Live Chat with Jen Weaver

This podcast is sponsored by Supportman, which connects Intercom to Slack and uses AI to give agents feedback and surface problems in real time.The holidays don’t look the same for everyone. Some teams shut down for a week, while support teams have to keep the queue moving. On global teams, there are even more calendars to juggle, and not everyone experiences this season as joyful.In this episode, Jen talks with Kathy Fava, an experienced support leader with practical ideas for navigating December. They cover how to ask your team what they actually observe, offer flexible schedules without dropping coverage, watch for burnout (including your own), and give back with no budget at all. They also explore how to approach holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Las Posadas, Blue Christmas, and more with curiosity and respect.Highlights from our conversation:✔️ Start with conversations: ask what holidays your team observes and what support they need ✔️ Offer flexibility without breaking coverage through opt-in shifts, swaps, and comp time ✔️ Watch for burnout, including your own, and rebalance workloads with quick 1:1s ✔️ Give back without a budget: handwritten notes, opt-out cards, or flexible schedules ✔️ Be mindful of holiday grief: skip mandatory fun and offer simple recognition insteadWhether you’re planning shifts over Christmas week, balancing cultural inclusion, or figuring out how to show gratitude without a budget, this episode is a timely guide for support and CX leaders.Resources:🤝 Connect with Kathleen (Kathy) Fava on LinkedIn 📬 Get weekly tactical CX and Support Ops tips in our Support Leaders Newsletter🎙 Listen to more episodes of Live Chat with Jen Weaver Sponsors:🔧 Learn more about Supportman Keep in Touch:💼 Connect with Jen Weaver on LinkedIn📺 Subscribe for more CX leadership insights on YouTube

This podcast is sponsored by Supportman, which connects Intercom to Slack and uses AI to give agents feedback and surface problems in real time.What does it take to turn everyday customer conversations into insights that guide the whole business?In this episode of Live Chat with Jen Weaver, I sit down with Andrew “Coach” Rios, a veteran support operations leader with more than 25 years of experience at startups, scaleups, and Fortune 100s. From Cisco to Fitbit, Coach Rios has built support reports that don’t just capture numbers, they tell the story of what’s really happening with your customers and your company.Highlights from our conversation:✔️ Resetting on Sunday to scan chats and set Monday priorities✔️ Building a lightweight support report that tracks who called, why, and what you did✔️ Sharing reports with purpose: team first, then your boss, then the wider org✔️ Framing every number with the six W’s: who, what, when, where, why, and what’s next✔️ Modeling healthy communication to keep teams focused and balanced✔️ Blending reflection with motion through walk-and-talks and Friday wins✔️ Choosing progress over polish by shipping early drafts and iterating laterIf you’re a support or CX leader, this chat will give you practical steps you can actually use to keep your team motivated and make your reports resonate across the company.Resources:🤝 Connect with Andrew “Coach” Rios on LinkedIn📬 Get weekly tactical CX and Support Ops tips in our Support Leaders Newsletter🎙 Listen to more episodes of Live Chat with Jen Weaver Sponsors:🔧 Learn more about Supportman Keep in Touch:💼 Connect with Jen Weaver on LinkedIn📺 Subscribe for more CX leadership insights on YouTube

This podcast is sponsored by Supportman, which connects Intercom to Slack and uses AI to give agents feedback and surface problems in real time.What happens when budgets shrink, layoffs ripple across the industry, and leaders are asked to do more with less? This week on Live Chat, I sat down with  Alisha Joseph, founder of Savvy Service Pro and creator of the upcoming AI coaching tool Savvy Edge, to discuss how leaders can navigate change while remaining authentic.Here’s what you’ll take away from this conversation:How to strike a balance between a demanding W2 job, consulting, and family caregivingWhy treating everyone the same is a leadership mistakeHow to plan for risk, not just deadlinesHow to use AI for framing without losing authenticityBuilding your career as a personal brand to safeguard against layoffsWhether you’re leading through layoffs, exploring how AI can support leadership development, or figuring out how to show up on LinkedIn, Alisha offers actionable strategies for supporting leaders at every stage.Resources:🤝 Connect with Alisha Joseph on LinkedIn 🏢 Learn more about Savvy Service Pro on LinkedIn📬 Get weekly tactical CX and Support Ops tips in our Support Leaders Newsletter🎙 Listen to more episodes of Live Chat with Jen Weaver Sponsors:🔧 Learn more about Supportman Keep in Touch:💼 Connect with Jen Weaver on LinkedIn📺 Subscribe for more CX leadership insights on YouTube

