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customer service9 Guiding Principles for Doing Startup Customer Service Well

Follow these nine startup customer service tips to get started creating an excellent experience for your prospects and customers.

customer serviceEncouraging Support Teams To Write Help Docs

This Ask Help Scout column includes advice on getting your customer service staff interested in writing more help documents — and creating space for them to do so.

customer serviceThe 11 Best Freshdesk Alternatives to Consider in 2022

Tired of Freshdesk or looking for your first help desk? This list of Freshdesk alternatives will help you decide which tool is right for you.

customer service11 Best HubSpot Alternatives for Support, CRM, and Marketing

These HubSpot alternatives for customer support, sales, and marketing teams will help you streamline your work and save time and money.

customer service12 Predictions for Customer Service Trends in 2022

The new year brings new opportunities to create the customer experiences we all want to deliver. Here are our predictions for customer service trends in 2022.

customer serviceDistribution List vs. Shared Mailbox vs. Shared Inbox: Which Is Best?

There are tons of options you can use when sending emails as a business, but each of them has different value depending on your needs.

productQuarterly Release Notes, December 2021: Targeted Messages, Properties Visibility, and More!

Release Notes is our bimonthly update that highlights recent product improvements we’ve made so you can easily stay up to date on what’s new.

customer serviceFast Food vs. Fine Dining in Customer Service

What can customer service professionals learn from Geraldine DeRuiter’s review, 'Bros., Lecce: We Eat at The Worst Michelin Starred Restaurant, Ever'?

customer serviceHow To Make the Most of Your Customer Support Data

Customer support data is the universal language that allows you to communicate the influence your team has to the rest of the company.

growthReducing and Handling Ecommerce Shipping Cost Complaints

Shipping costs are a primary cause of ecommerce complaints. Here's what support teams can do to reduce complaints and respond effectively.

customer serviceCustomer Self-Service: Benefits, Tips, and 5 Great Tools

When backed by human support, customer self-service is key to delivering excellent support. Here's what you need to know to get started.

customer serviceDealing With Abusive Customers

Why let your human customer service team be yelled at when you could hire a robot to take it all instead? Is AI the answer to customer service abuse, or is there another way?

customer serviceOmnichannel Customer Service 101: Definition, Benefits, & Tips

Learn what omnichannel customer service is, how to get started building an omnichannel strategy, and best practices for getting it right.

customer serviceThe 8 Best Team Email Management Software for 2022

Team email management software minimizes the stress of organizing, processing, and prioritizing email, improving your team's productivity.

productHow FlexJobs Engages Customers With Proactive Messages

Learn how FlexJobs was able to double traffic and contacts during the pandemic as a result of their Beacon and Message setups in Help Scout.

customer serviceHow Support Teams Can Improve Customer Retention

Discover strategies support teams can use to combine high-quality, empathetic customer service with a deliberate focus on business growth.

customer serviceThe 8 Best Customer Service Channels (& How to Pick Them)

Customer service channels can make or break the customer experience. Here are the 8 top channels to consider, plus tips on which to offer.

customer serviceMuseum of Customer Support: The World's Oldest Complaint Letter

In 1750 B.C., a disgruntled customer sent a letter of complaint to his copper dealer about a bad batch of ingots. Hear his complaint in this video, and learn what a good apology might look like.

customer service9 Zendesk Alternatives for 2022 (with Side-By-Side Comparison Chart)

Zendesk is the biggest, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best. Check out our list of 9 Zendesk alternatives to consider for your support team.

customer serviceThe Pros and Cons of Free Help Desks + 5 Options to Consider

We weigh the pros and cons of free vs. paid, plus list 5 tools to consider if a free help desk is right for your company's support team.

customer serviceWriting Your Own Customer Service Recipe Book

Understanding how and when to deviate from the recipe you started with is how you develop your own style and grow your career as a customer service professional.

customer serviceThe 8 Best Hiver Alternatives for Team Collaboration in 2022

Hiver is a step above a shared mailbox, but it still lacks the collaboration tools many teams need. Consider these 8 Hiver alternatives.

customer serviceDelivering Excellent B2C Customer Service: 7 Best Practices

B2C customer service differs greatly from its B2B counterpart, and many strategies need to shift to do it well. Follow these 7 tips to excel.

