Multichannel Customer Support Systems

Story of my date ! A few months ago, I walked into a Starbucks in the middle of a packed day. The line was long, and I was worried I’d have to rush. But the moment I walked in, I noticed something different. The barista at the counter greeted me with a warm smile, asked my name, and even commented on how lovely the weather was that day. I ordered my usual (a caramel macchiato, if you’re curious), and while waiting, I noticed how seamlessly their operations flowed. Despite the rush, the staff was calm, collected, and attentive to details—ensuring that every single customer felt valued. As I took my first sip, it struck me: Starbucks isn’t just about coffee; it’s about an experience. Here’s what I learned from Starbucks about delivering a world-class customer experience: - Personalization is Everything. Starbucks serves around 100 million customers a week globally—yet they make every customer feel like the only one in the room. By asking your name, offering customization (over 170,000 drink combinations possible), or remembering your usual order, they turn a transaction into a connection. - Consistency Creates Trust. Across 35,000+ stores in 80 countries, Starbucks delivers a predictable yet delightful experience. No matter where you are, the taste, ambiance, and service remain consistent. - Moments of Delight Make the Difference. Starbucks is famous for going the extra mile—writing a personalized note on your cup, offering a free drink on your birthday, or making the perfect foam on your latte. These small gestures turn ordinary moments into memorable ones. The Data Speaks for Itself • 60% of Starbucks customers use their loyalty app, showcasing how well they understand and engage their audience. • Their $1 billion annual investment in employee training ensures baristas can handle every situation with empathy and expertise. • Starbucks’ Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 77 is higher than most retail giants, showing the loyalty and love they inspire. How Can You Deliver a Class-Apart Customer Experience? 1. Empathy in Action: Listen actively to what your customers need. Make them feel heard. 2. Personalized Engagement: Leverage customer insights to offer tailored experiences that delight. 3. Operational Excellence: Behind every great experience is a strong backend. Invest in processes, people, and technology. Customer experience is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s a differentiator. In a world full of choices, it’s what makes your customers choose YOU—again and again. What’s one brand that made you feel special as a customer? I’d love to hear your story! #customerexperience #customers

I’m not asking my CSMs to resolve support tickets. I’m asking them to leverage them. Support tickets aren’t just a backlog of problems; they’re customer truth bombs waiting to explode. If you’re not mining them for insights, you’re flying blind—and that’s exactly how churn sneaks up on you. Every Customer Success team I’ve ever led has been trained to use Support tickets strategically. Why? Because they’re packed with insights that make us better at our jobs. ✅ We learn more about the product. ✅ We spot trends before they become problems. ✅ We understand our customers’ use cases more deeply. If you’re not tapping into support data, here’s what you’re missing: 🔥 Emerging Pain Points Recurring issues expose friction in the customer journey. Ignore them, and those minor frustrations turn into churn-worthy headaches. 🔥 Product Gaps Customers vote with their tickets. If the same feature requests or usability complaints keep surfacing, your roadmap is practically writing itself. 🔥 Engagement Risks A spike in tickets isn’t just noise—it’s a flare. Users don’t submit tickets when they’re thriving; they do it when they’re stuck, frustrated, or in need of more enablement. Here are a few ways my team and I are using these insights: ✅ Spot & Engage Struggling Users A surge in ticket volume? Proactively reach out before frustration turns into a cancellation. ✅ Create Targeted Content If the same questions keep coming up, turn those insights into help docs, webinars, or office hours. ✅ Surface Expansion Opportunities Seeing frequent feature requests? Build them—or better yet, use them to tee up expansion conversations. ✅ Map Out User Behavior Support tickets tell you who’s onboarding, who’s adopting new features, and who’s stuck. Use that data to drive deeper engagement. ✅ Collaborate with Product Your product team needs this intel. Share support trends regularly to influence meaningful fixes and features. High ticket volume isn’t necessarily a bad thing—but you need to know how to use it to your advantage. Bottom line? CSMs don’t need to fix support tickets. But the best ones know how to use them to drive retention, expansion, and adoption. _____________________________ 📣 If you liked my post, you’ll love my newsletter. Every week I share learnings, advice and strategies from my experience going from CSM to CCO. Join 12k+ subscribers of The Journey and turn insights into action. Sign up on my profile.

