maybe didn’t go right, that we start from within, and we look at the company first, before we just point fingers and give negative QA scores, we really seek to understand what what that agent is, what what’s their experience? What’s that like? And of course, that won’t solve all the problems. But it’s going to be the place to start because there just needs to be more of a place in on that employee experience.

Charlotte Ward 1:27
Do you think that there are tools in place yet to measure that?

Jenny Dempsey 1:30
Well, I’m going to be a little out on a limb and say it’s probably not going to be measurable and it’s more of a human interaction. This is going to be something that requires more involvement with leadership actually having human to human conversations with their team members. I’m sure there’s metrics in there somewhere, but when I think about the big picture, it’s really just humans talking to humans and trying to understands each other. Do you

Charlotte Ward 1:56
think that the human element of support is growing quite distinctly now as a separate entity almost as a separate arm, a separate kind of set of ideals in the industry, away from everything that’s happening in the technology sector?

Jenny Dempsey 2:13
Right? Well, I think I think it’s good that it’s split down the middle because we need those vantage points. And, you know, AI is amazing, it is doing amazing things. We’re getting answers faster than ever. But when we need someone, as a customer, we need someone. And so both have to be done really well. And so they need they both need each other. You know, back in the day there was only human to human and whether or not that was done right. It is what it is. And now we have hope we have this technology that gives us gives customers answers lickety-split. But we also have the opportunity to have agents be more specialised or knowledgeable or prepared to answer the escalated things that technology can’t do yet. And at that point, when people need that extra hands, they need that voice, they need someone to hear them, they need a human to hear them – hat’s going to be where this all comes in.

Charlotte Ward 3:10
I think prepared is the key word there. For me, I think it’s about having agents who are confident that the laptop in front of them is maximising their chance of providing a great customer experience by serving them with all that data, and by serving them with all of that information and really assisting them help the customer, right, the AI and the and the tools are only ever going to be in a support role, I think?

Jenny Dempsey 3:37
Yeah, everything works, it all works together. And it’s not going to be perfect. There’s going to be hiccups, but it all works together. And that’s what makes it really exciting to look forward to 2020.

Charlotte Ward 3:50
And yeah, and I think that you know, even though the tools are only ever going to be really in a support role doesn’t make them unimportant.

Jenny Dempsey 3:57
Right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Charlotte Ward 3:59
What are your plans for two 2020 in terms of investment in technology,

Jenny Dempsey 4:03
Oh boy, well actually, I think my plans for 2020 are to get off my phone more. To get off my phone and get off my computer more simply because I became so aware of how much I’ve relied on it. And at some points have even as much as I talked about the human to human interaction, I, you know, so much in social media and doing support for social media. And, you know, having the tools like you… it slips away, you kind of forget about it, then it’s like, oh, wait a second, you know, like, this is not these are not where my values are. So, I know that’s, that’s a funny answer. But yes, stepping back away from technology a little bit, is what I’m doing in 2020

Charlotte Ward 4:47
For your customers to you’re trying to build that approach and that ethos into your support service? And, you know, yes, talking personally that Yeah?

Jenny Dempsey 4:55
yeah, absolutely. So one of the things I’m most excited about, I started a customer appreciation programme at number barn this year. It’s called Tickled Pink, our mascot’s a pig, and so I love to really like, do as many piggy things as I can to showcase our brands. But one of the most fun things was every agent gets to submit a nomination for a customer that they built a relationship with. And then we send them a fun little postcard signed, you know, that agent can write them a letter, we send them a card with with stickers, so it’s actually snail mail. Like we’re not just emailing them saying thanks for sending the gift card. We also send these things little pig packages, which includes a stuffed pig, a T shirt or other you know, swag from us cute little piggy things and then a card signed by the team. I know it sounds so silly but what we’ve seen so far with the impact people get it, they’re like knocked off their off their feet because this is a phone company. Why are they getting a cute little piggy? But they are and it’s awesome and really exciting to do this very silly little human opportunity to connect.

Charlotte Ward 6:01
That’s amazing. I love getting stuff in the post. And I think if it’s if it’s something that IS stuffed, even better, I mean, that’s.. I’m with you. And I’ve had direct reports. I have sent them stuffed things in the post. So I think it works. All right. Go round. Yeah, I you know, all sorts of funny things. Anyway. Yeah, I won’t tell you some of the strange stuff I’ve sent to my team, but I can, I can only hope that it improved their experience as well.

That’s it for today, go to customersupportleaders.com/10 for the show notes, and I’ll see you next time.