Skip to content
Support operations might not grab headlines, but they’re the backbone of a high-performing customer service team. Without them, even the best support agents can struggle, leading to inefficiencies, missed inquiries, and unhappy customers.
Imagine this: It’s the holiday season, and your business is flooded with customer inquiries. Your team is stretched thin, managing tickets while maintaining quality responses. How do you ensure they stay productive and deliver exceptional service under pressure?
The answer lies in optimizing your support operations. You can handle peak volumes seamlessly while keeping customers happy by streamlining workflows and equipping your team with the right tools and processes.
In this article, we will discuss what support operations include, the benefits of having a support ops team, and more.
Table of Contents
- What are Support Operations?
- What are the Key Responsibilities of a Support Operations Team?
- What are the Benefits of Having a Support Operations Team?
- Common Challenges in Support Operations
- Key Roles in Support Operations
- 5 Skills You Need to Advance Your Support Operations Career
- How to Build a Successful Support Operations Team: 4 Best Practices
- How Hiver Simplifies Support Operations
- Optimize your Support Operations Today
- Frequently Asked Questions
What are Support Operations?
Support operations refer to the systems, processes, and tools that help customer support teams provide great service. This team doesn’t talk to customers. Instead, they handle everything behind the scenes to keep support running smoothly, efficiently, and at scale.
Their work includes making sure things like computers, orders, building facilities, and payments run without issues.
What are the Key Responsibilities of a Support Operations Team?
The support operations team is responsible for the following functions:
- Workflow management: Setting clear workflows, roles, and responsibilities so every customer inquiry is handled correctly. For example, defining how tickets move from start to resolution.
- Process Optimization: Reviewing current processes to find slow or inefficient steps and improving them for better performance.
- Team enablement: Making sure your team has what they need to succeed. This includes access to tools like helpdesk software, training programs, and clear documentation to guide them in daily situations.
What are the Benefits of Having a Support Operations Team?
Support operations build the systems and processes that help teams deliver great customer experiences at scale. This directly affects important business results like customer retention, growth, and profitability.
Let’s look at the benefits in a bit more detail:
1. Boost Agent Performance and Reduce Turnover
Support operations teams give agents the tools, training, and processes they need to do their jobs well. When agents feel supported and have what they need to succeed, their job satisfaction rises. This helps reduce turnover and cuts the cost of constantly hiring and training new staff.
2. Streamline Operations and Cut Costs
These teams look for ways to automate routine tasks, improve staffing schedules, and remove inefficiencies that waste time and money. They also make sure your team gets the most value from its tech stack: cutting tools that aren’t worth the cost.
According to an Intercom Report, 76% of support leaders believe that their current customer support stack is holding their team back. Support operations can change that by helping teams work smarter, feel more supported, and use technology that actually helps instead of slows them down.
3. Scale Support Without Losing Quality
As businesses grow, support operations ensure that customer service quality doesn’t decline. They create clear processes, use scalable tech, and build systems that handle more requests without adding extra agents.. With the right structure in place, support teams can maintain consistent service levels even during rapid growth.
4. Turn Data Into Strategic Insights
Support operations teams analyze performance data, customer feedback, and key metrics like resolution times and satisfaction scores. These insights guide training, resources, and process improvements, helping reduce churn and uncover growth opportunities.
5. Reduces Manager Workload and Stress
When CS Ops handles reports, workflow fixes, and system updates, support managers can focus on helping their team grow and stay happy. This matters because when managers are buried in operational tasks, team morale suffers. With a dedicated operations team, managers can focus on coaching, career development, and keeping their team motivated instead of getting stuck doing administrative work.
Common Challenges in Support Operations
Running a support operation team comes with its own set of challenges. Here’s a breakdown of some common scenarios you might face:
1. Managing cross-functional communication
The support operations team often needs to collaborate with other departments in areas such as sales, product, or logistics. For instance, they might need to discuss customer feedback with the engineering team, which would then communicate any potential product updates or changes to the customer service team, ensuring everyone stays aligned.
