Customer Support Update

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MathiasSoul#7397 написал:

So for those complaining about response times after follow-up emails, I used to be a Team Lead for a support team (Not at GGG, but it still applies, I promise) and I have some info to help:

- Customer Support Teams use what's called a CMS (Case Management System)

- The Case Management System runs an automatic queue for your emails, they pop up on a Service Representative's (Normally called an Agent) screen in what's called a Widget. They click the Case, work the ticket/email, put in their final notes (if applicable), close the Case. Another one automatically populates after this.

- The CMS will be set up by a few standards;
1. Case Priority (Things like fraudulent activity, escalated complaints, legal threats, etc. normally take high priority. Obviously, don't try to do or falsely report this stuff to try and bump ahead of line. You'll get in trouble)

2. Age of MOST RECENT contact. This is why in their original correspondence GGG is saying to NOT email multiple times. Multiple emails do not display urgency to the Case Management System, they do not pop up on an agent's screen only to be discarded, that is not what happens.

2A. To explain further, say you're at Position 3 out of 5000 in queue, your Case is about to be worked. However, you send a second email going "Hey, been a while, please look at this", the Case Management System automatically puts you right to Position 5001 and you've effectively extended the time it takes to get to your Case.

In order to get the best assistance ASAP:

- Keep your email simple and to the point

- Send in one ticket for each problem and wait for a duration of at least 20 business days before prompting again (At least at this time, training classes and nesting periods can take a while)

- Don't be mean in your emails; as frustrated as you are, the Agents you'll be getting are likely going to be new and fresh out of training, as much as any company will hate to admit, Work Avoidance exists and if you come in at them raging, they'll either not know how to manage your problem or will try and avoid your ticket entirely

- Agents will likely be using Templates (copy-paste responses given to them by higher ups), if the Template used does not address your problem, simply state so and refer to the above

Godspeed all, and good luck out there!

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Pro100sergo222#5265 написал:

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MathiasSoul#7397 написал:

So for those complaining about response times after follow-up emails, I used to be a Team Lead for a support team (Not at GGG, but it still applies, I promise) and I have some info to help:

- Customer Support Teams use what's called a CMS (Case Management System)

- The Case Management System runs an automatic queue for your emails, they pop up on a Service Representative's (Normally called an Agent) screen in what's called a Widget. They click the Case, work the ticket/email, put in their final notes (if applicable), close the Case. Another one automatically populates after this.

- The CMS will be set up by a few standards;
1. Case Priority (Things like fraudulent activity, escalated complaints, legal threats, etc. normally take high priority. Obviously, don't try to do or falsely report this stuff to try and bump ahead of line. You'll get in trouble)

2. Age of MOST RECENT contact. This is why in their original correspondence GGG is saying to NOT email multiple times. Multiple emails do not display urgency to the Case Management System, they do not pop up on an agent's screen only to be discarded, that is not what happens.

2A. To explain further, say you're at Position 3 out of 5000 in queue, your Case is about to be worked. However, you send a second email going "Hey, been a while, please look at this", the Case Management System automatically puts you right to Position 5001 and you've effectively extended the time it takes to get to your Case.

In order to get the best assistance ASAP:

- Keep your email simple and to the point

- Send in one ticket for each problem and wait for a duration of at least 20 business days before prompting again (At least at this time, training classes and nesting periods can take a while)

- Don't be mean in your emails; as frustrated as you are, the Agents you'll be getting are likely going to be new and fresh out of training, as much as any company will hate to admit, Work Avoidance exists and if you come in at them raging, they'll either not know how to manage your problem or will try and avoid your ticket entirely

- Agents will likely be using Templates (copy-paste responses given to them by higher ups), if the Template used does not address your problem, simply state so and refer to the above

Godspeed all, and good luck out there!

With all due respect, Matthias, I have been working in the tech industry for about 5 years, I am highly qualified, and it is blatantly obvious to me that you worked in a company with low standards and poorly established processes. The CMS systems you’re referring to became outdated a decade ago, and if your company continued using them, that was an issue with your organization, not a reflection of best practices.

