PASSION PROJECTS & IDEAS
I read that the Basecamp customer support team can work on passion projects. I thought I’d mention some of the ideas that came up while I was writing my application. Of course this is just a conversation starter. At the very least, I hope it shows that I have a genuine interest in making the experience for the user and the team as good as possible. I’m happy to flesh the ideas out into more concrete pitches if you find something of interest in them.
Customer Support Podcast
A customer support podcast with colleagues from the support team. “OMG Cast” sounds like a good working title. A weekly podcast that shares the company’s knowledge and insights about customer support with the public and the rest of the Basecamp crew. Adding to the “Everyone On Support” mindset.
It would also be a great opportunity to regularly learn from top notch support guests in the industry and to expand Basecamp’s leadership in this area. I’d suggest to do weekly AMAs with listener questions as well. We could extract these Q&As into a dedicated second episode each week.
I have produced 160 episodes of my code & design podcast “Between | Screens” and I’m confident that I have the experience to make it happen on a weekly or bi-weekly basis using my passion project day.
Micro Tutorial Video Library
Feature explanations and frequently asked support questions could be made into quick micro video tutorials to enhance the documentation. 60-90 seconds tops. You can take a look at 30 example videos about Basecamp here: http://rawvis.com/basecamp-micro-tutorials
Imagine that the micro screencasts are being voiced by various members of the support crew or the whole Basecamp team during their support days. Using a polished script, team members would probably record the audio for one video in under 15 minutes.
The support team can send these videos out with a first well crafted response when appropriate. Especially if customers would need to wait longer due to high demand. Building a library of 100-200+ micro video tutorials over time might free up time for edge cases that take longer to deal with.
It’s certainly not a replacement for a well written support message—not at all—but it could be an additional tool in the box. When the team is understaffed or pressed for time, a first response with a quick video tutorial on the matter might be an effective strategy to deal with long queues. Plus, some people might prefer a quick video about their issue because they digest information better through videos. I think this kind of automation could be beneficial and time saving for the users and the support team alike, but quite frankly, I'm mostly guessing here…
Shape Up Podcast with Ryan Singer.
Listeners can learn from Ryan's design approach. Could be interesting to record his Bob Moesta style customer interviews and then learn from his insights via a debrief with a design savvy podcast host.
Customer Support Bootcamp
1-2 months training of becoming an excellent Customer Support Representative… Jason can finally teach his writing course in house. ;)
Blog Posts
I’d also like to blog about my experience in customer support. I think it’s important to share lessons learned and insights with other teams and companies that want to learn from Basecamp’s support expertise. Publishing email interviews with experts in the field could also be an interesting option.
3-D Printed Thank You Cards
I read that Kristin likes to send out letters / postcards to customers and that it’s sometimes hard to find the time. One option could be to use a 3-D printer to do the writing. The options are endless. It can use any pen or marker you want. These messages can still have a unique and handmade look. Saves time and uses tech in an interesting manner. Could also include graphic design—like a hand drawn Basecamp logo or holiday themed graphics.
Charity Tips
For customers who are very happy with the help they got, we could add a fourth option to the feedback smileys. An opportunity to leave a small tip as a thank you that we send to a charity each month. Fully transparent of course. Maybe Basecamp would even like to match these charitable donations.
I would recommend one important feature though. It’s probably best to completely anonymize it on the team side. In order to not make it a competitive thing about who gets the most amount among team members.
Another option could be to use these funds for scholarships or apprenticeships that are supporting underprivileged minorities to get into support / tech. That could be cool as well.
3-D Printed Thank You Cards
I read that Kristin likes to send out letters / postcards to customers and that it’s sometimes hard to find the time. One option could be to use a 3-D printer to do the writing. The options are endless. It can use any pen or marker you want. These messages can still have a unique and handmade look. Saves time and uses tech in an interesting manner. Could also include graphic design—like a hand drawn Basecamp logo or holiday themed graphics.