There was a time when a product that did something worthwhile was enough. No matter how ugly or unusable. Then people started to expect more. And wanted more functionality. And now, even after the functionality got good, people want more. Like customer support. But that’s still a challenging topic for many companies. Which is why the craft of customer support can be helpful.
So where to look for that kind of support? I’d suggest joining Andrew Spittle — who leads Happiness (aka support) for Automattic, the company behind WordPress — for his take. By following along with this new project.
I’ve also long-felt that, no matter our career, we build our experience in the margins. Our expertise is driven by the small edges we find, polish, and learn deeply. That holds true for support, and when we do the work well it can be a long-term career. The question is how we as a community explore and teach that expertise. Writing on the open web feels like the best answer, though I’m naturally biased given my work of the last 10+ years and counting.
Interested in learning more about customer service? Join Andrew in the Margins.
[Full disclosure: Andrew Spittle spent a great deal of time as PIE mentor in residence. I am the cofounder and general manager of PIE.]
