UK 
United States
Steven Warfield, VP of Support & General Manager, Bullhorn
As the country reopens, many business leaders are hoping to win new clients.
At the same time, customer service must remain top of mind, as existing customers might also be looking for a fresh start. Existing customers need to feel loved and validated – and that starts with world-class service.
At Bullhorn, we've grown significantly over the past decade, and our customer service model has grown with us. Today, we're proud that our 300+ dedicated Support employees have a 97 percent satisfaction rate and that 83 percent of queries are resolved on the very first call or chat.
We've worked hard to fine-tune our customer service strategies over the years – here are some lessons we've learned along the way.
Make customer service a team sport
At Bullhorn, every department speaks to customers – no single department has exclusive access. Take a look on LinkedIn, and you'll see customers connected to hundreds of people at Bullhorn. Service is truly a team sport at Bullhorn: every one of us takes responsibility for the happiness of our customers.
Actively listen to your customers
I can't overstate the importance of listening to customers – active listening, interviewing them, reaching out, beta testing, and validating what you're doing. Bullhorn employs an annual budget of $40 million on R&D, but that money would be wasted if it wasn't spent creating solutions to the problems that customers actually face. Ensure that feedback from customer support is fed back into the organization, so it remains laser-focused on improving the experience.
Maintaining the human touch
We believe that there's no substitute for support provided by real people. Right from the start, our customers speak to a representative who evaluates the issue. With a fully global team, you'll always reach a person, not an answering machine or robot.
We find it best to ask important questions upfront, and our frontline team helps resolve almost 90 percent of questions that come in. Every team member who picks up the phone has undertaken a robust training program, so they're knowledgeable about a vast range of common issues.
Customers are passed to a more experienced team member with expert knowledge on a specific topic for more complex questions. If that still doesn't do it, issues are addressed with developers, but just three percent of all calls and chats need this level of attention.
Create genuinely useful resources
Sometimes, customers don't want to pick up the phone or text chat with support. For these cases, it's important to host a robust self-support database. Similarly, free eLearning resources can help customers get the most out of your product and ensure that they stay updated on its capabilities.
Supporting customers also means giving them actionable information and unique insights. Producing research, hosting events or starting a podcast are good ways to demonstrate expertise and potentially attract new customers. Regular blogs are another great way to keep customers updated with the latest developments on your products and offer a chance to tease upcoming features to keep them excited about your offering.
Why customer service matters
Naturally, every company wants its customers to have a flawless, perfect experience every time – but real life is complicated. Sometimes customers need help, and providing the best possible experience ensures that support is easy to access, quick, friendly, and effective. Investing in customer support shouldn't be a secondary consideration; it's an integral part of creating a world-class experience.
