How to get better help from Customer Support

[smashradio]

After nine years on Fiverr, I've had my share of support tickets. And while the experience hasn't always been good (more on that later), most of them have solved my problems quickly. This was true when I was a new seller, a level 1, a level 2, and a TRS/Pro seller, so it's not just a tip for those with prioritized support. 

Here are some tips to get more and better support from Fiverr when you need it: 

Be polite and friendly

You'd be surprised by what a "Thank you for looking into this" and "I hope you're doing well" can do to the outcome of any case. Just think about how you, as a seller, are more likely to be extra helpful to a buyer if they're polite, friendly, and professional in their communication. Then think about how you feel when a buyer does the opposite and treats you to a snarky tone. You're more likely to want a quick solution and get them off your dashboard.

Even though the support representatives are trained professionals, they're still human. I'm a trained professional and admit I've felt like this more than once. I always stop myself at that moment and remind myself of the three Ps: Professionalism, patience, and a people-first attitude, but you can't expect someone to want to help you if you mistreat them. 

Explain your problem thoroughly

If you've ever had a buyer giving you vague requirements, you know how the support representative feels when they have to solve a problem without having all the necessary details. It's annoying and completely unnecessary. Take your time to write a support ticket. Ensure you include all relevant information in your initial ticket, including any relevant order numbers, usernames, screenshots of conversations, etc.

If you're contacting them about something not working correctly, including where it happened, when, and what you did. It will help support to replicate the problem and understand your situation better. It also helps to include things like which browser you used, operating system/device, and if you're using any browser addons like adblockers, etc. 

Make sure they can understand you

Use simple and straightforward language. You might think you're the next Agatha Christie trying to tell the story of "The Affair of the Vanished Order: A Fiverr Mystery", but you want to keep it simple and to the point. There's no need to use fancy language or make what you're trying to say unclear by including your whole life's story.

Make sure your ticket is clearly laid out: Introduction > Explain the issue > Clearly state the outcome you're hoping for > Thank them for their time and effort. 

Easy. 

Now comes the hard part: not getting all worked up when the first response you get makes no sense. This is normal, unfortunately, and happens because support often responds with the most likely copy/paste response to help you faster. It's hit or miss (often miss, in my opinion).

When this happens, maintain your polite and friendly tone, and respond: "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if you read my question right. Could you please have another look at my ticket? The response I received doesn't seem to be relevant to my problem. Thanks" (or something like that). 

No need to get snarky at this point. I know I've been tempted to, but it doesn't help, since the first actual person who will read your ticket is the one you're now reaching out to. The first one was most likely automated. 

Remember: Support representatives are humans. Treat them nicely, and they can be a truly valuable resource. 

 

[yourbrandingpal]

53 minutes ago, smashradio said:

not getting all worked up when the first response you get makes no sense.

Yup. That usually does it for me. To read before responding is basic stuff. Telephonic conversation, still understandable but for text based support system there's no excuse. But on the flipside, it's understandable if it's a new hire I am interacting with so ya these days I take a breather before giving it another shot. But well, even then there are instances where the next response also turns out to be scripted of sorts. I respond to those with "I believe there is a communication barrier here. May I speak to someone else or a supervisor please?" That usually wakes up the rep or I do get another rep or a team lead. But then again, I think these sort of experiences are common and not just limited to Fiverr. Anyhow, appreciate these tips, I am currently navigating through what seems to be a complex situation (doesn't involve Fiverr), so these tips might come in handy. Thank you for posting these tips.

Edited June 17, 2023 by yourbrandingpal
Typos

[smashradio]

43 minutes ago, yourbrandingpal said:

Yup. That usually does it for me. To read before responding is basic stuff. Telephonic conversation, still understandable but for text based support system there's no excuse. But on the flipside, it's understandable if it's a new hire I am interacting with so ya these days I take a breather before giving it another shot. But well, even then there are instances where the next response also turns out to be scripted of sorts. I respond to those with "I believe there is a communication barrier here. May I speak to someone else or a supervisor please?" That usually wakes up the rep or I do get another rep or a team lead. But then again, I think these sort of experiences are common and not just limited to Fiverr. Anyhow, appreciate these tips, I am currently navigating through what seems to be a complex situation (doesn't involve Fiverr), so these tips might come in handy. Thank you for posting these tips.

I totally get it. Getting a scripted response can make you feel undervalued and ignored, and I certainly don't condone the practice. That said, I understand why it happens, and that getting worked up over it (at least visibly so) won't help much. Letting support know in a friendly manner that you don't appreciate a canned auto-response is totally ok, though. The person on the other end has probably dealt with bad support themselves at some point and they should understand your frustration over this. 

I've found that being humble often works better. After all, I'm looking for a solution. If I wanted to vent, I'd have booked an appointment with a therapist.

But it's only a couple of weeks ago that I took the snarky approach myself. This is as much a note to self as it is a tip for others. I apologized for it and made sure to let the individual know they were undeserving of my sour tone, and that my anger was misdirected. 