customer service19 Actionable Help Desk Metrics for Customer Support Teams

Help desk metrics allow you to make the most of your help desk and ensure your team is excelling. Here are 19 to start tracking today.

growthDEI at Help Scout: 2021 Update

As we enter fall 2021, we’re excited to share a new post detailing our progress, efforts, and learnings when it comes to DEI at Help Scout.

customer serviceShared Email Account: Types, Tips, and the 9 Best Tools

Learn about the various types of shared email accounts, and discover nine tools to consider to improve your team's ability to collaborate.

customer serviceThe 11 Best Help Desk Software for 2022 [Ranked & Rated]

Managing customer requests is a hassle without the right tool. These 11 help desk software options will help you get things under control.

customer service14 Actionable Live Chat Metrics to Start Tracking Today

Live chat metrics make it easy to understand how your team is performing and how your customers feel. Here are 14 to start measuring today.

customer serviceBuyer's Guide to Choosing the Right Customer Support Tool

Use this guide to identify your specific support software needs, understand the types of solutions to look for, evaluate your options, and get leadership buy-in.

customer serviceTerrifying Tales of Spooky Support

The relentless customer with suspiciously sharp teeth, and the disturbing silence of an empty inbox. Three support stories to scare any customer service professional this Halloween.

customer serviceWhat is SaaS Customer Support? Examples and Best Practices

SaaS customer support has a deeper impact on your business's key metrics than you might think. Here's why it’s important and how to do it well.

customer serviceAnnouncing Help Scout's 2021 Customer Service Awards

Check out the companies who are delivering exceptional customer experiences in B2B, B2C, and Ecommerce.

customer serviceAnnual Planning as a New Customer Support Leader

Get answers to your most challenging career or leadership questions in Help Scout's customer service advice column by Mat Patterson.

customer service15 Customer Communication Tools to Engage Your Audience

Learn about 15 types of customer communication tools you can use to engage your audience and make the most of your customer relationships.

customer serviceVisit Sea Sat, the Customer Service Restaurant

Some customer questions are difficult, but that additional effort goes unnoticed outside the team. What if those costs were shared on a menu?

customer service27 Helpful Customer Support Tools and Resources

To get the most out of your customer service team, they need access to the right support tools and resources. Here are 27 to consider.

customer service9 Actionable Knowledge Base Metrics to Start Tracking Today

Here are 9 actionable knowledge base metrics to start tracking today to better understand how your knowledge base is performing.

customer serviceWhy Customers Ask Vague Questions (and What To Do About It)

It’s frustrating when customers don’t give you the details you need in order to help them, but they aren’t being lazy. Here’s how to understand and address the root cause of vague questions.

growthThe 11 Best Ecommerce Customer Service Software Platforms

This list of 11 standout ecommerce customer service platforms will help you find the perfect tool to improve your company's customer support.

productBuild Better Customer Relationships With New Targeted Messages

We’re excited to announce major updates to our Messages product. Learn how to deliver proactive support with Help Scout's targeted messages.

customer service10 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service Security

Customer service teams are a common point of attack in information security breaches. Here's how to reduce risk and build a security-conscious team.

customer serviceThe 7 Best Email Management Software + Features to Look For

Email management software minimizes the stress of organizing, processing, and prioritizing email, improving your productivity and focus.

customer serviceHow to Scale Customer Support Without Compromising Service

It’s possible to deliver higher volumes of customer service at a consistently high level of quality — here's how.

customer service5 Steps Support Teams Can Take To Get Product Bugs Fixed

Getting a bug fixed in your product is easier said than done. However, there are a few tactics you can use to improve your chances.

growthHelp Scout’s Step-By-Step Remote Hiring Process

Remote hiring is a different ball game. Follow this step-by-step remote hiring process to find the best workers for your distributed company.

customer serviceThe Book That Changed My Customer Service Career

Why the 2010 customer service book Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profits by Micah Solomon and Leonardo Inghilerri made an impact on my career.

customer serviceCustomer Onboarding Specialist Job Description: Templates and Examples

Learn how to write a customer onboarding specialist job description, and get inspired by several real-world examples.

customer serviceThe Supportive: A Series for Service Professionals

Here’s the type of content you can expect from the series The Supportive, Mathew Patterson's column for customer service professionals.

customer serviceCustomer Success Specialist Job Description: Template and Examples

Draw in qualified applicants with these tips for writing and real-world examples of customer success specialist job descriptions.

customer serviceSmall Business Customer Service Outsourcing: 4 Pitfalls to Avoid

Discover four pitfalls common to small businesses that are new to customer service outsourcing, and learn how to avoid them at your company.

customer serviceThe Ultimate Guide to Small Business Customer Service

Learn everything you need to know about small business customer service with these tips and strategies from small business leaders.

customer serviceWhat Should I Include in My Cover Letter?