WANT CUSTOMER DELIGHT? GO THE EXTRA INCH, NOT THE EXTRA MILE In a world where companies strive to “go the extra mile” for their customers, I propose a counterintuitive thought: You don’t need to go a mile. You just need to go an inch. The smallest, low-cost gestures can have a massive impact on customers, turning ordinary transactions into memorable experiences. The secret - search for the asymmetry between cost and impact. Going the extra inch requires minimal effort and often costs next to nothing. It could be a handwritten note, a smile, a gesture of personal recognition, a small act of kindness. But the effect on customers is profound. It creates emotional connections, fosters loyalty, and makes customers into advocates. The irony - while everyone is busy trying to “go the extra mile,” it is the extra inch that nets you miles of customer loyalty. THE I.N.C.H. FRAMEWORK To master the art of the extra inch, use this simple yet powerful framework: I – Identify Moments of Truth: Look for touchpoints where expectations are neutral or low. These are prime opportunities to surprise and delight. For instance, when I got my car serviced at the Lexus dealership, they washed and vacuumed the car and left a red carnation flower on the dash. I have told more than 10,000 people about the 50-cent carnation. How’s that for ROI? N – Notice the Little Things: Train employees to observe and remember small details about customers—preferences, moods, or special occasions. At the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai, I asked for a memory foam pillow. Every time I stay there, they put a memory foam pillow on my bed. C – Customize the Experience: Personalize the interaction or gesture. Even the smallest customization can create a huge emotional impact. At Chewy, when a customer returned dog food after their pet passed away, they received a condolence card and flowers. It wasn’t about making a sale; it was about showing empathy. H – Humanize the Interaction: Move beyond scripted conversations. Authenticity and empathy resonate more than robotic efficiency. At Café Lucci, our favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago, the valet, the server, and the owner Bobby - all know us, know our kids, and always ask about the family. We are customers for life! In the race to “go the extra mile,” it’s easy to overlook the power of the extra inch. The secret to exceptional customer service isn’t grand gestures or expensive perks—it’s the tiny, thoughtful actions that leave a lasting impression. Going the extra inch is about mastering the art of the unexpected. It’s about creating emotional connections through small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. So, the next time you think about how to delight a customer, remember: You don’t have to go the extra mile. Just go the extra inch. You will get miles of loyalty. #Marketing #CustomerExperience #Loyalty #Advocacy

Your best strategist spent yesterday afternoon resetting broken mailboxes instead of building campaigns. That’s the hidden cost of scaling outbound that nobody talks about. The more clients you take on, the more your best people end up doing technical cleanup work instead of strategy. Fixing inboxes. Rebuilding domains. Checking deliverability. Resetting what should already just work. I got tired of watching high-value hours disappear into backend maintenance. So I moved the whole setup behind Claude + Maildoso MCP. Now I just describe what I want, and the system executes it. 1. Set up the infrastructure Maildoso creates cold email domains and inboxes. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are handled automatically. Your main domain stays safe. 2. Connect it to Claude Add your API key. Plug Maildoso MCP into Claude Desktop. Now Claude can directly run your email infrastructure. 3. Tell Claude what to build Example: “Create 5 domains, set up 3 inboxes per domain, add a reply forwarding inbox, and check deliverability so only healthy inboxes are used.” Claude runs the setup through the API. The real win is monitoring. Maildoso keeps checking inbox health every few days and pauses bad ones before they hurt your campaigns. So your team stops babysitting infrastructure. And goes back to doing actual strategy and campaigns. If your team is still manually managing inboxes, you’re burning your best talent on the wrong work. Over to you: where does outbound usually break for you, data quality or sending infrastructure? #Outbound #ColdEmail #SalesAutomation #Deliverability #AItools

