Date Published July 25, 2017 - Last Updated December 6, 2017
In January 2017, HDI presented the Top 25 Thought Leaders in Technical Support and Service Management. To help you get to know them better and learn what it means to be a community leader, we’ve interviewed each of our thought leaders. Today, we hear from Nate Brown.
Briefly describe your day job and also how you are involved in the community.
By day, I spend most of my time managing a small contact center supporting safety and healthcare software. The team is wonderful, and we’ve got great customers as well, which makes my job a lot of fun. From a community standpoint, I’ve been serving as a board member on our Music City HDI Chapter for the past five years. I also speak at events and write a blog.
What motivates you to be active in the community?
There are two big things that motivate me to engage with the community. First and foremost is the relationships. I’ve met several life-long friends through this journey, and it’s a huge rush to collaborate with a few of the biggest names in customer service. Second is the privilege of broadening my perspectives. The best solutions to major problems are rarely revealed within the confines of your office. It’s amazing what you can learn by engaging with industry peers who have solved similar problems in creative ways.
The best solutions to major problems are rarely revealed within the confines of your office.
What suggestions do you have for tech support professionals interested in getting more involved in the community?
Start by asking yourself what you would like to get out of a like-minded community. Once you’ve established goals, identify who in the industry could assist you. Now be bold and ASK. Once you have a story to share, it’s time to give back. Become a content creator and mentor. A quality network is one in which you are receiving value and offering value to others.
What trends do you anticipate for customer service and how will they affect the customer experience over the next few years?
It would appear artificial intelligence in the form of bots and other helpful aids is a real thing. In the interest of variety, however, I will pick another. I believe video chat is a tool that will grow in the near future for advanced customer service. Much of our ability to communicate and interact is lost when we can’t see the individual we are trying to serve and vice versa. Recent technology has made this channel of support both accessible and affordable. The relationship, and ultimately the customer experience, will be greatly enhanced when we use technology to bridge geographical barriers.
Amy Eisenberg is the editor for HDI where she works with industry experts and practitioners to create content for technical support professionals. She has worked in B2B media and scholarly publishing for more than 20 years, developing content for print and digital magazines, print and email newsletters, websites, conferences, and technical seminars. Follow Amy on Twitter @eisenbergamy, and connect with her on LinkedIn.