Software startups are exciting. We develop applications to adapt to the rapidly changing, neverending requirements of both users and clients. Welcome to the world of challenges, the world of challenging the status quo.

As humans, once we achieve a degree of expertise, a level of comfort, we are prone to start cocooning. We start building high walls around us, creating silos. This is true across industries and often even more so in software development. But working in silos is the exact opposite of the way a startup should work. In fact, startups should aim to create an open culture, an idea box to which anyone can contribute. And why do I say this? It is because quite often the solutions to the problems we face are simple and can come from the least expected areas of an organization.

Let me tell you the story of how an FMCG giant made millions just by listening to the employee working at the bottom level of the pyramid. The company was at a stage when the revenues from a key product were stagnating. The senior executives were tasked with delivering innovative ideas to increase revenue but nothing seemed to work. Then, an employee at the lowest level of the business overheard the conversation and an idea struck him immediately. He walked up to his boss and put across his thoughts. The product in question was being dispensed in tubes similar to that of toothpaste or a cosmetic cream. He suggested, “Why not increase the size of the tube neck? Making this change means more will be dispensed each time thereby forcing the user to buy sooner”. 

The beauty of code is that it can solve many problems, open up many opportunities to grow and expand offerings to customers. In short, we are all here to help solve a problem or fulfill a certain need of the consumer or user.  Just as designing a software application starts with architecture, a startup has to integrate its various teams and functions including the customer like a well-connected neural network.

Developers are often caught up in the whirlwind of delivering solutions. This can create a disconnect between them and the support teams, and sometimes even customers. Let’s take a back seat and think for a minute. Who can understand the code better; the developer or a support person? My take is that it is the developer. But who is the one who is closer to the implementation with the customer and users? This time it is the support team. So it’s important to create a system that facilitates free-flowing communication between the two divisions.

It’s essential that an organisation listens to its customers. Support teams are the front-line team that interact with your consumers day in and day out. Organizations should seek to weave a culture of listening to their customers by making the support division their brand ambassadors, then enabling them to communicate the real situation on the ground back to the developers. The developers, with full knowledge of the context, can then create the code to serve the customer’s needs.

Frequently Asked Quetions

What are Technical support fundamentals?

We are not complete technical support we are a support team that works closely with any customer-facing issues and any technical issues on the product side. The basic fundamentals required are good communication skills, Understanding the customer POV. Data points on the product help us isolate the issue and troubleshoot.

What are Common technical support issues on Scan and Go Technology?

The most issues the customers reach out to us is,

• Refund Issues
• Payment issues
• Item scan issues
• Promotions not applying

Is technical support a good job?

Technical issues are part of any solution and hence a person with analytical skills can always learn on the technology side in the Support job. The Human side is as much a part of the technical side. Allows you to grow empathy and also look at issues from different perspectives.

Technical support engineer responsibilities?

The basic responsibilities is to be able to understand the issues the customer or the product is facing and how to be able to resolve them. Work closely with customers to be able to deliver what they need, as at the end of the day the systems are built for the customer.

Naveen Sajjan

Technical Support Manager @ MishiPay
Follow him on – LinkedIn

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