Whether you’re a business, duo or solo-entrepreneur there comes a point in your company where customer interactions will be constant and time-consuming. You don’t want people who see customer support as an entry level job into your company before they can make their transition into their desired department. Customer support is an art, and the people you employ need to enjoy it and be passionate about it. Recruiting the right people to join your customer service team can be one of the most tactful ways of getting your business ahead. It’s crucial to hire the best talent possible. Your customer service team is the often the only human-to-human contact your customers will have with your brand. They have the power to make great impressions and delight, but can also cause upset and bad feelings. Hiring the best support pros around will help keep your customers happy, solve their problems and help your team become renowned for it’s customer service in your industry. Your people are your company’s most valuable resource.

1. How to find and hire your first
dedicated customer support rep
Get
H.I.R.E.D

2. So it may be time to hire your first customer support rep. But it’s
difficult to know what, where or how to look if you’ve not done
this before.
Spending too much time on customer service means
you can’t focus on growth, scaling and products.
Let us walk you through first hire.
Systems and
elimination
Handling
applications
Get ahead and learn when you should be hiring your next support agent

3. Hiring a support rep will help you:
Regain your focus! Ask yourself:
“Am I working in my business or on my business?”
Remember: Eliminate before you delegate
Eliminate time consuming interactions
Give your customers the expert attention they deserve

4. Scalable systems of support
“The best executive is one who has sense
enough to pick good men to do what he wants
done, and self-restraint enough to keep from
meddling with them while they do it.”
Theodore Roosevelt

5. But is it not just hire and off they go?
Unfortunately not. If you don’t share your entire knowledge to
your support team and give them the responsibility they need,
you’re going to end up wasting your time, their time, and your
customers' time. Get things done faster by delegating the infor-
mation AND responsibility to your support reps.
Remember: Empower your support reps

6. You can grow through great service
“Having talented customer service
representatives elevates your brand and
supports the most powerful form of
marketing: word of mouth.”
Molly Reynolds
President of Public Relations,
Trepoint

7. Customer support
is an art, and the
people you employ
need to enjoy it
and be passionate
about it.
Customer support
reps bring a
unique flow
between your
business and the
outside world.
Consider
candidates with
volunteering
experience - it
means they love
helping people.

8. Get The Essential Guide
to Hiring Customer
Support Excellence
You can dream about
having a great support
team - or you can make it
happen.
Check it out!

9. Honest
Intutive
Respectful
Empathetic
Detailed
Get
H
I
R
E
D
The HIRED method will
make sure you hire someone
with the right skills and
knowledge for your team.
If you look for these key
personality traits, you’ll be
sure to hire someone who
you can trust to represent
your brand and make your
customers happy.

10. Honest
Your support rep shouldn’t have to lie
to customers in order to resolve
issues. They should have the skills and
confidence to tell customers the truth
about issues in a way that is helpful to
resolving the situation.
Get
H
I
R
E
D

11. Problem solving should be your
support rep’s forte. Not only should
they be creative with how they solve
customers’ problems, but they should
have the foresight to spot a potential
issue and tackle it before it becomes a
problem.
Intuitive Get
H
I
R
E
D

12. Respectful
Your support rep should be mindful to
the fact that the customer has taken
time to get in touch. They should aim
to be as helpful and personable as
possible while resolving the problem
efficiently.
Get
H
I
R
E
D

13. Empathetic
Your support rep should be able to
empathise with all customers, even
those who are angry or frustrated.
They should make all customers feel
listened to and understood, every
time.
Get
H
I
R
E
D

14. Detailed
Your support rep should be
observant, fastidious and able to get
to the root of a problem quickly. They
shouldn’t skip steps, or miss any
information.
Get
H
I
R
E
D

15. Learn from the best
Draw some inspiration from some of the smartest hirers around.
“Delivering good customer service requires frontline
workers to receive support from co-workers - in
effect, a chain reaction of teamwork that is
consistent from beginning to end. And the chain of
assistance is only as strong as its weakest link.”
Richard Branson
Global entrepreneur

16. "Invest in your team. At the end of the day, JetBlue is
able to deliver award-winning customer service
because of the talented, passionate and committed
crew members who truly believe in our values and
our mission, delivering on both each and every day.”
Phil Ma
JetBlue, Manager of Advertising

17. “The strategic decision that transformed my
company [was] the decision to make the quality of
our service a competitive advantage and a
distinguishing factor that would be recognized by
the general public.”
Isadore Sharp
Founder and Chairman,
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

18. Grow your business through better customer service with
Kayako, the unified customer service platform.
customer service
kayako.com
@kayako