Being on the other end of a support pipeline can be really tough. You're constantly dealing with negativity. If I can make their day just a bit better, I think that kindness is repaid more often than not. 

[zeus777]

A good number of you guys have heard me rant about this many times here, I try reporting fake sellers quite often.
Each time I am very polite, I thank the staff who is reading it, and since the report is pretty long with all the details etc,
I also add an apology telling them that I am sorry to make them read  a rather long report.
.....and so far nothing is being done. I get the usual "blah blah blah, in the meantime please use the report button" cookie cutter response.
The part that sucks is, I clearly mention in the report that I have used the report/flagging button many times but nothing is being done.

Back in the day, every time I reported a fake seller they got banned in an instant.
I wonder what changed all of this???

[vickieito]

7 minutes ago, zeus777 said:

Back in the day, every time I reported a fake seller they got banned in an instant.
I wonder what changed all of this???

The fact that they just made a new rule stating that they will issue account warnings to sellers who misuse the report button tells me that sellers are doing just that - misusing the report button to report sellers who aren't in violation of any Fiverr rules (so the Trust and Safety team can't even address legitimate reports in a timely manner). Many of the accounts still up are blatantly in violation of Fiverr's ToS.

[pycodeninja]

16 hours ago, smashradio said:

Make sure your ticket is clearly laid out: Introduction > Explain the issue > Clearly state the outcome you're hoping for > Thank them for their time and effort. 

Great advice champ. The message layout you provided is very helpful and makes a lot of sense. I'll be sure to follow it going forward!

[yourbrandingpal]

22 hours ago, smashradio said:

I totally get it. Getting a scripted response can make you feel undervalued and ignored, and I certainly don't condone the practice. That said, I understand why it happens, and that getting worked up over it (at least visibly so) won't help much. Letting support know in a friendly manner that you don't appreciate a canned auto-response is totally ok, though. The person on the other end has probably dealt with bad support themselves at some point and they should understand your frustration over this. 

I've found that being humble often works better. After all, I'm looking for a solution. If I wanted to vent, I'd have booked an appointment with a therapist.

But it's only a couple of weeks ago that I took the snarky approach myself. This is as much a note to self as it is a tip for others. I apologized for it and made sure to let the individual know they were undeserving of my sour tone, and that my anger was misdirected. 

Being on the other end of a support pipeline can be really tough. You're constantly dealing with negativity. If I can make their day just a bit better, I think that kindness is repaid more often than not. 

100% agreed on everything that you pointed out. I too learned it only recently that managing our own emotions is the only way to deal with these instances. In the moment, it does get intense though. In my head, I go 'This is your job!', 'You signed up for this!', or even 'ChatGPT would have done better' 😄. But yes, you are right, getting upset only kills our own brain cells; it does nothing to improve the situation really. Thank you for offering additional insights, much appreciated 🙂

[adsensewizard]

So true. You can just imagine yourself as the person who has to read your message, like take it as being a seller and receiving a message from a buyer. No matter the context, if the person seems polite and friendly, it should make you much happier to respond to it, and it's also easier to communicate with them from my experience.

And in the case of CS, just imagine how many tickets they have to go through, and I would guess most of the messages to be not so polite.

[graphics_excel]

On 6/17/2023 at 10:37 PM, smashradio said:

Be polite and friendly

You'd be surprised by what a "Thank you for looking into this" and "I hope you're doing well" can do to the outcome of any case. Just think about how you, as a seller, are more likely to be extra helpful to a buyer if they're polite, friendly, and professional in their communication.

 

 

This should be everyone's watchword all day, everyday. Being polite and friendly can really go a long way in solving a lot of problems. The staffs working in the CS section are human beings too and being polite will definitely have a positive impact on them. For me, it has helped me gain faster resolve to my tickets as the person who handles my ticket will surely want to help me. I ensure that I greet, ask about their well being, commend them for their tireless efforts in making Fiverr a great marketplace for buyers and sellers. I also ensure that I frequently use the word PLEASE and THANK YOU. 

[riptytamim]

This should be everyone's watchword all day, everyday. Being polite and friendly can really go a long way in solving a lot of problems. The staffs working in the CS section are human beings too and being polite will definitely have a positive impact on them. For me, it has helped me gain faster resolve to my tickets as the person who handles my ticket will surely want to help me. I ensure that I greet, ask about their well being, commend them for their tireless efforts in making Fiverr a great marketplace for buyers and sellers. I also ensure that I frequently use the word PLEASE and THANK YOU. 

[lalitsdmittal]

In easy words, feed them like a small baby. They will understand the problem for sure. 🙂

[mickeyc17]

Be polite, friendly, and appreciative of their services.  Being in the IT field, I know that the Helpdesk is a hard job, and they get a lot of attitude.  Kindness and appreciation go a long way toward good will and great service.