There was lots of feedback and interest regarding the monthly support package, so let’s dive deeper.
When you have an open-buffet style of support, you may be concerned about being overwhelmed.
One way to avoid being overwhelmed is to artificially create a funnel. This means limiting the number of simultaneous in-progress tickets to 1 or 2.
Now, if an urgent request comes in, what then? Well, you can simply set the current ticket to “On Hold” and work on the urgent one. Once that’s complete, you resume the previous ticket.
In terms of response time, I usually phrase things as “best effort”. I also share with each client that they are not my only client. So I’m not waiting in front of the computer waiting for tickets.
I’m also not procrastinating either. If a ticket is marked urgent, I’ll work on it as soon as reasonably possible. If it’s low priority, the resolution may take several days.
Keep in mind that with all engagements, trust is your foundation. Your client needs to trust your judgement and be reasonable with your time.
The takeaway
Once trust is in place, creating a healthy working engagement becomes significantly easier.