Podcast ¦ Punk CX: We got everyone involved in support and made our customer support metrics public – Interview with Kenji Hayward of Front

Key Takeaways

1. Transparent Culture in Customer Support: Kenji Hayward stresses the importance of fostering a transparent culture in customer support to build trust with both customers and employees.
2. Hybrid Approach at Front: Front adopts a hybrid approach by leveraging email as the primary communication tool, while integrating collaboration features to streamline support processes.
3. Employee Experience in Frontline Support: The initiative of having all employees experience frontline support roles promotes greater empathy and understanding across departments.
4. Reducing Silos Through Employee Engagement: Engaging employees in support operations boosts organisational learning and reduces silos between teams.
5. Radical Strategy of Public Support Metrics: Making support metrics public is a bold yet effective way to build trust and accountability in customer relationships.
6. Investing in Support and Training: Companies that prioritise support and invest in training and exposure to customer interactions see improvements in performance and customer satisfaction.
7. The Role of AI in Support: The evolving support landscape highlights AI’s role in automating processes while enhancing, not replacing, human collaboration.
8. Inclusivity in Support Roles: Including diverse perspectives in support roles benefits customer service and enhances employee awareness of customer needs.
9. Transforming Work Culture: Fun and engaging initiatives can transform work culture, leading to a more cohesive and motivated support team.
10. Support Metrics and Business Outcomes: Increased company-wide visibility of support metrics can enhance business outcomes and contribute to better lead generation.
11. Voice of the Customer Insights: Integrating real-time feedback from the Voice of the Customer will be vital in shaping future support strategies.
12. Proactive Customer Service: Companies should leverage real-time data to transform customer service into a proactive experience rather than a reactive one.

Key Statistics

• Front has over 9,000 customers using its AI-powered customer service platform.
• Kenji Hayward has been leading global support at Front for over seven years.

Key Discussion Points

• Email’s Ongoing Relevance: Despite claims of its decline, email remains a vital tool in business communication.
• Collaboration within Support Teams: Effective collaboration within support teams significantly enhances the customer experience by enabling seamless communication.
• Prioritising Customer Support: Organisations must treat customer support as a key driver of business success and employee engagement.
• Technology and Shared Metrics: The use of technology to create shared, visible metrics for all stakeholders helps in building transparency and trust.
• Challenges in Advocating for Shared Support Experiences: Support leaders face challenges in promoting shared customer service experiences across departments.
• Onboarding with Customer Support Experience: Employee onboarding that includes customer support experience promotes better cross-departmental collaboration.
• Mid-level Management Advocacy: Mid-level management plays a crucial role in advocating for innovative support strategies to overcome organisational barriers.
• Emotional Connection in Customer Journeys: Employees who experience the customer journey firsthand build a stronger emotional connection with customers.
• Proactive Support Management: Proactively managing support experiences is key to building customer loyalty.
• Real-time Feedback and AI: Harnessing real-time feedback through AI helps refine support strategies.
• Cultural Shifts and Customer Satisfaction: Cultural shifts within organisations have a direct impact on overall customer satisfaction metrics.
• Community-driven Initiatives: Community-driven initiatives can enhance organisational learning and customer engagement.

Podcast Description

In this episode of the Punk CX Podcast, Idris Vinsco interviews Kenji Hayward, Senior Director of Customer Support at Front. The conversation delves into innovative approaches to customer service, focusing on the importance of transparency, collaboration, and employee engagement within support teams. Kenji shares insights into how frontline experiences can bridge departmental gaps and improve customer satisfaction. He also discusses the challenges and successes involved in making support metrics public. The podcast explores the future of customer experience, highlighting the integration of AI and Voice of the Customer technologies to shape more effective support strategies.