*Operation Delta Force*Building a user-centric culture through

company wide support

James Rogers@urbancali

Benefits:• Scale resources• Decrease response time• Increase satisfaction• Strengthen user empathy• Create a better product

Company wide support

What’s Causes?

Support me at causes.com/jroget

The world’s largest online campaigning platform

Causes in early 2012Support systems didn’t really exist• Few metrics• No asking of support satisfaction• Feedback loops back to product development poor• Bugs sat in queue for months at a time

User empathy was poor• Little understanding of their needs• Generalized them based on unexpected behavior• We took them for granted

Step 1: Build systemsGather data• Weekly reports• Number of tickets, response time, satisfaction• Tag and track issues

Set clear goals• 24 hour 1st reply time (Monday-Friday)• 85%+ user satisfaction

Expand your channels• Integrate ZenDesk with Facebook/Twitter• Install chat support (Olark)

Step 2: Launch Delta Force

KellenCommunity organizer

MelissaCommunity organizer

SydDir. Community & Support

RockyCommunity organizer

EmilyCommunity intern

JamesSupport

Step 2: Launch Delta Force

Training the team• Week 1 - Support pairing (2, 1-hour)• Week 2 - Cover support with mentor (2, 1-hour)Scheduling• James - Everyday, Monday - Friday• Delta Force - Individuals have assigned days

• No more than 2 hours coverage for assigned day

Step 2: Launch Delta ForceManaging the team, sharing information• DeltaForce@ email

• Priority bugs• Interesting support articles

• Weekly retros• Review rated tickets• Issues/housekeeping

• Support Wiki• Login information• Reports and processes

Step 3: Grow Support’s influence

• Integrate Support into Product• Publicize Support data and feedback• Public Olark chat sessions• Join product manager meetings and engineer scrum• Organize weekly bug triage meetings with tech leads

Step 4: Make it a company effort

• Support onboarding for every new hire• Lunch time talks on support and interacting with users• Meet people where they are - give them options and ask them to join

Answer tickets

Cover live chat

Usability test or product research call

Checking the Campfire Support feed

Sitting in on a public live chat

Active

Passive

Interaction type Time commitment

More

Less

Employee-user interaction pyramid

Step 4: Make it a company effort

Audience Growth

Post MasterProduct Managers

VP Product

UX Researchers

Director Product Research

Software Engineers

PRODUCT

ENGINEERING MARKETING

Marketing Manager

“It’s getting a chance to see first-hand how users understand the

product in the wild.” - Emily, Product Manger

“It helps me understand some of the common misconceptions about the product. If people

still think we’re a Facebook application, that’s a problem Marketing needs to solve ASAP.”

- Brad, Audience Growth

“Delta Force gives me a sense of empathy for our users that I wouldn’t necessarily have and helps me realize

the impact of bugs.”- Tom, Software Engineer

Today’s Delta Force

VP Engineering

What we achieved• Made user support sustainable• Improved response time• Bugs tackled faster• Increased satisfaction - ~70% to ~85%• Talked with more users proactively• Conversations changed

What we learned• Communication and building relationships is important• Support isn’t for everyone - meet people where they are• Give awards and recognition to those who help• Support should live within Product Team• Interacting with users makes everyone’s job easier, and makes our users happy

Answer tickets

Cover live chat

Usability test or product research call

Checking the Campfire Support feed

Sitting in on a public live chat

Active

Passive

Interaction Time

More

Less

Employee-user interaction pyramid

Now it’s your turn!