We’ve come a long way. Just think of this video when you are supporting Windows Vista. You’ll feel better.

We’re updating the production server releasing fixes for some bugs that were keeping the site from running smoothly. This should last no more than 30 minutes, and will take place today, at 8 pm Eastern Standard Time.

I wanted to share with you all the experience I felt only a few minutes ago when I just wrapped up my very first support session (I am certified in Windows, Office and General Proficiency). I just finished providing support to Samantha Colbert, who was having trouble with her video software from Pinnacle. The reason I wanted to blog about it is because there is no better learning experience than using one’s own product.

First of all, I must say, it was exhilarating. What an experience to work for such a long time on something, and finally see all the pieces fall into place for it to work. I had tested the system countless times by now, but this was the first time I actually had a real customer.

I found the chat rather easy to use. Samantha was very welcoming to the remote desktop support (I was very cautious to explain exactly what was going to happen, what she was going to see, and how she had to accept), and it was very fast and saved us tons of time in having to explain what to do. All I needed to do was download a file and install the update on her computer. I found that toggling back and forth once I was using remote desktop was a little cumbersome. I think this might improve when we have the “blinking” effect when a chat arrives.

The connection was rather fast, and although technology is my life, I will never cease to be amazed at how I can be sitting in Europe, connected remotely to a desktop in Tallahassee, Florida with such ease.

I was surprised by how positively Samantha reacted to my reassuring words. I let her know that we were here to help, and I would do anything it took to get her problem resolved. It seemed to me like she was confident that she had an expert (and I’d say I’m at the bottom of the pyramid when it comes to our tech team!) who was there to help, any time of the day. How simple and important words can be, especially when someone is seeking help.

I also found that once I was on Samantha’s computer, I was able to see many other services that she might need. I suggested to her that she should clean up her computer and remove some unused software. She liked the idea and even said she’d come back to us to get it done.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed how simple it was to use. And I sensed that she was too. I did feel like phone support would make the session much more enjoyable, save her money and allow me to deliver a better service. I’ve heard it coming from the community, and now I’ve finally experienced it myself.

So guys and gals, I’m rolling up my sleeves — expect phone support sooner rather than later.

Launch, done. Next. Now bugs:

Have we missed anything?

Think about the last time you fell in love. No, seriously. Take a moment to think about it.

Do you remember how you just wanted to tell everyone about it? Remember how you were just dying to tell your friends, and how that was the only thing you spoke about? People love to talk when they are in love. And it’s not only in relationships. Love is a natural catalyst for talk. When people fall in love with a restaurant, they talk about it.

Likewise, when people fall in love with a company, they will tell others. And the only way to get people to talk about MinuteFix is to give them the best darned support they have ever experienced. Make them fall in love with us and we will be big.

Wouldn’t you agree?

I just got word from Chris (or Lead Developer) that we’ll go into full-blown testing tomorrow, Tuesday. That means that if all goes well, we’ll be letting you all play with the chat interaction and working with some test customers by mid-week…

Although it’s tough to believe, the entire MinuteFix staff works from home. Drew works from home. I work from home. Our lead developer Chris works from home. Alin, his right hand works from home. Oscar, our newly-appointed Marketing Manger works from home. We like it like that. Actually, we love it like that. We work best when we don’t have to drive an hour to the office, or have to wait more than five minutes to check our email when we wake up in the morning. You know the feeling.

MinuteFix is designed around working from home. You will most likely be working from home too. If you ever need a reminder of the pleasures of not having to go to the office, here’s a little game to refresh your memory. There are just two rules to surviving ’til vacation. 1) Finish your daily work by collecting the folders and 2) Avoid supervisors.

There will be times when customers will be upset. The MinuteFix Certified Technician community is highly trained, and from our conversations we are delighted to see the enthusiasm and professionalism coming from the community, I know we all have a love for technology and helping people, a requirement for providing great fixes for everything we can possibly fix. There will be times when customers will be frustrated by the technology problems they are facing, making them less productive.

As you know, great Customer Service is almost as (if not more) important than technology knowledge. MinuteFix will change the tech support market by not only providing on-demand support for any problem but also by bringing together the best, sincerest and happiest people together to provide its service. We must talk to our customers like they are our best friends, and keep in mind that they are coming to us when there is a problem, not when times are splendid. Being kind and understanding will make us big.
All MinuteFix Certified Technicians are provided with the MinuteFix Session Manual which talks extensively about providing great customer service. There, you will learn that there are ways to talk to a customer to help them feel better.

I was reminded of the importance of customer service only a few days ago. I recently flew to Europe with Air France. When I arrived I found that my suitcase had been broken in transit rendering it unusable. AirFrance was prompt to offer to pay for the damage but that wasn’t what stuck with me. I’m not writing this blog post to talk about an exchange of cash, but rather to talk about something more important: my feelings and how AirFrance cared about them. And it was as easy as a few words.

Let me show you what I mean. I received this letter in the mail yesterday from Marjorie Bucknor, Customer Relations Representative at AirFrance (I have highlighted any direct references to feelings):

Notice how Marjorie uses empathy to help ease the pain:

“I know this must have been extremely frustrating and disappointing for you.”

In the second paragraph, she uses empathy again:

“”…we realize how distressing such occurrences can be.”

In the last paragraph, she admits that they have broken our trust and their promise of providing me with a great travel experience, and she makes it clear that they are aware of it:

“”We value your business and look forward to future opportunities to server you and win back your confidence.”

Remember that delivering great customer service is about communicating well. It’s about treating the customer like you would a great friend, for being able to say “I’m sorry” even though you didn’t cause the problem. MinuteFix is building the next greatest tech support community and it will be treating our customers well, and it will be through words how we will make a difference.

We are here to help you deliver the world’s best customer service. We want to hear from you and are always available to talk. We’re very serious about customer service, and because of that, we are always available. By email, by chat and by phone.