This podcast is sponsored by Supportman which connects Intercom to Slack and uses AI to give agents feedback and surface problems in real time.Ever leave a virtual meeting wondering why it felt flat, even though the content was solid?In this episode, I’m joined by Anders Boulanger, founder and CEO of Engagify and author of Engage First (coming October 7). Anders is a magician-turned-keynote speaker who helps leaders turn everyday interactions into engaging experiences. After devouring the book on a plane, I could not wait to dig in with him.In this episode, we cover:Practical ways to raise your energy on camera so you connect instead of disappearingHow props and humor can bring a team togetherWhen to move a conversation from chat to video or in-personThe SAVE U framework for keeping teams engagedA simple “you vs. me” ratio check that shows who you’re prioritizingIf you manage a team, this conversation will give you tools to make your meetings more memorable and keep your people engaged for the long run.Resources: 🤝 Connect with Anders Boulanger on LinkedIn 🏢 Follow Engagify on LinkedIn 📖 Pre-order Engage First on Amazon 📬 Get weekly tactical CX and Support Ops tips in our Support Leaders Newsletter 🎙 Listen to more episodes of Live Chat with Jen Weaver Sponsors: 🔧 Learn more about Supportman Keep in Touch: 💼 Connect with Jen Weaver on LinkedIn 📺 Subscribe for more CX leadership insights on YouTube

This podcast is sponsored by Supportman, which connects Intercom to Slack and uses AI to give agents feedback and surface problems in real time.“Consistent quality review, I think, is better than no quality review.” That’s the principle that guided Stacy Justino, Product Support Manager at PetDesk, when she launched a brand-new QA program for veterinary support in just weeks. Drawing from her experience at companies like Wistia and Loom, Stacy created a lightweight system her team actually enjoys and that she can sustain over time.In this episode, we cover:Why ten interactions and two reviews each month provide just the right amount of feedback without overwhelming the team.How to select tickets that are random, recent, and representative so reviews reflect real work.The four pillars of Stacy’s rubric—accuracy, completeness, customer excellence, and empathy—and why they matter.How private coaching helps agents grow while public kudos reinforce team culture.When and how to scale QA up or down depending on changes in performance, products, or processes.If QA has ever felt overwhelming, Stacy’s fearless ten-ticket method shows how to keep things simple, fair, and effective.For more resources related to today’s episode:📩 Get weekly tactical CX and Support Ops tips → https://live-chat-with-jen.beehiiv.com/▶ Keep listening → https://www.buzzsprout.com/2433498💼 Connect with your host, Jen Weaver, on LinkedIn🤝 Connect with Stacy Justino on LinkedIn🔧 Learn more about our sponsor Supportman → https://supportman.ioChapters:0:00 – Intro: Consistent quality review in support  2:27 – Meet Stacy Justino: Product Support Manager at PetDesk  5:05 – A week in the life of a support leader  8:41 – Ten interactions and two reviews each month  13:41 – Random, recent, and representative ticket picks  19:00 – Building a concise rubric to define quality  22:11 – Private coaching paired with public kudos  24:12 – QA only what you need to review  30:36 – Key takeaways for support leaders

