ZenDesk shows signs of maturity - a new breed of connected support tools

I admire Ruby on Rails applications. Something about the API and the Web 2.0 applications built upon Rails leads to satisfying visual and interaction experiences. Review any of the applications in the 37Signals suit to see these qualities.

Today I read on TechCrunch that ZenDesk, makers of a capable online support portal and help/support desk application, has secured additional funding and picked up a powerful board member, Peter Fenton.

For years, players like RightNow have pushed a quasi-Open-Source support solutions - in their case a PHP underpinning but ultimately their platform is closed and from the old-school of knowledgebase tools and help-desk solutions. Now we see a new breed of support and help-desk software emerge informed by Web 2.0 principles. HelpStream is another player to watch.

I read idea couture's white paper, An Executive Guide to Social Media by Edwin Lee with Scott Friedmann. They summarize clearly why Web 2.0 matters in support:

"social media is not about the technology...not just about the blogs, forums, social networks, etc. It's about how technology enables the 4C's that apply to consumers: connectivity, conversations, co-creation and community. The train has left the station and long gone are the days when companies wielded near absolute control over their messaging. Consumers are holding their own discussions about your brand and re-mixing the messages as they please."

We will inevitably grow tired of Twitter and FaceBook in a years time and move our conversations elsewhere. Supporting technology products may become like immunology for influenza - you adapt quickly and expect change but the basic principles of taking care of customers don't change.

Death of a thousand cuts. Life of a thousand caresses.

Your company will grow loyalty and revenue through attention to the small details (and the big ones). You have to be paying attention and be willing to fix the long tail of small niggles and annoyances. This was my fleeting thought yesterday as I mused a small facet of customer care for a new product my company is working on.

Consider the seemingly simple issue of software rights on your computer. I purchase a PC and then purchase and register, for that PC, a single-license copy of Adobe Acrobat. There are a number of scenarios that may play out in my PC life-cycle that show how customer expectations and needs should be anticipated.

1. I may need to have the PC repaired which results in the PC itself being replaced by a B-stock unit. Now I need to re-register the software on that PC and de-register the old PC.
   
2. I decide to get a new PC and wish to bring the software to the new PC. There are two issues here - perhaps the version of Windows or OS X does not match the requirements for Acrobat. Also I am assuming that Adobe allows license transfer to another PC outside of a repair scenario.
   
3. I decide to sell the PC and I bundle my software with the sale. What are the rights of the purchaser for support, upgrades, resale etc.?
   
4. I give the PC to a family member. What rights does that person inherit around the Acrobat software?
   
5. I die and the PC is inherited by a relative. What rights does that person inherit for the Acrobat software?
   
6. I get spy ware on my PC and I wipe the disk and start over installing everything afresh. I lose the tokens that Adobe stored on my PC for registration and need to re-verify my license.
   

It seems to me that consumers don't need to be exposed to the complexities of these scenarios and should be insulated from the complexities of re-registration. Consumer rights should be clearly stated in non-legal understandable language - just like nutrition labeling but also in legalese to satisfy lawyers' needs.

So much needless interaction goes on regarding DRM and license protections. These transactions could be handled more elegantly using centralized processes for license and ownership management. Simplicity and consistency are key principles.

A good example of an ownership pain point - Apple iTunes store does not allow re-download of music that has been purchased. Amazon responds with the ability to download your purchased music repeatedly. In a digital era, I would not mind paying a small fee to Amazon or Apple for this service - I know the bandwidth and data maintenance costs a modest amount. The value to me of knowing I can re-download gives me the freedom to avoid using a home network backup solution.

Software migration and ownership transfer feels like an area of small cuts right now. Small cuts collectively feel like a big wound and a disincentive to trade. Small caresses are harder to execute but are so valuable to the customer; download Firefox and you notice how thoughtful the whole process is. Not only is this software free but the experience of acquisition is beautifully managed - auto-detection of OS to prevent offering multiple possible downloads, immediate forwarding to a welcome & help page once you start the download, collection of survey data if you choose to un-install.

From my small examples above, I can share that I rarely purchase from iTunes store but I readily purchase from Amazon. I have warm feelings for the Mozilla foundation but am neutral about Microsoft and IE.

You have to have the fundamentals right in your product. But customer satisfaction often comes from the additional gloss of the many small thoughtful details in delivery and life-cycle management. Apply thought to the long tail of small tasks that customers experience. I choose life - the life of a thousand caresses.

Website redesign lessons

When you go through a corporate site re-branding and restructure, beware the consequences for your support site efficiency. Here are some key factors to consider:

1. A design agency is likely to know almost nothing about support site usability. Don't assume they know anything even if client example sites included a support section. Designers tend to have a strong voice in homogenizing site features.

2. Search design is critical to your success. That is, placement of the search box(es), global controls over collections and organization of search results.

3. Evaluate top-down design decisions for your customers. Using flashy animated elements or elements that do not work well with older browsers, may not make your customers happy.

4. Consider how Web 2.0 elements may newly assist customers.

5. Consider the importance of URL consistency. How much redirection will be needed and how much you will need to redirect to generic areas like the home page of support.

6. Battle the righteous fight with your Marketing group if they attempt to make it difficult for customers to identify your individual product SKUs. Marketing and Sales departments think about now and the future. Customer Service groups think about now and the past.

7. Customers may understand support lifecycle management as a principle but they understand it like taxes; a necessary evil. Keep older content even if it does not meet the branding guidelines but make it clear that the customer uses it unsupported and at their own risk.

8. Your KPI measures may be harder to measure in recessionary times or the tools available may differ at the end of the project. Be ready to be flexible on KPI measurement.

9. Do your homework before the redesign to establish the relative importance of your support within your web ecosphere. It's a bit like division of Antarctica - control the appropriately sized slice of the cake.

Customer Support groups need to protect brand loyalty and the support & service value that customers purchase. The cost of service and support is part of your COGS in a B2C product. It's a long term play but one worth protecting for a faster recovery from constrained times.