#IT_Helpdesk_Cheat_Sheet – #Practical_Guide for IT Support Professionals ** I've created this IT Helpdesk Cheat Sheet to provide a practical reference for setting up and managing an IT Helpdesk environment. It covers helpdesk lab setup, essential support tools, installation and configuration, ticket management, remote support, troubleshooting techniques, and common IT issues faced in day-to-day operations. Topics include: • IT Helpdesk lab setup • Helpdesk tools and their uses • Tool installation and configuration • Ticket management workflow • Remote support and system monitoring • Common Windows, network, printer, email, and user account issues • Step-by-step troubleshooting procedures • IT support best practices • Essential commands for faster troubleshooting ** Whether you're an aspiring IT Support Engineer, Helpdesk Analyst, System Administrator, or preparing for technical interviews and certifications, I hope this resource helps strengthen your practical skills. ** Feedback and suggestions are always welcome. #ITHelpdesk #ITSupport #Helpdesk #TechnicalSupport #Windows #Networking #SystemAdministration #Microsoft365 #ActiveDirectory #Troubleshooting #TechCareers #EngineerTomAmollo

How I use Claude.ai to save time and hassle chasing submissions from businesses We’ve all had to wait on forecast information, or received incomplete submissions and then had to chase. The good news is that automating this task, which isn’t my favourite(!) is quick and easy using AI. To give an example, I’ve generated a script using a simple prompt in Claude.ai to read reports (in this case csv, word, pdf and powerpoint) and query unclear items or where an explanation is needed. This saves time and allows me to move onto other things. Here’s what the script does: Reads reports in CSV, Word (DOCX), PDF, and PowerPoint (PPTX) formats Automatically detects the file type and processes accordingly Analyzes the report content for unclear items or those needing explanation Generates a formatted HTML email with the findings Sends the email to relevant stakeholders Saves a copy of the email content as an HTML file for record-keeping This versatile automation can save hours of manual work across different document types and ensure that important issues are promptly addressed. And it’s not just useful for treasurers, it can be used by project managers, team leads, and anyone dealing with regular reporting processes using various file formats. Key features of the script: Uses pandas for data manipulation Implements file type detection and appropriate reading methods Utilizes libraries like python-docx, PyPDF2, and python-pptx for different file formats Generates clean, formatted HTML emails using Arial font Easily customizable for different report formats and email content I've included the full code in the comments below. Feel free to adapt it to your needs or reach out if you have any questions! This is just one example of the type of automation that we’re focussing on at Your Treasury - AI your way I’d encourage you to go to Claude.ai and try creating something similar yourself. #Python #Automation #ProjectManagement #DataAnalysis #EmailAutomation #DocumentProcessing ——————————————————- Example prompt Create a Python program where a user uploads a file and python then detects the file type (doc, excel, pdf, PowerPoint) and Python then reads a report and send out emails to relevant stakeholders if anything is unclear or needs more explanation. Produce example code to show this, including the report and a sample email which should be saved as an html file and formatted in Arial text. Prompt me if you have any questions

Using Data to Drive Strategy: To lead with confidence and achieve sustainable growth, businesses must lean into data-driven decision-making. When harnessed correctly, data illuminates what’s working, uncovers untapped opportunities, and de-risks strategic choices. But using data to drive strategy isn’t about collecting every data point — it’s about asking the right questions and translating insights into action. Here’s how to make informed decisions using data as your strategic compass. 1. Start with Strategic Questions, Not Just Data: Too many teams gather data without a clear purpose. Flip the script. Begin with your business goals: What are we trying to achieve? What’s blocking growth? What do we need to understand to move forward? Align your data efforts around key decisions, not the other way around. 2. Define the Right KPIs: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should reflect both your objectives and your customer's journey. Well-defined KPIs serve as the dashboard for strategic navigation, ensuring you're not just busy but moving in the right direction. 3. Bring Together the Right Data Sources Strategic insights often live at the intersection of multiple data sets: Website analytics reveal user behavior. CRM data shows pipeline health and customer trends. Social listening exposes brand sentiment. Financial data validates profitability and ROI. Connecting these sources creates a full-funnel view that supports smarter, cross-functional decision-making. 4. Use Data to Pressure-Test Assumptions Even seasoned leaders can fall into the trap of confirmation bias. Let data challenge your assumptions. Think a campaign is performing? Dive into attribution metrics. Believe one channel drives more qualified leads? A/B test it. Feel your product positioning is clear? Review bounce rates and session times. Letting data “speak truth to power” leads to more objective, resilient strategies. 5. Visualize and Socialize Insights Data only becomes powerful when it drives alignment. Use dashboards, heatmaps, and story-driven visuals to communicate insights clearly and inspire action. Make data accessible across departments so strategy becomes a shared mission, not a siloed exercise. 6. Balance Data with Human Judgment Data informs. Leaders decide. While metrics provide clarity, real-world experience, context, and intuition still matter. Use data to sharpen instincts, not replace them. The best strategic decisions blend insight with empathy, analytics with agility. 7. Build a Culture of Curiosity Making data-driven decisions isn’t a one-time event — it’s a mindset. Encourage teams to ask questions, test hypotheses, and treat failure as learning. When curiosity is rewarded and insight is valued, strategy becomes dynamic and future-forward. Informed decisions aren't just more accurate — they’re more powerful. By embedding data into the fabric of your strategy, you empower your organization to move faster, think smarter, and grow with greater confidence.