If your QA process is just a checklist, you are wasting time, money, and customer trust.Today, I’m talking with Chloé Koers-Bourrat, Process and Productivity Manager, Support Operations at Smartly, who built a prevention-first QA program that turned a fast-growing ad tech team into a 97 percent-plus CSAT powerhouse.Chloé’s approach is simple but powerful. She focuses on catching problems before they ever reach the customer, creating a strong feedback loop between support and product, and keeping every interaction human, even when AI is involved.In this episode, you will learn:Why starting every review with negative CSAT is the fastest way to improveHow 10 to 20 thoughtful reviews a week can outperform 100 rushed onesThe peer review method makes feedback easier to give and receiveThe visual aid change that cut handling time and boosted clarityHow to route escalations so engineers only see what matters mostWhether you are building QA from scratch or improving an existing program, this episode gives you a proven checklist you can start using this week.For more resources related to today’s episode:📩 Get weekly tactical CX and Support Ops tips → https://live-chat-with-jen.beehiiv.com/▶ Keep listening → https://www.buzzsprout.com/2433498💼 Connect with your host, Jen Weaver, on LinkedIn🤝 Connect with Chloé Koers-Bourrat on LinkedIn🔧 Learn more about our sponsor Supportman → https://supportman.ioEpisode Time Stamps:0:00 – Intro: Why prevention beats apologies in support1:15 – Meet Chloe Kors-Barratt: From CSM to Support Ops3:40 – A week in the life of a QA-focused support ops lead6:10 – Fixing broken escalation processes with JIRA9:20 – Launching QA: From spreadsheets to Klaus12:05 – Raising CSAT with visual aids & tone improvements15:00 – Klaus acquisition by Zendesk & shifting strategy17:30 – Rethinking QA: Fewer reviews, more depth20:40 – Building feedback loops with product teams24:10 – Peer-to-peer QA and mentorship in action28:00 – Key lessons: Prevent issues, keep the human touch, and “QA to save the day”

"I'm not here to catch your mistakes, I'm trying to get customers to stop yelling at you." - Amanda DrwsThat’s how Amanda Drws thinks about QA, and it’s a big reason her teams trust the process instead of fearing it.In this episode, we dig into how Amanda built a QA approach that actually makes life easier for agents and more valuable for the whole company. She shares why she audits a tiny fraction of tickets, how she decides what’s worth flagging, and the surprising ways QA can uncover customer trends you’d never think to track.What we cover:Why “less QA” can lead to more insightHow to make QA a culture-builder instead of a compliance drillA simple way to catch big issues without nitpicking typosUsing QA to surface trends before your dashboards doGetting other teams to actually care about support insightsIf you’ve ever thought QA was just about catching mistakes, Amanda’s going to change your mindTake the Next Step:📬 Subscribe for weekly tactical tips → Get Weekly Tactical CX and Support Ops Tips🔍 Follow Amanda Drws on LinkedIn for more  insights →Amanda Drws on LinkedIn🎙 Keep listening → More Episodes of Live Chat with Jen Weaver🗣 Follow Jen for more CX conversations →Jen Weaver on LinkedIn 🤖 Sponsored by Supportman: https://supportman.ioEpisode Time Stamps:00:00 – Why QA Shouldn't Catch Mistakes01:32 – Amanda’s Weekly QA and CSAT Ritual04:15 – QA Is Not Stress Relief07:48 – Audit Less Than 10% of Tickets09:55 – QA Insights for Marketing Wins13:12 – Training Doesn’t Stop After Onboarding16:44 – How QA Builds Team Safety20:08 – Weighted Scorecards, Not Gotchas23:31 – Share QA Gold in Slack Channels

