This week we get to tap into Brian’s expertise in hiring for customer support. If you find yourself spending too much time on customer support and not enough time on growing your business, it might be time to hire for the role.

Not only will it free up your time to pursue more strategic activities, but your customers will actually get better service as well.

Check it out:

Updates

Brian’s update:

• Developer position link to application: http://casjam.com/developer
• Hiring a 3rd customer support rep this week.
• TRYING to focus on my sales funnel, which I kind of am, but getting sidetracked with support queue.
• Adam Clark’s upcoming course, Irristable Podcasting — Pre-sale ends this Sunday — http://avclark.com/course/

Jordan’s update:

• Feeling a tad overwhelmed with all the things I’m trying to do at the same time, but just trying to be methodical in putting the people and pieces in place to be able to accomplish everything.
• Working on sales and partnerships and coming to terms with the fact that I need help.
• Recently came across an amazing talk given by Jason Cohen at Microconf from a year or two: http://www.microconf.com/videos-2013.html

In This Episode…

How to hire for customer support:

The big problem:

• Spending too much time on customer support instead of more strategic issues.
• Ways to ease the support load in the early days (improve documentation).

What can I do as a bootstrapper?

• When should we hire first customer support?
• Find a developer to build it in exchange for a piece of the business.
• Get a marketer to drum up demand in exchange for partnership.

Pre-Sales Questions Support vs. Customer Support:

• Distinction in job role.
• How to hire for these two roles.

Hiring an outsourced customer support person:

• How can I have the confidence to hire someone overseas to take care of my customers?
• How can I find the right person?
• How much should I expect to pay them?
• How do I train them?
• How do I keep track of the quality of their work?

The role of Tech / Software:

• Documentation / Knowledge-Base
• Help Desk Software / Managing tickets

Links

• Jason Cohen’s talk at Microconf
• Previous episode with Ian Landsman of Userscape
• Helpscout Helpdesk software

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