Profiling a Customer Support Leader: Miles Goldstein on the Evolution of Technical Support
Introduction
Miles Goldstein is a seasoned expert in B2B Technical Customer Support with over two decades of experience, having built and managed global support teams at leading companies like Amobee, Marketo, Okta, and BlueRoads. Throughout his career, Goldstein has witnessed firsthand how customer support has evolved from a basic break/fix function to a critical component of business success, especially in the SaaS and technology sectors. His approach to customer support is marked by a deep understanding of technology, a commitment to process improvement, and a focus on creating high-performing teams that drive customer satisfaction and business growth.
The Enduring Value of Customer Support
The evolution of customer support over the past 20 years has been significant. What began as a simple service to fix problems has transformed into a role integral to product extension, with companies offering premium services, better SLAs, and comprehensive customer success programs in return for renewals and expansions. Goldstein has been at the forefront of this evolution, particularly during his time at Okta, where he developed premium support services for over 35 global enterprise clients, contributing to over $200 million in annual recurring revenue.
"If you stop selling the product tomorrow, I've got to support it for another two years. If I stop supporting it tomorrow, you won't get another,” says Goldstein. This quote perfectly encapsulates why customer support is so crucial to business success. In the world of SaaS and enterprise software, the relationship with the customer doesn’t end with the sale; in many ways, it’s just beginning. Effective support ensures that customers continue to derive value from the product, which drives retention, renewals, and long-term success.
Building High-Performing Teams
A successful customer support leader adopts a strategic and forward-thinking approach to team building. Goldstein advocates starting with senior-level professionals who can provide immediate value and later step into leadership roles as the team expands. "My first five hires are senior people who are going to be managers once we get three times as many," he explains. This philosophy ensures that the support organization has a solid foundation and a clear path for growth and development.
Given that tenure in support roles is often shorter, it’s crucial for leaders to focus on both attracting and retaining top talent. This involves leveraging the expertise of senior staff to mentor and develop junior employees, creating a pipeline of future leaders. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and learning, support leaders can maintain high performance and team resilience, even as individual team members move on to new opportunities.
This approach not only enhances the team’s effectiveness in resolving customer issues but also contributes to overall organizational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and cost management. By building teams that are adaptable, engaged, and growth-oriented, support leaders ensure their organizations thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape.
The Intersection of Technology and Customer Support
Effective customer support leadership involves not only integrating technology but also fostering cross-functional dialogue to break down siloes. Goldstein understands that until alternatives can replace CRM tools - used for managing & tracking support workflows, they must be complemented by strong collaboration across departments to truly deliver exceptional support. "We don't have these islands anymore," he notes, emphasizing the importance of a unified approach that brings together insights from sales, marketing, finance, and support.
This combined strategy is particularly crucial in SaaS environments, where the customer journey spans multiple touchpoints. By ensuring that all teams share access to consistent customer data and maintain open communication, support leaders can break down barriers between departments, leading to a more cohesive and effective customer experience. During his time at Okta, Goldstein’s focus on transparent communication within and across teams not only improved employee satisfaction but also led to better customer outcomes.
The Role of AI and Automation in Customer Support
Effective customer support leadership goes beyond just integrating technology—it requires breaking down siloes and fostering cross-functional collaboration. Goldstein understands the importance of combining CRM tools with active communication across departments to deliver exceptional customer support. As he puts it, "We don't have these islands anymore," highlighting the need for a holistic approach that includes insights from sales, marketing, finance, and support.
This integrated strategy is crucial, particularly in SaaS environments where the customer journey involves multiple touchpoints across different teams. By ensuring that all departments share access to consistent customer data and maintain open communication, support leaders can break down barriers between teams, leading to a more cohesive and effective customer experience. Goldstein's emphasis on transparent communication within his team at Okta not only improved employee satisfaction but also led to better customer outcomes, as illustrated in the broader context of customer experience management.
Collaborating with Engineering for Consequential Customer Impact
One of the persistent challenges in customer support is the relationship between support and engineering teams. Goldstein has encountered situations where engineering teams have deemed certain bugs as trivial, opting for workarounds rather than permanent fixes. "Engineering looks at a bug and says, 'That's trivial. Here's a workaround,'" Goldstein explains. "Then they forget support is doing the workaround forever."
To address this issue, Goldstein advocates for close collaboration between support and engineering. By working together, these teams can prioritize customer experience and ensure that issues are resolved in a way that benefits both the customer and the company. This partnership is crucial in delivering high-quality products and maintaining customer trust.
Conclusion: The Critical Role of Customer Support in the Modern Business Landscape
Customer support has transformed into a cornerstone of business success, particularly in the technology and SaaS sectors. It's no longer just about fixing issues—it's about fostering long-term relationships, enhancing customer satisfaction, and driving business growth. As the shift from a break/fix model to customer success becomes more pronounced, the importance of support in retaining customers and delivering continuous value is undeniable.
To thrive, companies must build strong, high-performing support teams, leverage technology wisely, and keep the customer at the center of their strategy. The future of customer support lies in balancing technological innovation with the irreplaceable value of human connection.