However, this is only possible if a system exists to manage issues beyond the support team’s scope and share updates in an organized manner.
What to do:
- Set up clear communication channels. Use tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams for quick updates.
- Schedule regular check-ins with other teams to discuss recurring issues and align on solutions.
ProTip: While trying to understand how cross-communication can be managed better, I found this Reddit Thread with a framework that you can use if you operate in a small team:-
Key takeaways:
– Daily sync: Have a 30-45 minute daily meeting with your team
– Escalation: Use this time to escalate tickets beyond the team’s technical or knowledge scope.
– Issue resolution: Discuss issues/bugs that need fixing beyond the Customer Success (CS) team.
– Action items: Discuss the next steps and takeaway items.
– Knowledge gaps: Address any knowledge gaps during the sync.
– Liaison: If code fixing is needed, Product folks can act as liaisons with Engineering.
– Open channel: Have an open channel to raise support tickets outside of Customer Success.
– Cross-org support: Collaborate to get help from resources across the organization (Product, Engineering, Sales, etc.).
2. Measuring performance
The support operations team is responsible for tracking key metrics that gauge customer service performance. The main challenge lies in identifying the right metrics while ensuring data collection is accurate and actionable. Often, teams are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of metrics available and may struggle to focus on those that genuinely impact customer satisfaction or team productivity.
What to do:
- Focus on metrics that align with your goals. These metrics can include first response time, average resolution time, customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and Ticket Backlog. These indicators give you a balanced view of speed, quality, and customer sentiment.
- Use tools that provide built-in analytics and reporting capabilities to streamline data collection.
3. Ensure scalability
As your business grows, so does the volume of customer inquiries. The operations team must ensure scalable systems are in place so that the quality of service remains uncompromised.
What to do:
- Plan staffing levels based on historical data and projected growth. Utilize WFM tools to forecast demand, optimize team workload and schedules, and ensure sufficient coverage during peak times.
- Consider training additional support staff, building knowledge bases, or adjusting team workflows to handle the extra volume.
While these challenges may seem daunting, overcoming them starts with having the right people in place. Every successful support operation relies on skilled professionals who ensure processes run smoothly and customer needs are met promptly.
Key Roles in Support Operations
Each role within a successful support operations team is crucial for maintaining efficiency:
1. Support Operations Manager
Oversees the entire support operations team and is responsible for strategic planning and execution. Key responsibilities include:
- Managing agent schedules,
- Ensuring adherence to service level agreements (SLAs),
- Monitoring performance metrics to identify areas for improvement.
2. Systems Analyst
Maintains and improves internal systems. Responsibilities include:
- Troubleshooting technical issues
- Configuring information systems
- Supporting users with system-related queries
3. Developer
Responsible for maintaining applications that track customer interactions and developing internal tools. This role involves:
- Automating data collection
- Troubleshooting software issues
- Implementing new support service offerings
4. Support Trainer
Focuses on onboarding new customer service representatives (CSRs) and providing ongoing training. Responsibilities include:
- Develops training materials
- Conducts sessions on company protocols
- Teaches skills such as empathy in customer interactions
5. Support Operations Specialist
Works on improving internal processes and tools used by customer service teams. Responsible for:
- Engaging in data analysis to enhance operational workflows
- Assisting in designing new support channels
6. Knowledge Base Manager:
Develops and maintains a comprehensive knowledge base that includes troubleshooting guides, FAQs, and best practices for customers and support agents. Regularly updates content to reflect product changes, new features, and evolving customer needs.
7. Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist
Monitors and evaluates the quality of customer interactions across various channels (phone, email, chat, etc.). Conducts regular audits of support tickets to ensure they meet quality standards. Provides agents with feedback on improving customer interactions and resolving potential service issues.
5 Skills You Need to Advance Your Support Operations Career
As support operations roles become more strategic, advancing in this career demands more than just technical know-how or customer service experience. If you’re aiming to move up, you need a mix of analytical, management, and leadership skills to drive meaningful improvements and bring real value to your teams and organizations.
