SUPPORT SOLVER

GENERAL ASSEMBLY - PRODUCT MANAGEMENT JASON MORRIS - Final Presentation

Source: IBIS WORLD and DebBarrett.com

Who is the Customer?

PERSONA 1 - BILL & JILL THE CO-BUYING COUPLE

Bio & Demographics

45-65 years old

Typically homeowners

Typically in later/mature stages of career, or retired

Stories & Scenarios

Calls in on speakerphone

Takes more of a “we” versus “me” approach to life

Friendly, collaborative approach to buying &

troubleshooting purchases

One spouse will typically take the lead, with the

other chiming in, in the background

User Interviews…

…reveal a set of specific needs to build metrics around

- Access

- Acknowledgement

- Action

- Resolution

Now, Please

Day NightMorning

GOAL:

Instant

&

Asynchronous

How Big is the Market?

REVENUE PROFITSMARKET

SHARE

MARKET 1.7 BILLION* 85 MILLION* N/A

THIS COMPANY

ESTIMATED: UNDER 5 MILLION

ESTIMATED: $600,000 TO

$700,0000.3%

0.3%99.7%

* Source: IBIS WORLD and DebBarrett.com

What is everybody in the space doing?

“THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT FUNNEL”

- FAQs

- Wordy Policies

- Guides

- Etc…

Sample from a

Competitor

Just Throw More People at the Problem

Concurrent Support Capacity

Daily Capacity

Human Being 1 40 - 50

Support SolverNearly

Unlimited ScalabilityNearly

Unlimited Scalability

Customer Service

• Routine

• Scriptable

• Tunable

Image Source: wikipedia.com

New World

Each customer support rep has some memory of some

customers and their issues.

A business can know it’s health from

evaluating support interactions between

the business and it’s entire network of

customers and business partners.

Old World

And now the solution…

- An Initiative - Not A Tool

GOALS

Tool - takes on lower-level support - fast, consistent, and tunable

Company - Complete change in process, Mindset and Culture

SUPPORT SOLVER

Tool Developed1.

Tool Takes on Support Burden

2.

Company focuses on relentless Customer Research & Improvement

3.

High-Level SupportLow-Level Support

Helps One Helps Many

A shift of people resources from…

Support Development

to

Newly Placed Orders See Information View Order Status View Order Details

Changes Change something on my order Add something to my order Remove something from my order Cancel my order

Financial Tasks Apply a Coupon Code Check Refund Status

Account Management View/Change My Info Manage email addresses

Older Orders See Information What’s my warranty coverage? Installation Instructions View Order History

Solve an Issue Something Broken or Damaged Parts Missing/Needed Order came wrong

MAIN MENU

Timeline - Customer Support

Customer Support + 20%

20% Split to Tool Development

Tool Goes Live

Customer Support transitions to higher level support functions

(Temporarily)

Timeline - Developers

Add Developer & Data Analyst

Split to Tool Development

Tool Goes Live

Continue working with Analytics and Customer Support to tune & refine

Other Teams

FINANCE - HOW MUCH CAN WE BORROW?

- FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS

OPERATIONS - LONG-TERM DISCUSSIONS

WITH MANUFACTURERS

ASSUMPTIONS

- That there’s a better way of doing things

- That software can be humanized and tuned so that people find it friendly

- That revenues will increase as a result of the support working better

RISKS

‣ Customers may not be patient

‣ Might not be cheaper

‣ May expose other flaws in our systems & strategy

‣ Competitors with more resources could beat us to

implementing something like this

THE GREATEST RISK OF ALL

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?