At OpenPhone, every customer interaction is an opportunity to gain deep insights about our user experience and discover opportunities to enhance it. As the leader of our customer experience efforts, I am always inspired by our customers’ stories and feedback. We view each piece of feedback as an opportunity for growth. This approach does more than just shape our product; it embodies our mission to help small businesses build meaningful customer relationships effortlessly.
Customers judge innovative products by the quality of experiences provided by them. We keep this principle top of mind as we grow.
The challenge of scaling a business and its impact on customers
As we’ve scaled, we’ve had our fair share of challenges, from regulatory changes like A2P 10DLC, which affects how businesses can text their customers, to operational hiccups that stem from increases in our support volumes.
One way we’ve addressed these challenges is by responding quickly to customer feedback. When I joined the team, one of my first actions was to establish a responsive social media support team to meet customers where they are. This initiative significantly mitigated any negative sentiment because we made sure there were swift responses to customer inquiries.
The move towards omnichannel support
Central to our customer experience strategy is our commitment to being there for our customers, ensuring they feel their voices are heard and their problems are resolved. When the volume of support tickets surged, it tested our team’s commitment, and drove us to a pivotal decision: the transition to omnichannel support.
“Omnichannel support is a comprehensive customer service approach designed to provide seamless assistance across various channels and devices based on customer preferences.”
Celia Cerdeira, TalkDesk, 2023
This shift included:
- Launching our AI chatbot and enhancing help center resources to deliver on our promise of 24/7 support.
- Revamping email communications and implementing empathy training sessions to deepen our connections with customers.
We had to make sure that this shift provided a seamless experience to customers across all our channels, while also complying with new standards.
The people behind the progress
What sets OpenPhone apart is the dedication of our team. From customer support specialists to product managers, each member is deeply committed to our vision of helping businesses thrive. This collective commitment is our greatest strength, driving continuous improvement and innovation.
We are focused on crafting meaningful experiences, nurturing relationships, and building a community where every voice is heard and valued.
Want to learn more from our journey building OpenPhone in public? Check out these articles from my colleagues:
- How we scaled our support team to serve 58,000+ customers
- How we think about product design
- How OpenPhone leverages user research to design product features
