How To Improve Customer Satisfaction in Technical Support

We have customers all over the world.  We speak different languages; we are in different time zones;  we are in different countries.  But there are many things that we have in common when it comes to technical support.  We all want and expect the best support when we have problems and need help.    What does wanting and expecting the best support actually mean for an IT team?

6 Customer Expectations for a Technical Support Team

Here’s what our customers tell us they expect from a Technical Support Team.

Listen to the Customer

Customers (just like everyone else) like to be listened to.  When talking to a customer, it is important to let the customer describe the problem.  As a Support engineer, take notes, listen to what the customer is describing, and ask follow-up questions to gather important information.  Do not interrupt the customer while they are talking.  To confirm you understand what the customer stated, summarize what the customer told you.   Summarize actions and make sure everyone is on the same page. Don’t assume you know the problem before the customer has described it.

Talk to a Real Person

Customers still prefer to talk to a “real” person and not an automated voice / AI/ ChatBot.   Customers like talking to a support agent right away who knows the product and not just following a script. Nothing is more frustrating than when you call to get help with a problem you are experiencing, and you have to go through multiple automations to try to get to a “real” person. Many times you end up going in circles and arrive back to the scenario in which you started!  Valuable time can be quickly wasted trying to get a “real” person on the phone to help you.   Customers calling in for help strongly prefer setting up a video conference to share the problem live with a support team.  A picture is worth 1000 words!  In our experience, trying to help customers without a visual and without asking “live” questions adds to the length of time to solve a problem.

Availability 24 x 7

Customers are all around the world and want to contact support at any time of the day or night.  We offer around-the-clock support every day of the week.  To accommodate this, we have multiple teams around the world that cover 24 hours a day, every day of the week.  When customers need us, we are there for them.  We have procedures in place to escalate cases when our team members need immediate assistance on critical downtime issues affecting the customer’s business. Our customers use our High Availability and Disaster Recovery software,  and our Technical Support team reinforces this goal by being ready to provide assistance whenever we are needed.

Experienced Support Engineers

Customers don’t have time to get on the phone with a person who can’t help them and needs to pass the call to someone else.  Customers want to talk to support engineers who can assist with their questions and problems. At SIOS, we make a point to ensure that customers are quickly put in contact with an experienced member of our technical support team so the issue can be addressed as soon as possible. Based upon our Customer Surveys, customers love our technical support team! Our support team has an average of 16 years of total support experience; this expertise allows issues to be addressed quickly and often without having to escalate cases to another group. Customers appreciate it when they are met with experienced personnel who can join a video conference and provide real-time assistance based on years of experience.

Be transparent

Customers appreciate transparency.  They want to know reality.   Don’t make promises that you cannot keep.  Always ensure that the customer understands what you are going to do to help them solve the problem and when you will be getting back in touch with them.  Explain the steps that need to be done to the customer as you go, and ensure that the steps are approved by the customer before you execute them.   Many customers need to get pre-approval prior to implementing changes to their systems.  In pursuit of transparency, it is important to give the customer frequent updates that give insight into the support process.  Even if your update is, “We are still analyzing the logs”, tell the customer this to keep them updated.   Don’t tell them what you think they want to hear; tell them the truth.

Customer Surveys

For every case customers open with technical support, a survey is sent to the customer when the case is closed.  This gives the customer an opportunity to provide feedback so our teams can continuously improve our products, documentation, and support. Our support team looks at completed customer surveys at least once a week and responds to customers who have concerns, ideas, and improvement suggestions, letting them know what actions we took on their feedback.   Customers often thank us for resolving their issues quickly and for demonstrating our commitment to their success by following through on the notes they leave us after the case is closed.

What Customers Expect from a 24/7 HA/DR Technical Support Team

Customers reaching out for technical support on HA/DR products want to know they are being heard by a real person, not a bot. They expect to talk to experienced agents who actually know how to fix their problems and who stay transparent about what’s happening every step of the way. By offering this human touch with 24/7 availability, we show our customers that we are always there when they need us. Today’s technical support isn’t just about solving a ticket; it’s about building trust, listening, and being reliable and honest whenever customers need assistance.

Looking for a technical support team that understands HA/DR? Schedule time with a SIOS HA expert to see how we deliver high availability, automated recovery, and reliable cluster deployments.

Author: Sandi Hamilton, Director of Product Support Engineering at SIOS