1. Analytical and strategic mindset
You should be able to look at data, spot patterns, and use insights to solve problems. It helps make smart decisions that keep teams efficient and aligned with business goals.
2. Project and process management experience
Project and process management means planning, organizing, and overseeing projects or workflows to ensure tasks are done on time and correctly. This will help you lead improvement initiatives, roll out new systems, and coordinate efforts across teams.
3. Ability to interpret data and drive efficiency
You need to be able to understand key data, such as ticket volumes, response times, and customer feedback. Using these insights helps remove bottlenecks, automate slow steps, and ensure the team works as quickly and smoothly as possible.
4. Team leadership and cross-functional collaboration
Team leadership is all about motivating others, resolving conflicts, and guiding the group toward a shared goal. Cross-functional collaboration means working with different departments, like product or marketing, to solve problems together. This makes support operations central to company-wide improvements.
5. Technical proficiency in support tools and software
You should be comfortable using and optimizing technology platforms, automation tools, and reporting systems. This technical know-how helps ensure that the team uses the best tools for the job and constantly finds ways to simplify work and boost productivity.
How to Build a Successful Support Operations Team: 4 Best Practices
1. Define clear objectives
Outlining objectives helps ensure that each team member understands their specific responsibilities. This minimizes overlaps and gaps in workflow. When each person in your team knows their goal, the team can operate smoothly, and you can allocate resources more efficiently.
For instance, the Operations Manager should focus on data analysis and reporting, while the Quality Assurance Specialist should monitor ticket quality. To ensure these objectives are achieved, you can set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals for each role.
Here’s what it means:-
- Specific: Clearly state what you want to achieve. Avoid vague goals. Instead of saying, “Improve response time,” specify, “Reduce first-response time for high-priority tickets to under 10 minutes.”
- Measurable: Set metrics to track progress and success. For example, track the percentage of tickets resolved within a set time frame, like 90% resolved within 24 hours.
- Achievable: Set ambitious but realistic goals. If your team resolves 50% of tickets within 24 hours, aim for 60% in the next quarter instead of 90%.
- Relevant: Ensure the objective aligns with your business priorities and customer service goals. If customer satisfaction is prioritized, focus on reducing resolution time or improving agent training.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline for achieving the goal. For example, achieve a 15% improvement in customer satisfaction ratings by the end of the next quarter.
2. Investing in the right technology
Support operations team is also responsible for ensuring that your customer service team has the right tech stack. They research about what tools to implement and how to do implement them. That’s because investing in the right tools helps streamline workflows and ensures that teams can provide quicker, more efficient, and personalized support.
These tools typically include:
- Helpdesk platforms: The key to delivering efficient customer service is centralizing all support requests. Helpdesk software helps you do that. Hiver, for example, turns your inbox into a powerful helpdesk. It helps centralize support requests, allowing teams to manage, prioritize, and track issues from a single platform.
- Collaboration tools: Support teams often must collaborate closely with other departments, such as sales, product, or logistics. Tools like shared inboxes, Slack, and other collaboration platforms help ensure collaborative communication. This is better than forwarding emails, as it reduces delays and miscommunication.
- Automation tools: Automation helps teams handle repetitive tasks efficiently. For instance, automating ticket assignment ensures incoming queries are routed to the right team members. This can be done based on the ‘sender’ or ‘keywords’ in the subject line. Therefore, this eliminates the need for manual sorting and ensures quicker response times.
- Knowledge bases: Support ops can reduce the load for frontline support agents by building an internal knowledge base. Customer service teams can refer to this knowledge base to access information without spending time searching through disparate resources.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: CRM systems help support teams track and manage customer interactions. By consolidating customer data—such as purchase history, past inquiries, preferences, and communication logs—CRMs provide a 360-degree view of each customer. For instance, if a customer contacts support about an issue with a product they purchased, the CRM can display details of their purchase, any previous support tickets, and their preferred communication channel.
