Customer Support Leaders

Send us Fan Mail Ever faced a customer whose day went off the rails before they reached you? We dive into the emotional mechanics of difficult conversations and show how empathy, clear choices, and a partnership mindset can turn even the messiest moments into momentum. Charlotte sits down with customer and employee experience strategist Marc Haine to unpack a practical toolkit that works across ho...

Send us Fan Mail What if the fastest path to trustworthy AI starts with a better knowledge base?  David Kay is Principal at DB Kay & Associates, a consultancy focused on knowledge management and self-service for support. He was recognized as an Innovator by the Consortium for Service Innovation, and has been KCS v6 Certified as a Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) practitioner, coach, and traine...

Send us Fan Mail Outages test more than systems—they test culture. We dig into what “calm under pressure” actually looks like, from the first hint of trouble to the final post‑incident review. Together with guest Kat Gaines of PagerDuty, we explore why support must be a core stakeholder, how trust and blamelessness turn heat into focus, and the small operational moves that make the next incident s...

Send us Fan Mail Sauce jokes aside, we get real about AI in customer support: why it’s tempting to chase the trend, how early demos can mislead, and what actually works once you bring models into day-to-day operations. Rob Dwyer joins us to unpack the difference between toy and tool, sharing lessons from building conversational analytics and automated QA across diverse industries. We dig into the...

Send us Fan Mail The alarms stop, but the real work is just getting started. Charlotte Ward and Kat Gaines pull back the curtain on what effective teams do after an incident is resolved—how to pause, learn, and communicate in a way that actually strengthens trust. We explore why a short breather prevents knee‑jerk conclusions, how to balance pressure for instant answers with thoughtful analysis, a...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what distinguishes a true leader from the rest? Join me, Charlotte Ward, as I unlock the secrets of leadership potential within customer support teams alongside Meredith Malloy. Discover how to identify the "unicorns" among your team—those rare individuals who possess the natural empathy and connection skills that are foundational to effective leadership. M...

Send us Fan Mail Unlock the secrets to mastering technical support as we, Robert Cabral and I, guide you through the art of enlisting engineering support for complex inquiries. You'll discover how data-driven strategies can transform your support processes, leading to a drastic reduction in ticket escalations. Robert shares his expertise on creating a robust taxonomy for categorizing issues,...

Send us Fan Mail Unlock the secrets to building a standout customer support team by tuning into our captivating conversation with Alyssa Purcell, a seasoned manager from New York City. Alyssa brings her expertise to the table, offering strategies for crafting precise job descriptions that attract the right candidates. She shares the nuanced art of balancing skills assessment with cultural fit, and...

Send us Fan Mail Unlock the secrets to mastering incident management with our latest episode featuring the insightful Kat Gaines. Discover how to transform your customer support strategy by crafting effective incident communications and building strong interdepartmental relationships. Learn from Kat as she delves into the complexities of maintaining a unified communication strategy amidst a sea of...

Send us Fan Mail Kristina King returns to the spotlight, sharing her remarkable pivot from finance and teaching to becoming a technical support engineer, all without a formal CS degree. Kristina's narrative underscores the power of varied backgrounds in tech, illustrating her philosophy of hiring for culture "add" rather than culture "fit." She emphasizes the need to exten...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how startups can access top-tier leadership without bringing on full-time executives? Brian Levine , joins me to share his journey and unpacks the innovative concept of fractional leadership in customer support.  Brian has been in tech support, in one capacity or another, for 15 years. He's been VP of Support at GitHub and Head of Support at Plaid, among others....

Send us Fan Mail From The Archives: Careers in Support Discover the secrets of building a thriving career in the customer support industry as Matt Dale joins me to unravel the multitude of paths available for support team members. From nurturing the journey of an individual contributor to embracing leadership roles or exploring new arenas like QA and customer satisfaction, this episode promises to...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the adrenaline rush of an incident meets the need for effective communication? Join us as we chat with Kat Gaines, the leader of PagerDuty’s developer advocacy and community team, who brings her expertise to the table. You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how maintaining transparent communication not only soothes nerves during crises but also keeps cust...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Redbord, a seasoned veteran from HubSpot with over a decade of experience, joins us to unravel the mysteries of managing customer support beyond mere numbers. Discover why Michael believes that looking past the spreadsheets can uncover stories of exceptional customer service, and how these anecdotes can act as guiding beacons for your team. He shares valuable insights on bala...

Send us Fan Mail Discover how to master the delicate art of balancing automation with human interaction in customer support, as Corey Brown and Elliot Fox share their expert insights. Facing the pressure to adopt AI while keeping a personal touch can be challenging for businesses. This episode uncovers the potential pitfalls of over-relying on AI, such as generic responses, and emphasizes the impo...

Send us Fan Mail Unlock the secrets behind the spreadsheets and discover the hidden complexities of customer support with me and my special guest Ash Rhodes. Ash brings his seasoned perspective on the pitfalls of reducing support staff to mere numbers, reminding us of the importance of understanding the real-time dedication required to resolve customer issues. Together, we explore the nuances of t...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how a support desk manager transforms the reputation of their team from the "black sheep" to a pivotal player in brand development and customer interaction? Join me, Charlotte Ward, as I sit down with Steve Tondé from PayShepherd, a Canadian fintech company, who shares his transformative leadership journey and the evolving role of support teams in today&apo...

Send us Fan Mail What if handling awkward workplace conversations could be less daunting and more compassionate? Join us as we sit down with Hilary Dudek from Gluco, who shares her expert strategies for navigating these challenging discussions with grace and empathy. With five years of tech support experience under her belt, Hilary emphasizes the importance of putting yourself in the other person&...

Send us Fan Mail What makes a Customer Liaison Officer indispensable during incident management? Join us as we tap into the expertise of Kat Gaines , who shares her invaluable experience and detailed examples to illuminate the crucial responsibilities of this role. Discover how effectively bridging the communication gap between incident response teams and customer-facing staff can transform your i...

Send us Fan Mail Mastering Leadership Communication in Startup Support; with Andrew Rios How do you transform data into compelling business narratives? Join us in Episode 270 of the Customer Support Leaders Podcast, where Andrew Rios returns to share his invaluable insights on building a robust communications plan for new roles. Andrew explains the power of a "support report" and how sta...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what it takes to build a high-performing contact center from scratch? Join us as we uncover the secrets with Joe DiNatale . Joe is a contact center executive with extensive experience across operations, strategy, customer experience, and vendor management. Over his career he has held most leadership positions within the contact center space including building call ce...

Send us Fan Mail Nurturing Empathy in Customer Support with Natalie Ruhl How can you genuinely connect with your customers and create a more harmonious workplace? Join me in this enlightening episode from the archives of the Customer Support Leaders podcast, first broadcast in January 2020, where I sit down with Natalie Ruhl, Director of Community Operations at SoundCloud. Natalie delves into the...

Send us Fan Mail Mastering Incident Management - Part 2 of 6; with Kat Gaines Embark on an insightful expedition into the nerve center of incident management with Kat Gaines and myself, as we unravel the essentials of tailoring an effective process for your organization. We're not just bystanders in the realm of crisis resolution; we're the architects designing the blueprint. This episod...

Send us Fan Mail Finding the Balance Between Product and Functional Expertise; with Colin Flanigan Unlock the secrets of superior product support with Charlotte Ward and special guest Colin Flanigan, Director of Customer Experience at Sage, in a conversation that promises to elevate your understanding of customer experience leadership. If you've ever pondered the perfect balance of product an...

Send us Fan Mail Prepare to be enlightened as we sit down with the incomparable Nick Zeisler , or Zee as we fondly call him, for a riveting discussion on the essential role of Voice of the Customer (VOC) programs. This episode promises to transform your approach to customer feedback, from mere data points to actionable insights that can prevent your company from breaking its brand promise. Zee pas...