I won’t comment specifically on your professionalism, but I will say that I’ve worked in several companies with tech support teams. And in every case, those teams were entirely dependent on management processes. The main issue with your message is that you rely solely on your own experience, which you seem to regard as the only valid perspective. However, my experience is quite different. I worked for a company with a product that peaked at 20–30 million users, and this company had tech support teams stationed globally to ensure 24/7 availability without compromising quality. In that company, there was a strict rule that every inquiry had to be responded to within 24 hours.

GGG’s problem is not with the tech support team but with leadership and processes. So, every time you keep emphasizing how hard it is for the tech support team, you continue convincing users that the fault lies with support, not management. But that’s not true. And it’s strange that the head of support doesn’t see this.

GGG had ample time to prepare for the influx of users, but they didn’t. Now they are shifting all the blame onto the tech support team instead of addressing the issues at higher levels.

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superoleg73#0227 написал:

What bothers me is that i couldn't find any posts here or on reddit about account actually being unlocked, what's up with that?

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ozram#3086 написал:

No offense Mathias - But in light of people waiting since 2-3+ months or more despite keeping information, mails concise short and even proactively providing most if not all required information. Is ridiculous.

With the attitude you seem to present in terms of handling professionalism and customer interaction; Especially when mentioning you had the role of a team-lead. To me and from my professional experience it sounds like you've come from a provider or service with extremely low standards:

- No. People will not get into "trouble". No matter what. What are you even on about?

- There is no "simply" or "right" or wrong. The customer shouldn't have to navigate through any sort of process-based inefficiencies, mis-evaluated "tools" or some hidden, ridiculous rulesets that are entirely the company's or provider's problem. The customer doesn't care about any of that.

- What you fail to realize first before all: GGG has severe process, backend and infrastructure issues. Most customers provide the "minigame" information proactively. On their first mail. Which is completely ignored. To then split out that "process" back into it's individual bits.

At this rate and average assuming 10 "bits" with (if lucky) one interaction per 2 weeks. It would take even the smallest 10-second standard request. Take an incredible and estimated timeframe of up to 5 or more months! Assuming the customer has the means to babyset and remain constantly responsive/available over the course of literally half a year. Just to babysit on a problem that resides on GGG's end.

Not on any level: Be that ethical, professional, practical or even the most basic legal responsibilities and requirements - is that tolerable or acceptable.

Your condescending, imho unprofessional, shared experience isn't helping at all here. Especially when the "customer attitude" is that of blaming the customer, for not going through absolutely ridiculous hoops and unnecessary minigames. That are mainly cause by process or infrastructure inefficiencies; By the seller, company or provider. Especially if not even basic priorization seems to work or be performed. At all.

And that's all even without the ridiculous premise of pushing people and requests to the very back of the entire queue. Without any sort of priorization.

If you have a critical issue with your bank. Or no matter what bought service as a matter of fact. You'd consider it normal for people to wait for 3-6+ months. To either: perform a critical mutation on a stolen card for example. Or locking/recovering a compromised account?

- If you buy and pay for a car and it's scheduled for pickup today... or let's just say tomorrow. The car is already paid. But suddenly you, if not all customers are supposed to suddenly wait 3-6+ months. To pickup their bought car.

So the customer is supposed to walk by foot for half a year now? While the seller does not fullfil their contractual obligations in any reasonable form? We both know - That's not how things work. It's absolutely - ridiculous.

You can't seriously be sitting there with some fancy sub-standard callcenter examples. And then blame that sort of problem on the customers "behaviour" or some minor technicalities. Which the customer cannot realistically know, expect or fullfil.

I'd urge you to somewhat refrain from interpolating some previous or "normalized" "standards" and examples. While blaming and patronizing users that basically cannot access a paid product for weeks months on end. Often reaching into values of hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Especially since you seem to miss the extent and scope of the current culmination of issues. And especially: Since those (mainly process- and efficiency) related problems have been known about. Without any apparent improvement. Since 5-10+ years.

This isn't meant personally. I just hope that patronizing users from low-quality or substandard provider perspectives. Will only make things worse.