- Analytics and Reporting Tools: The support ops team is also responsible for helping teams maintain customer service quality. They do this by tracking and analyzing performance metrics, including resolution time, first response time, and customer satisfaction scores (CSAT). They analyze this data to assess how well the customer service team is performing and identify areas for improvement.
Pro Tip: When handling escalations between different departments, relying on forwards and CCs might delay the resolution depending on the size of your team and the stakeholders involved. In that scenario, using Slack might be better, as explained in the subreddit below.
3. Equip your team with the right skills
A well-trained team is confident and prepared to handle dynamic challenges. Whether managing high volumes of queries or complex customer concerns, the right training will equip your team with the knowledge they need to deliver positive customer experiences. But training doesn’t stop at onboarding—it’s an ongoing process that also includes:
- Regular skill-building sessions
- Updates on the latest tools and technologies
- Workshops on soft skills like communication and conflict resolution
Moreover, investing in gamification also boosts employee morale by turning routine tasks into engaging challenges. Incorporating elements like leaderboards, rewards, and badges can make even the most repetitive aspects of support operations feel fun and motivating.
Imagine implementing a points system where agents earn rewards for resolving tickets quickly, maintaining high customer satisfaction scores, or participating in training sessions. These points can be redeemed for prizes, recognition, or other incentives.
Recommended reading
4. Hiring the right people
While tools and processes play a significant role, the people behind the scenes make the difference. Here’s what you should look for:
- Strong communication and collaboration skills: Support ops teams need to liaise between departments and provide actionable feedback to agents. So, look for people who can communicate clearly and collaborate cross-functionally with different teams (product, engineering, sales, etc.).
- Analytical skills: Look for candidates who can interpret data, track key performance metrics (e.g., CSAT, first response time), and identify trends or inefficiencies.
- Show Initiative: Look for proactive problem-solvers who can anticipate challenges, address them before they escalate, and continuously seek ways to improve operations.
Protip: Having a team with members from diverse cultural backgrounds can be an added advantage. Chloe Shill, Director of Operations at Flight CX, says, “I think the benefits of diverse teams are endless. For starters, diverse teams bring diverse perspectives—varied cultural backgrounds foster creativity and innovative solutions, ultimately allowing for better decision-making.”
How Hiver Simplifies Support Operations
Hiver equips support operations teams with collaboration, AI capabilities, analytics, and email management features. This empowers them to scale operations, lower costs, and gain valuable insights that enhance team productivity.
Let’s take a look at how Hiver does it:
Simplifying email management
Does your team use a group email, such as support@ or info@, to manage support queries? Hiver can help you set up a shared inbox to manage group emails using an intuitive interface.
Every incoming customer query can be assigned to a specific team member. It’s also possible to track the status of the query till resolution. Let’s say a customer reaches out about an urgent issue. You can assign the email to the right team member; everyone knows who’s responsible for the reply. No more back-and-forth to figure out who’s handling what!
Making email collaboration easy
Handling shared inboxes like support@ or info@ often come with challenges due to lack collaborative communication. Sometimes team members may struggle to stay aligned which causes delays or mixed responses that can frustrate customers. But if collaboration becomes easy, everyone will be on the same page, and the time spent on the back and forth can be saved.
That’s where Hiver comes in. With Hiver, your team can assign emails as tasks, leave internal notes for context, and track progress. If a customer emails about an urgent issue, one team member can respond while another adds key details as a note. This ensures everyone stays aligned. It also keeps responses clear, consistent, and timely, leading to happier customers.
Did you know? Flexport, a full-service logistics company based in San Francisco, used to forward email subject lines on Slack whenever they had to assign an email to someone on the team. But after using Hiver, all they had to do was leave a note in the email rather than take things to Slack and build context there. This helped them resolve customer queries 50% faster.
Saving time with automations
With Hiver, repetitive tasks can be easily automated, freeing up time to focus on more complex operations. Instead of manually assigning emails to team members, you can automatically route them based on predefined rules. For example, an email mentioning “billing” can automatically be assigned to the billing team. This ensures faster response times and no email gets missed.