Unpopular question - Your customers like you, but would they miss you if you disappeared tomorrow? Businesses often assume that customer satisfaction equals customer loyalty. If your customer is coming back to you, all must be well! But there's a hidden risk here - satisfied customers leave quietly when something better comes along, often catching businesses completely off guard. When customers merely "like" your business, they are vulnerable. Without an emotional connection, customers don't hesitate to switch at the first hint of convenience, price drop, or new competition. This quiet churn erodes growth, shrinks profitability, and forces companies into costly battles to constantly acquire new customers. The antidote is not better products or cheaper prices. It is genuine customer delight. Delight creates powerful emotional bonds. It turns customers into your biggest advocates, ones who won't just stay but enthusiastically bring in others. The reason is very simple. Because it connects deeply to human emotions like appreciation, pride, and belonging. It goes far beyond transactional satisfaction. Here are a few simple yet impactful things you can start doing today to move customers from 'like' to 'love': ✴️ Personalise the small interactions: Simplest, yet the most powerful one. Address customers by name, recognise and remember preferences, and let them know they matter individually. ✴️ Surprise your customers in tiny ways: Joyful and unexpected gestures go a long way. You don't have to be a Ritz Carlton. Even a small process made easy, a genuine follow-up call, or a handwritten note. There are a million little ways to create powerful emotional anchors. ✴️ Empower your team to delight: Allow your employees the flexibility and freedom to create small moments of joy for the customers. ✴️ Celebrate customer milestones: Acknowledge customers' personal achievements and special moments. Show them that the relationship goes beyond sales. Which of these do you practise regularly in your business? Want your team to master the art of understanding, delighting, and keeping customers loyal? Let's connect.

Email templates can help customer service reps improve efficiency. But what happens when just choosing the right one becomes overwhelming? It's a case where AI can unlock human super-skills. One company implemented an AI tool from Laivly to help agents select the right template. Laivly's "Smart Response" feature analyzes incoming emails to suggest the right template for agents to use. Agents can review the suggested template for accuracy, and add personalization before sending the final email. The Smart Response tool improved productivity by 49%. Even better, customer satisfaction increased 10% and first contact resolution rose by 17%. It's a great example of using AI to handle tedious, repetitive tasks so agents can be freed to concentrate on work where they can add more human value. I'm increasingly seeing stories like this. Rather than humans or AI, it's humans and AI.

CFOs — if your team’s data isn’t helping others make better decisions, it’s just noise. One of the most strategic things we can do as Finance Business Partners is provide the right data in the right way to help other teams move forward. Too often, finance assumes what others need—then dumps spreadsheets and dashboards without checking if it’s useful. Here’s the approach I’ve found works better: 🔹 Start with the audience → Who are you supporting, and what do they need to know? 🔹 Ask, don’t assume → Have open conversations about what helps them decide. 🔹 Understand the format → Summary? Drill-down? Visual? The way it’s presented matters. 🔹 Map the data → Where does it live? Can it be integrated across systems? 🔹 Prioritise accuracy → The fastest way to lose trust is to present incorrect or inconsistent numbers. In many cases, non-financial data is just as important—sometimes more so—than financials. And it’s our job to work with ops, IT, and even external sources to connect the dots. Support doesn’t mean supplying everything. It means supplying the right things that empower better judgement. #FutureCFO #FinanceLeadership #StrategicFinance #DecisionMaking #DataDriven #LeadWithImpact