2-3+ months multiplied by 5-10x. For a 10 second mutation. Caused by GGG in first place. NOT the customer. You've got to be kidding me - trying to normalize that sort of severe issue. But I don't think you were aware of the extent of the problem.

Please do not patronize users with sub-standard corpo perspectives and bs. Thank you.

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Pro100sergo222#5265 написал:

"

MathiasSoul#7397 написал:

So for those complaining about response times after follow-up emails, I used to be a Team Lead for a support team (Not at GGG, but it still applies, I promise) and I have some info to help:

- Customer Support Teams use what's called a CMS (Case Management System)

- The Case Management System runs an automatic queue for your emails, they pop up on a Service Representative's (Normally called an Agent) screen in what's called a Widget. They click the Case, work the ticket/email, put in their final notes (if applicable), close the Case. Another one automatically populates after this.

- The CMS will be set up by a few standards;
1. Case Priority (Things like fraudulent activity, escalated complaints, legal threats, etc. normally take high priority. Obviously, don't try to do or falsely report this stuff to try and bump ahead of line. You'll get in trouble)

2. Age of MOST RECENT contact. This is why in their original correspondence GGG is saying to NOT email multiple times. Multiple emails do not display urgency to the Case Management System, they do not pop up on an agent's screen only to be discarded, that is not what happens.

2A. To explain further, say you're at Position 3 out of 5000 in queue, your Case is about to be worked. However, you send a second email going "Hey, been a while, please look at this", the Case Management System automatically puts you right to Position 5001 and you've effectively extended the time it takes to get to your Case.

In order to get the best assistance ASAP:

- Keep your email simple and to the point

- Send in one ticket for each problem and wait for a duration of at least 20 business days before prompting again (At least at this time, training classes and nesting periods can take a while)

- Don't be mean in your emails; as frustrated as you are, the Agents you'll be getting are likely going to be new and fresh out of training, as much as any company will hate to admit, Work Avoidance exists and if you come in at them raging, they'll either not know how to manage your problem or will try and avoid your ticket entirely

- Agents will likely be using Templates (copy-paste responses given to them by higher ups), if the Template used does not address your problem, simply state so and refer to the above

Godspeed all, and good luck out there!

With all due respect, Matthias, I have been working in the tech industry for about 5 years, I am highly qualified, and it is blatantly obvious to me that you worked in a company with low standards and poorly established processes. The CMS systems you’re referring to became outdated a decade ago, and if your company continued using them, that was an issue with your organization, not a reflection of best practices.

I won’t comment specifically on your professionalism, but I will say that I’ve worked in several companies with tech support teams. And in every case, those teams were entirely dependent on management processes. The main issue with your message is that you rely solely on your own experience, which you seem to regard as the only valid perspective. However, my experience is quite different. I worked for a company with a product that peaked at 20–30 million users, and this company had tech support teams stationed globally to ensure 24/7 availability without compromising quality. In that company, there was a strict rule that every inquiry had to be responded to within 24 hours.

GGG’s problem is not with the tech support team but with leadership and processes. So, every time you keep emphasizing how hard it is for the tech support team, you continue convincing users that the fault lies with support, not management. But that’s not true. And it’s strange that the head of support doesn’t see this.

GGG had ample time to prepare for the influx of users, but they didn’t. Now they are shifting all the blame onto the tech support team instead of addressing the issues at higher levels.

"

MathiasSoul#7397 написал:

20 business days is fairly reasonable in my experience with a large company, and at that point fresh hires should be in.

Typically, each average Agent should be handling about 10-12 tickets or emails per hour. A CMS like Salesforce will give you 2 at a time (They don't just bomb them with a hundred, that'd by psycho psycho).

The reason I recommend 20 business days for another prompt is to address possible work avoidance. With obvious pressure on the support team to do as many tickets as possible as fast as possible (These guys likely make minimum wage, it's not a lot of wiggle room to be a SupportHero:tm:), what can happen is an Agent who's not super super into it may just close your ticket without working it to boost their metrics.

In that regard, it's useful to be bumped to back of queue to ensure your ticket is eventually worked. The flood of tickets will catch up as the team expands to handle the flow and as trainees get used to the system and work efficiently