Get answers to your most challenging career or leadership questions in Help Scout's customer service advice column by Mat Patterson.

customer serviceHow to Measure Customer Service Quality: Methods & Tools

There's a difference between customer satisfaction and support quality. Here's how to build an effective customer service quality assurance process.

customer serviceHow to Write a Tier 2 Support Job Description + 5 Examples

Here are several examples of tier 2 support job descriptions to use as guidance, along with information on how to write your own.

customer serviceCustomer Support Rep Job Description: Template and Examples

When hiring, it's important to nail your customer support representative job description so you get the best possible applicants.

customer serviceThe 11 Best Knowledge Base Software Platforms for 2022

Learn how knowledge base software can benefit your business, and discover 11 different options to consider for your team.

customer serviceTips & Templates for Writing Great Knowledge Base Articles

Here are some tips, tricks, and templates for how to write excellent knowledge base articles that help customers help themselves.

customer service18 Customer Service Tips for Financial Services Companies

Financial services customer service can be complicated. Here are the challenges you might face, along with some tips to overcome them.

customer serviceManaging Social Media Customer Service: Strategies and Tips

Develop a process for managing social media customer service that best fits your business goals, budget, resources, and customer experience.

customer service9 Customer Service Blogs Every Support Pro Should Follow

Here are 9 customer service blogs we love, with breakdowns of what content you can expect to find on them and details on why they're so amazing.

customer serviceHow to Recognize, Reduce, and Repair Customer Service Burnout

Discover the causes of customer service burnout, and learn how you can identify, reduce, and recover from burnout as leaders and individual contributors.

customer serviceHow FAQ Software Can Help Your Small Business

Learn what FAQ software is, how it can benefit your growing business, and a few key features to look for when shopping around.

customer service13 Tips and Best Practices for Real Estate Customer Service

Working in the real estate industry? Use these 13 tips to create a better customer experience and build stronger client relationships.

growthBuilding a Customer-Oriented Company: Strategies & Examples

Read about five examples of great customer-oriented companies, and learn what practices you can put in place to get better yourself.

customer service11 Tips on Delivering Great Customer Service in Education

We chatted with support professionals working in education to learn their biggest pain points and the solutions they use to solve them.

customer service11 Types of Bad Customer Service (and How To Avoid Them)

Read stories of spectacularly bad customer service, plus get some tips for how to keep situations like these from happening at your company.

customer serviceTelling My Boss About My True Career Goals

Get answers to your most challenging career or leadership questions in Help Scout's customer service advice column by Mat Patterson.

customer serviceGoogle Collaborative Inbox: Pros, Cons, and 5 Alternatives

Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of using Google Collaborative Inbox for customer support, plus discover 5 great alternatives.

customer serviceThe 11 Best Front Alternatives for Customer Support Teams

Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of Front's shared inbox, and discover 9 great Front alternatives to consider for your support needs.

customer serviceDelivering Great Customer Service in the Healthcare Industry

Delivering top-notch customer service is difficult in any industry, but some – like healthcare – have even more challenges than others.

productQuarterly Release Notes, June 2021: Messages Updates, Fundraising Email Series, and More

Release Notes is our bimonthly update that highlights recent product improvements we’ve made so you can easily stay up to date on what’s new.

productHow to Build a Globally Remote Team That Really Works

There is a big difference between “remote, U.S. only” and globally distributed remote teams. Here’s how to build an effective team that spans the globe.

customer service11 Top SaaS Help Desk Software for 2022 [Ranked & Rated]

Learn why your company needs a help desk, find out what features to look for when shopping, and discover the 11 best SaaS help desks.