Using Help Scout: Revolutionizing Customer Support with Tags and Custom Fields

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Understanding Tags and Custom Fields
  3. Benefits of Utilizing Tags and Custom Fields
  4. Real-World Implementation: Help Scout’s Approach
  5. Optimization Tips
  6. Conclusion
  7. FAQs

Introduction

In the fast-paced world of customer support, efficiency and organization are paramount. Imagine being able to sift through numerous customer queries and identify trends and issues with pinpoint accuracy. This is not just a dream but a reality when utilizing Help Scout’s robust tools—Tags and Custom Fields. What if you could enhance not only the speed but also the quality of your responses, all while ensuring your support team is on the same page? With Help Scout, you can achieve all this and more. This blog post will delve into the strategic utilization of Tags and Custom Fields within Help Scout to transform your support operations into a well-oiled machine.

By the end of this blog post, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how Tags and Custom Fields work, their unique benefits, and how they can be integrated into your workflow for superior customer support outcomes. Whether you're new to Help Scout or looking to optimize your current setup, this detailed guide will provide valuable insights and actionable steps.

Understanding Tags and Custom Fields

What are Tags and Custom Fields?

Tags and Custom Fields are tools that allow you to categorize and contextualize customer conversations in Help Scout. While they both serve the purpose of adding structure, they are used differently and have unique strengths.

  • Tags: These are set up at the account level and are useful for broad categorization that applies across multiple inboxes. Tags are ideal for infrequent but significant information that doesn't need to be monitored on every single conversation.

  • Custom Fields: These are configured at the inbox level and are perfect for recurring data points that need to be captured in most conversations. Unlike Tags, Custom Fields can be made mandatory, ensuring that certain details are always recorded before a conversation is closed.

When to Use Tags vs. Custom Fields

  1. Tags: Best for high-level tracking across multiple inboxes.

    • Example: Tagging applications received for a specific program (e.g., startup-program).

  2. Custom Fields: Optimal for detailed tracking within specific inboxes.

    • Example: Recording the type of request with a dropdown field for categorizing requests such as "Feature Request," "Bug," or "Investigation."

Benefits of Utilizing Tags and Custom Fields

Streamlining Workflow and Prioritization

Using Tags and Custom Fields strategically can significantly streamline your workflow:

  • Urgent Conversations: Automation rules can tag conversations based on trigger phrases. For instance, you can create an urgent tag that is automatically applied via a workflow to conversations containing specific keywords, helping you prioritize critical issues.
  • First Response Monitoring: Multiple workflows can be configured to tag new conversations, monitor response times, and adjust tags based on reply status, ensuring that no conversation falls through the cracks.

Enhancing Reporting and Trend Analysis

Understanding customer trends is crucial for proactive support and product development:

  • All Channels Report: Offers an overview of trends and usage statistics for Tags and Custom Fields. This report can highlight which categories are most frequent, providing insights into customer needs and pain points.
  • Custom Fields for Trends: Helps in identifying spikes in conversation volume and underlying causes. For example, a sudden 25% increase in queries can be dissected using Custom Field data to pinpoint specific issues or customer behaviors.

Driving Product Development

Tags and Custom Fields aren’t just for support—they can significantly influence product management:

  • Feature Request Analysis: By categorizing feature requests using Custom Fields, product managers can easily compile and analyze specific customer needs. For example, filtering conversations tagged with "Feature: AI drafts" can streamline the search for relevant feedback, making it easier to prioritize development efforts.

Improving Customer Education Resources

Tags can also enhance the quality and relevance of your documentation and customer education initiatives:

  • Feedback Collection: Utilizing Tags in Beacon submissions allows technical writers to quickly gather and assess feedback on new features. This streamlined process ensures that documentation is continuously updated to reflect common user queries and issues.

Real-World Implementation: Help Scout’s Approach

Standardizing Tag Creation

To maintain consistency, it is vital to have documented procedures for creating new Tags and Custom Fields. This practice prevents duplication and errors, ensuring that all support team members are aligned.

  • Naming Conventions: Help Scout uses standardized naming conventions for status tags (e.g., status-year-month-day), promoting clarity and uniformity even during high-stress periods.

Sample Workflow Setup

Here's how a detailed workflow might look to prioritize first-response metrics:

  1. Workflow 1: Tags all new conversations.
  2. Workflow 2: Copies all conversations waiting for a first reply into an easily identifiable folder.
  3. Workflow 3: Copies conversations waiting too long for a first reply into another priority folder.
  4. Workflow 4: Removes the tag when a team member replies, subsequently removing the conversation from priority folders.

Leveraging Reports for Product Changes

Custom Fields can serve as a basis for advocating product changes. By categorizing conversations around common feature requests, product managers can make data-driven decisions to enhance the product.

  • Internal Use Case: If 50% of feature requests are related to "Workflows," product managers can narrow down to specific user needs and incorporate these insights into development plans.

Optimization Tips

Collaboration and Documentation

Regularly updating and discussing Tags and Custom Fields as a team ensures everyone understands their application and remains consistent in usage.

Automation for Efficiency

Set up workflows to automate tagging based on predefined rules. This not only saves time but also ensures accuracy and consistency.

Continuous Monitoring

Regularly review reporting dashboards to identify emerging trends and adjust your support strategies accordingly. This proactive approach can mitigate potential issues before they become widespread.

Conclusion

Tags and Custom Fields in Help Scout are powerful tools that, when used effectively, can greatly enhance your customer support operations. By providing structure and context, they allow for more efficient prioritization, deeper trend analysis, and informed product development. This comprehensive guide has outlined the benefits, practical applications, and real-world implementations to help you leverage these tools for optimizing your customer support.

FAQs

1. Can I use Tags and Custom Fields simultaneously?

Yes, you can use both Tags and Custom Fields simultaneously to provide multiple layers of categorization and context to customer conversations.

2. Are Tags and Custom Fields available on all Help Scout plans?

Tags are available across all Help Scout accounts, while Custom Fields are limited to specific plans. It's advisable to check your plan details or contact Help Scout support for more information.

3. How do I ensure my support team uses Tags and Custom Fields consistently?

Establish clear guidelines and naming conventions for creating and using Tags and Custom Fields. Regular team meetings and documentation help maintain consistency.

4. Can Custom Fields be made mandatory?

Yes, Custom Fields can be set as required, ensuring specific information is recorded before a conversation can be closed.

5. How can Tags help in improving documentation?

Tags can identify common customer queries and feedback points, which can then be used to update and improve documentation, ensuring it addresses frequent user issues.

By integrating the strategic use of Tags and Custom Fields, your team can manage customer interactions more effectively, providing timely and precise support while gathering valuable insights for continuous improvement.