Customer support was eating 4+ hours daily until I automated the repetitive stuff... here's the system that cut TuBoost support tickets from 47 to 15 per day while improving customer satisfaction **The support overload problem:** * Same questions asked repeatedly * Instant response expectations * Support time scales linearly with customers * Manual responses slow down growth focus **The 5-step automation system:** **STEP 1: Question categorization audit** Track support tickets for 2 weeks and categorize: * **Tier 1:** Basic how-to questions (40% of tickets) * **Tier 2:** Account/billing issues (25% of tickets) * **Tier 3:** Feature requests/feedback (20% of tickets) * **Tier 4:** Bug reports (10% of tickets) * **Tier 5:** Complex technical issues (5% of tickets) **STEP 2: Automate Tier 1 questions** Create self-service resources: * **Knowledge base** with searchable articles * **Video tutorials** for common workflows * **FAQ page** with instant answers * **In-app tooltips** preventing questions **STEP 3: Set up smart routing** Direct tickets automatically: * **Keywords trigger** specific responses * **Customer tier determines** priority level * **Issue type routes** to right team member * **Urgency scoring** based on customer value **STEP 4: Template responses with personalization** Create templates that feel human: * Use customer's name and specific issue details * Include relevant help links * Add next steps or follow-up timeline * Maintain friendly, helpful tone **STEP 5: Escalation triggers** Automate when human intervention needed: * Customer satisfaction score drops * Multiple back-and-forth exchanges * High-value customer issues * Specific keywords indicating frustration **Tools that make automation work:** **Primary platform: Intercom** * Smart routing and chatbots * Template responses with variables * Customer context and history * Integration with other tools **Knowledge base: Notion or Gitiles** * Searchable FAQ database * Video embedding capability * Easy editing and updates * Analytics on popular articles **Video tutorials: Loom + YouTube** * Screen recording for workflows * Searchable video transcripts * Easy sharing and embedding * Analytics on viewing patterns **Real TuBoost automation examples:** **Common question:** "How do I upload multiple videos?" **Automation:** Chatbot detects keywords → sends tutorial link → marks resolved if no follow-up **Billing question:** "When will I be charged?" **Automation:** Pulls billing cycle from account → personalized response with exact date → escalates if not satisfied **Feature request:** "Can you add batch processing?" **Automation:** Tags as feature request → adds to product feedback database → sends roadmap update **Results from automation:** * Support tickets: 47/day → 15/day (68% reduction) * Response time: 4 hours → 12 minutes average * Customer satisfaction: 72% → 89% * Time investment: 4 hours daily → 45 minutes daily **Chatbot conversation flows:** **Flow 1: Getting started** * "Hi! What do you need help with?" * Options: Getting started, Billing, Technical issue, Feature request * Each option triggers specific resource or escalation **Flow 2: Technical troubleshooting** * "What browser are you using?" * "What error message do you see?" * Provides specific troubleshooting steps * Escalates if steps don't resolve **Advanced automation tactics:** **1. Predictive support** * Monitor user behavior patterns * Send proactive help before users get stuck * Trigger onboarding sequences based on usage * Prevent questions instead of just answering them **2. Satisfaction scoring** * Automatic follow-up surveys after resolution * Flag low scores for human review * Track satisfaction trends by issue type * Continuous improvement based on feedback **3. Context-aware responses** * Pull customer account information * Reference previous interactions * Customize responses based on plan level * Include relevant upgrade suggestions **Implementation timeline:** **Week 1:** Audit and categorize existing tickets **Week 2:** Set up knowledge base and FAQ **Week 3:** Configure chatbot and routing rules **Week 4:** Create template responses and test flows **Week 5:** Launch automation and monitor results **Common automation mistakes:** * Making chatbots too complicated or robotic * Not providing easy escalation to humans * Automating too much and losing personal touch * Forgetting to update automated responses regularly **Support automation metrics to track:** * First contact resolution rate * Average response time * Customer satisfaction scores * Escalation rate to human agents * Self-service success rate **When NOT to automate:** * Complex technical debugging * Emotional or frustrated customers * High-value account issues * Refund or cancellation requests * New feature bugs or system outages The goal isn't eliminating human support - it's handling routine questions efficiently so humans can focus on complex issues and relationship building. **Quick setup checklist:** □ Categorize 2 weeks of support tickets □ Create FAQ for top 10 questions □ Set up basic chatbot with 3 conversation flows □ Configure ticket routing by category □ Add satisfaction survey to resolution emails □ Monitor and iterate weekly Anyone else automated their customer support? What tools and strategies worked best for reducing ticket volume while maintaining quality?