284: Nick Francis, HelpScout Customer Service

Jeannie and Adam smash the myths about customer support software and remote collaboration with HelpScout CEO and Co-founder Nick Francis.
How HelpScout customer support makes a difference We’ve come a long way with the ways we offer customer support, but are we shooting ourselves in the foot with the tech we use? More specifically, with the rise of help desk software, customer support has grown cold and sterile - lacking the emotion and the personal touches we get from 1:1 communication. This is bad news for those of us who need to maintain meaning customer relationships. (Hello, everyone!?)
“Moving from email to a “help desk” was actually a big deterioration of the customer experience.” -Nick Francis
That’s why we’re delighted to welcome HelpScout CEO and Co-founder Nick Francis to the show. Because as a small business owner, Nick always saw help desk software as too robotic to meet his own standards for engaging customers in need. Therefore, he founded HelpScout to continue using his more human approach...but with tools to help deliver that quality, personalization and speed on a larger scale.
“I always saw customer support as a way to differentiate myself…" -Nick Francis
What’s more, how we measure success in our customer support efforts makes a huge difference too! Nick helps us understand how HelpShout balances and monitors both qualitative and quantitative metrics for a snapshot of real-time performance as well as long-term success. 
In this episode, we discuss not only what’s missing from most help desk software, but how to create a support team that delivers consistently. With Nick’s help, we’re smashing the myths about customer support, remote collaboration and more. 
Interview highlights
HelpScout brands itself as a more human and personalized help desk platform. Why  is there need for this approach? [3:40]
Nick shares expert recommendations for those hiring customer support staff. [5:50]
How does HelpScout measure customer support beyond numeric metrics? [8:50]
What is the  “happiness score, and how does HelpScout track it? [13:15]
Remote support pros have highest salaries... What does it say about the preconceived notions many leaders have about hiring and collaboration? [14:20]
About our guest Nick Francis is Co-founder and CEO of Help Scout, where he is on a mission to make every customer service interaction a more human one.
His two passions — technology and entrepreneurship — led him to start a web consultancy soon after college. For several years, he learned how to craft user experiences with his partners, Denny Swindle and Jared McDaniel.
In 2010, the trio founded Help Scout and left their hometown of Nashville to join the TechStars accelerator program in Boston. That program, along with the Boston startup ecosystem, helped transform Help Scout into something real — a successful, remote company now serving more than 8,000 customer support teams around the globe.
Nick lives and breathes product design, customer experience, and building a thoughtful, thriving company. He feels lucky to wake up every day and work alongside people who challenge him to grow and do great work.
Connect with Nick
Twitter
HelpScout.com
Email [email protected]
Free resources at HelpU
Related Content 360Connext® post, 5 Ways One-on-One Customer Communication Builds Loyalty
Customers That Stick® post, 3 Areas to Focus your Customer Experience in 2017
Episode 279: Is Efficient Customer Service Best?
Episode 117: CXPA Live, The Voice of the Customer
We’re on C-Suite Radio! Check it out for more great podcasts
Sponsor message

Give your team the customer service training they deserve Want to bring game-changing customer service training to your team? CTS Service Solutions offers a half-day in-person workshop designed to motivate and educate your customer-facing team members. Using energy, excitement, and interaction, our workshop helps frontline teams embrace a customer-centric outlook, then — using the principles from our book Be Your Customer’s Hero — gives them the skills and confidence they need to handle any service interaction. Don’t leave your frontline team hanging… Give them the training they deserve. Learn more at customerheroworkshop.com, that is customerheroworkshop.com.
  Take care of yourself and take care of your customers.
 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeannie and Adam smash the myths about customer support software and remote collaboration with HelpScout CEO and Co-founder Nick Francis.

How HelpScout customer support makes a difference

We’ve come a long way with the ways we offer customer support, but are we shooting ourselves in the foot with the tech we use? More specifically, with the rise of help desk software, customer support has grown cold and sterile - lacking the emotion and the personal touches we get from 1:1 communication. This is bad news for those of us who need to maintain meaning customer relationships. (Hello, everyone!?)

“Moving from email to a “help desk” was actually a big deterioration of the customer experience.” -Nick Francis

That’s why we’re delighted to welcome HelpScout CEO and Co-founder Nick Francis to the show. Because as a small business owner, Nick always saw help desk software as too robotic to meet his own standards for engaging customers in need. Therefore, he founded HelpScout to continue using his more human approach...but with tools to help deliver that quality, personalization and speed on a larger scale.

“I always saw customer support as a way to differentiate myself…" -Nick Francis

What’s more, how we measure success in our customer support efforts makes a huge difference too! Nick helps us understand how HelpShout balances and monitors both qualitative and quantitative metrics for a snapshot of real-time performance as well as long-term success. 

In this episode, we discuss not only what’s missing from most help desk software, but how to create a support team that delivers consistently. With Nick’s help, we’re smashing the myths about customer support, remote collaboration and more. 

Interview highlights

HelpScout brands itself as a more human and personalized help desk platform. Why  is there need for this approach? [3:40] Nick shares expert recommendations for those hiring customer support staff. [5:50] How does HelpScout measure customer support beyond numeric metrics? [8:50] What is the  “happiness score, and how does HelpScout track it? [13:15] Remote support pros have highest salaries... What does it say about the preconceived notions many leaders have about hiring and collaboration? [14:20] About our guest

Nick Francis is Co-founder and CEO of Help Scout, where he is on a mission to make every customer service interaction a more human one.

His two passions — technology and entrepreneurship — led him to start a web consultancy soon after college. For several years, he learned how to craft user experiences with his partners, Denny Swindle and Jared McDaniel.

In 2010, the trio founded Help Scout and left their hometown of Nashville to join the TechStars accelerator program in Boston. That program, along with the Boston startup ecosystem, helped transform Help Scout into something real — a successful, remote company now serving more than 8,000 customer support teams around the globe.

Nick lives and breathes product design, customer experience, and building a thoughtful, thriving company. He feels lucky to wake up every day and work alongside people who challenge him to grow and do great work.

Connect with Nick

Twitter HelpScout.com Email [email protected] Free resources at HelpU Related Content 360Connext® post, 5 Ways One-on-One Customer Communication Builds Loyalty Customers That Stick® post, 3 Areas to Focus your Customer Experience in 2017 Episode 279: Is Efficient Customer Service Best? Episode 117: CXPA Live, The Voice of the Customer We’re on C-Suite Radio! Check it out for more great podcasts

Sponsor message

Give your team the customer service training they deserve

Want to bring game-changing customer service training to your team? CTS Service Solutions offers a half-day in-person workshop designed to motivate and educate your customer-facing team members. Using energy, excitement, and interaction, our workshop helps frontline teams embrace a customer-centric outlook, then — using the principles from our book Be Your Customer’s Hero — gives them the skills and confidence they need to handle any service interaction. Don’t leave your frontline team hanging… Give them the training they deserve. Learn more at customerheroworkshop.com, that is customerheroworkshop.com.

 

Take care of yourself and take care of your customers.

 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices