Thursday, July 14, 2022

I see what's happening here

Seeing is believing

Once upon a tech support call, my colleague was having trouble with a jumpy mouse cursor. This was in the ancient times, when a mouse contained a rubberised ball that could get clogged up and need cleaning.

But that was not the issue. Instead, I came upon them using the mouse backwards, left and right buttons under their palm and the cable trailing back under their wrist. They had always used a mouse that way, apparently, but the desk edge was now dragging the wire and causing the mouse to jerk.

If I had not seen it in person I would never have believed it, and I would have really struggled to resolve the problem remotely.

I love working remotely, but I do miss seeing how other people work and talking with them about customer communication. That is why I am excited¹ that real world community conferences are coming back.

Being able to spend time with a bunch of other humans who care deeply about the quality of their work and the importance of our field is so valuable.

To that end, Help Scout is sponsoring the September ElevateCX conference² in Denver, CO. It will be two full days of talks and chat on everything support, success, and community management. That link will get you 10% off a ticket, while they last.

If you can get there safely, or perhaps to another event like those from our friends at Support Driven, you will benefit greatly, and later on so will your customers.

I promise you this too: Someone at those events needs your help, no matter how little you feel you have to share. The story you tell in between sessions might be exactly what they need to solve a work challenge or cope with a crisis.

There is always someone who has not yet learned what you have, and they will be thrilled to chat with you. As will I, if you hit reply and tell me something you learned recently.

¹ Though also hesitant and cautious given the ongoing pandemic situation. Sigh.

² ElevateCX (and previously UserConf) has delivered 10 years worth of events and community connection, and I can personally attest to their value.

Mat Patterson
Help Scout

How to Build a Globally Remote Team That Really Works

Working with people all over the world presents additional complexity compared to having everyone within an hour or two of your own working day. With some thoughtful effort, it can be done. Here's how.