Additionally, you can set up rules to tag emails to automatically categorize or prioritize them. For instance, emails from VIP customers can be tagged as “High Priority” and moved to the top of the queue for immediate attention.
You can also establish Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and automate reminders for pending tasks. For example, if a query hasn’t been responded to within the expected due date, Hiver will notify the assigned team members about the delay.
ProTip: Tagging incoming emails is useful not only for prioritizing tickets but also for tracking trends and communicating with other departments. This Reddit Thread explains it better.
AI that helps you work smarter
Hiver’s AI helps your teams stay organized and work smarter by automating daily tasks, tagging and routing conversations, and surfacing trends from real-time data. With AI built into every workflow, you deliver faster service while focusing on top priorities. Here’s what you get:
AI Copilot
AI Copilot is like an always-on assistant. It drafts smart replies, suggests accurate answers, summarizes long email threads, and automatically adjusts tone to match each interaction. Copilot also pulls details from your help center, such as past tickets, CRM data, and more. This way, agents spend less time searching for information and more time delighting customers.
AI Agents
Hiver’s AI Agents handle routine tasks in the background, like tagging requests, routing them to the right team, and running multi-step workflows. For example, if a customer requests a refund, AI Agents can tag the message, push it to finance, trigger a refund via your payment system, and alert the customer automatically. They also analyze the sentiment of each message, so urgent or negative cases get priority before they escalate.
After handling the busywork, Hiver’s AI Insights make support smarter by surfacing key trends and performance issues. For example, they can spot when tags like “Refund” or “Login Issue” suddenly spike, alert managers early, and help teams fix problems before they impact more customers.
Tracking performance using analytics
Without real-time data, it’s hard to know if your team is hitting key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response time, resolution time, and customer satisfaction. This lack of visibility can lead to missed opportunities for improvement and hinder your team’s overall efficiency.
That’s why reports and analytics in Hiver offer a comprehensive dashboard where you can track performance metrics like average response times, resolution times, ticket volumes, and customer satisfaction scores. This visibility helps you understand where your team is excelling and where they might need extra support or training.
For instance, after analyzing the reports, you might find that most customer complaints revolve around a particular feature of your product. You can then flag this issue with the product team, reducing future support tickets and improving the overall customer experience.
Case in point: Cohere Health, a health-tech firm, could not visualize its team’s workload and how quickly they responded to and resolved requests. Using Hiver, the team can now export the data to analyze the trends in their client conversations and make data-driven decisions for the company.
Optimize your Support Operations Today
Support operations are the backbone of any customer-focused organization. They empower your support team to deliver exceptional service by ensuring smooth workflows, structured processes, and the right tools.
To truly master support operations, focus on these best practices :
- Define clear objectives: Know what success looks like for your support team and align your operations accordingly.
- Invest in the right technology: Equip your team with tools that simplify workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.
- Build a skilled team: Provide training and resources to help your team excel in their roles.
- Hire strategically: Bring on people who align with your company’s values and customer-first mindset.
Prioritizing these steps will help you improve your team’s performance and create a customer experience that stands out every single time.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between IT Support and Support Operations?
IT support fixes tech problems like software errors or account issues. Support operations, on the other hand, focus on making the whole support process run smoothly by improving systems and workflows. IT support solves problems; support operations help the team work better every day.
2. What is the difference between customer support and support operations?
Customer support talks to customers and solves their problems. Support operations work behind the scenes to set up the tools, training, and plans that help the support team do their job well. One helps customers directly; the other helps the whole team help customers.
3. How does AI support operations management?
AI speeds up support by handling tedious tasks, sorting tickets, and finding helpful info fast. It can answer simple questions, point tickets to the right person, and spot trends in data. This makes everything run smoothly and lets support teams focus on tough problems.
Start using Hiver today
- Collaborate with ease
- Manage high email volume
- Leverage AI for stellar service