AI isn't something you turn on like flipping a switch. Chances are, your team is already using it. That chatbot pilot you ran and the sentiment analysis humming along in your stack, those are AI at work. The challenge isn't adoption, it's making it work for you instead of against you.This week, I’m joined by Jen McCorkle, a data-driven leader with 25+ years of experience in revenue generation and analytics, for a grounded, tactical conversation about how AI is reshaping customer support from the inside out and what you can do to lead the change. We unpack the alphabet soup (LLMs, GPT, ML, agentic AI), share practical use cases, and get real about the risks, biases, and blind spots that come with these tools.If you’re ready to stop reacting to AI and start directing it, you need to give this episode a listen.What we get into:Why your AI tool might be hallucinating… and how to spot itThe problem with sentiment analysis (and what to do instead)How to start learning prompt engineering without taking a classGuardrails, audits, and smart pilots before you scaleThe rise of AI governance, and how support leaders can get aheadWhether AI feels like magic, mayhem, or just another Monday, this episode will give you the clarity to stop reacting and the confidence to start directing.Keep Exploring:📬 Subscribe for weekly tactical tips → Get Weekly Tactical CX and Support Ops Tips🔍 Follow Jen McCorkle on LinkedIn for more  insights →Jen McCorkle on LinkedIn🎙 Keep listening → More Episodes of Live Chat with Jen Weaver🗣 Follow Jen for more CX conversations →Jen Weaver on LinkedIn  🤖 Sponsored by Supportman: https://supportman.ioEpisode Time Stamps:0:00 Why AI Feels So Overwhelming3:17 Generative vs. Agentic AI Explained6:50 AI Use Cases That Actually Work10:45 Real-Time Agent Support with AI13:30 The Flaws in Sentiment Analysis17:04 Hallucinations, Bias & Bad Data20:30 Building AI Literacy on Your Team23:40 Always Pilot Before You Scale27:15 Human QA for AI Systems32:42 Will AI Replace Support Teams?

Ever feel like your to-do list is calling the shots? Elyse Mankin has been there, and she figured out how to take back control.As Head of Support at Attio, Elyse knows firsthand how hard it is to shift from individual contributor to team lead without drowning in tasks. In this episode, she gets real about the habits that don’t scale, the ones that do, and what it takes to rebuild your time management from the ground up.We get into the messy (but rewarding) process of spotting your own pitfalls, building a planning rhythm that sticks, and coaching your team to find their own flow, instead of just copying yours.Here’s what we dig into:Why the move from IC to manager breaks your old time habitsHow Elyse sets a yearly-to-daily cadence to stay focusedHer go-to frameworks for prioritizing (Rule of 3 + Eisenhower Matrix)How to coach time management without micromanagingWhether you're scaling a team or just trying to tame your own calendar, this episode gives you a toolkit (and mindset) for leading with clarity and care.Keep Exploring:📬 Subscribe for weekly tactical tips → Get Weekly Tactical CX and Support Ops Tips🔍 More of Elyse’s insights → Elyse Mankin on LinkedIn🎙 Keep listening → More Episodes of Live Chat with Jen Weaver🗣 Follow Jen for more CX conversations →Jen Weaver on LinkedIn  🤖 Sponsored by Supportman: https://supportman.io

Let’s face it, support roles don’t always get the credit they deserve. Too often, people see them as just a pit stop on the road to something “better.” But what if it could be both a launchpad and a place worth landing?In this episode, I talk with Alex Plasket, one of those rare leaders who makes people want to stay. His team isn’t just high-performing; they genuinely like being there. And it’s not because of secret handshakes or group tattoos (although, that’d be iconic). It’s because Alex builds culture from the inside out, starting with trust.  We’ll delve into his best practices for building high-retention, high-trust support teams. You’ll learn:How to structure onboarding so it saves time in the long run.Alex’s “problem vs concern” framework (I want him to write a book on this!).The power of coaching with real conversations, not generic modules.  Ways to spot career growth opportunities before they’re even asked for.  Maybe you’re working on making onboarding less of a headache, or you’re trying to hang onto great people, or maybe you just want to help your team move up. Whatever the case, Alex offers a refreshingly real and useful approach to leading in support.If you’re building a team and want it to feel more like a landing pad than a revolving door, this episode is for you.Your Next Moves:📧 Join the newsletter: https://live-chat-with-jen.beehiiv.com/ 🔗 Follow Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-plasket/ 👩‍💻 Connect with Jen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-weaver/ 🤖 Sponsored by Supportman: https://supportman.ioEpisode Time Stamps:00:00 – Welcome + why trust matters04:13 – Team success  starts with hiring11:10 – Cue walkthroughs to help you scale14:00 – Lost card ticket coaching example18:00 – Ticket QA after onboarding23:55 – Finding teachable moments30:00 – Important vs urgent