From Code to Customer: Building Technical Support That Drives Loyalty

Key Insights:

• Why accuracy often matters more than speed in technical customer support
• How to balance immediate response with thorough investigation for complex issues
• The importance of cross-team collaboration between support and customer success
• Why human connection will remain a premium differentiator in AI-driven support

The journey from technical support to leadership rarely follows a straight path. Bruno Cruz, currently interim head of support at Feedzai, exemplifies how technical expertise combined with genuine care for customers can transform both careers and entire support organizations. His evolution from software developer to support leader offers valuable insights for anyone building world-class customer support operations.

The Speed vs. Accuracy Dilemma in Technical Support

‍In customer support, the debate between fast response times and accurate solutions continues to challenge teams. Bruno's experience with mission-critical financial software provides clear guidance:

"Clients will accept a slow response time if they're kept up to date on the progress, if they know they'll get a resolution that really fits what they're looking for ,but they will not tolerate an incorrect response."

When speed is critical:

• System outages affecting business operations
• Security breaches exposing clients to fraud risk
• Regulatory compliance issues with immediate impact
• Any situation where delays increase customer exposure to risk

When accuracy takes priority:

• Complex fraud scenario analysis requiring deep investigation
• Product configuration issues needing systematic diagnosis
• Performance problems requiring root cause analysis
• Strategic changes to risk management systems

This nuanced approach to technical support recognizes that different situations require different response strategies, moving beyond one-size-fits-all metrics.

The Technical Support Advantage

Technical support differs significantly from traditional customer support in both approach and requirements:

Technical support characteristics:

• Deeper technical investigation - Analyzing logs, network captures, and system performance
• Smaller ticket volume - Fewer cases but requiring greater technical investment
• Engineering collaboration - Working directly with development teams on complex issues
• Systematic problem-solving - Taking a detective-like approach to issue resolution

Traditional customer support characteristics:

• Higher ticket volume - More cases with faster resolution times
• Product feature assistance - Helping customers use existing functionality
• Standardized processes - Playbooks and self-service solutions for common issues
• Immediate problem resolution - Quick answers to straight forward questions

Both approaches are equally important but require different skill sets and operational strategies.

Mastering the Art of Technical Troubleshooting

Bruno's systematic approach to technical support follows a proven methodology:

1. Define the Problem Clearly

• Gather comprehensive information upfront using standardized templates
• Ask specific questions to understand the complete situation
• Avoid assumptions based on similar previous cases

2. Take a Detective Approach

• Analyze information systematically to narrow down possibilities
• Test specific scenarios methodically
• Document findings and elimination process

3. Avoid Bias and Assumptions

"It's easy to go, 'oh, this really seems like a scenario I saw a couple weeks ago,' but sometimes it's not. You really need to stop and understand what's happening."

This scientific approach to customer support ensures accurate diagnoses and appropriate solutions.

Cross-Team Collaboration That Works

One of the biggest challenges in customer experience is managing interactions between support and customer success teams. Bruno's approach focuses on alignment rather than separation:

Successful collaboration strategies:

• Context sharing - Customer success managers provide business context that affects support priorities
• Unified systems - Using the same ticketing platform across teams for visibility and reporting
• Clear communication channels - Designated incident response protocols that shield technical teams from interference
• Temporary adaptations - Adjusting support priorities based on customer business cycles (audits, compliance reviews)

"Having everyone on the same ticketing system allows you to get that reporting and data, which then allows you to adapt things better."

The Human Element in AI-Enhanced Support

While AI transforms customer support capabilities, Bruno emphasizes their replaceable value of human connection:

AI excels at:

• Drafting initial responses and suggesting replies
• Analyzing historical tickets for patterns
• Predictive support and issue identification
• Agent training through simulation scenarios

Humans remain essential for:

• Complex problem-solving requiring creativity
• Building genuine customer relationships
• Handling sensitive situations with empathy
• Providing personalized, premium support experiences

"I feel as though in the future that's going to be a selling point for some companies—the fact that they'll have premium support because it's going to have people behind it."

Building Support Organizations That Scale

For companies establishing or transforming their technical support function, Bruno offers critical advice:

1. Establish Clear Vision

• Define concrete goals before implementing changes
• Understand what customers actually need, not just what seems trendy
• Avoid change for the sake of change

2. Involve Frontline Teams

• Include support agents in solution design processes
• Leverage their deep knowledge of customer pain points
• Empower them to contribute to operational improvements

3.Focuson Employee Experience

"If there's one thing that a client will notice is if an employee is having a good experience with their company, they can tell."

Happy, empowered support teams deliver better customer experience naturally.

The Customer Loyalty Connection

Bruno's most powerful insight comes from his early mentor:

"The client comes for your product but they actually stay for the support that they receive."

This philosophy transforms customer support from a cost center to a loyalty driver. When customers experience genuine care and effective problem resolution, they develop lasting relationships that transcend individual product issues.

Evidence of support-driven loyalty:

• Customers reaching out during critical business phases
• Increased engagement during product transitions
• Positive feedback specifically about support quality
• Long-term partnerships despite occasional technical challenges

Bruno's journey from developer to support leader demonstrates that technical support is far more than just fixing problems—it's about building relationships, driving loyalty, and creating competitive advantages through superior customer experience.

By combining technical expertise with genuine care for customers, systematic problem-solving with human empathy, and AI efficiency with personal connection, technical support teams can become their organization's most powerful differentiator.

The companies that understand this will not only solve more problems faster—they'll build the kind of customer loyalty that drives long-term business success.

Watch the full episode above for more insights on building technical support teams that drive customer loyalty.

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