Hugo

Scaling Support: A 12-Month Success Story

Author: Andrea Okonkwo

The Client

Founded in 2020 by two former real estate professionals, the client is a U.S.-based Property Technology (PropTech) SaaS startup that helps landlords and property managers streamline operations like tenant screening, maintenance management, and financial reporting. With a blend of industry expertise and technological innovation, the company quickly gained traction in the real estate market.

The Challenge: Growing Pains from Rapid Expansion

Following successful funding, the client’s user base grew from 500 to over 5,000 in 18 months, putting immense pressure on its limited and unstructured customer support system.

  1. Overwhelming Ticket Volume & Scalability Issues: Support tickets surged from 50 to over 500 per week, straining the founders’ ad-hoc management approach, risking scalability and customer churn.
  2. Declining Customer Satisfaction: The divided focus between product development and support led to slower response times, inconsistent service quality, and a drop in NPS from 65 to 48 over three months, indicating declining customer satisfaction.

Hugo’s Solution: A Phased Approach to Support Excellence

Hugo adopted a phased approach to overhaul the client’s support operations, aiming to resolve immediate challenges while building a scalable system for future growth.

Phase 1: Assessment and Initial Setup (Weeks 1-4)
  • Specialist Deployment: Hugo began by deploying three full-time support specialists with previous experience in real estate and tenant relations to quickly address the backlog of tickets.
  • Needs Analysis: These foundational hires identified gaps in support needs to inform the new system.
  • Workflow Design: The team created a brand-aligned support workflow for consistent customer interactions.
  • Ticketing System: Hugo implemented Zendesk for efficient issue tracking and streamlining processes.
Phase 2: Knowledge Base Development and SOP Implementation (Weeks 5-8)
  • Hugo developed comprehensive FAQs empowering customers to find solutions independently, reducing the number of repetitive inquiries agents received.
  • The team collaborated with the client to establish a Standard Operating System (SOP) for various support scenarios to ensure consistent responses.
  • Hugo established key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response time, resolution rate, CSAT, and NPS to measure effectiveness and guide improvements.
Phase 3: Scaling and Optimization (Months 3-12)

To accommodate the client’s growth and maintain customer satisfaction, Hugo focused on:

  • Gradually adding seven support specialists to handle increased ticket volume, allowing the client to scale effectively.
  • Utilizing a “train the trainer” model to expedite the onboarding process of new team members, reducing ramp-up time from three weeks to under ten days.
  • Expanding support channels to include live chat, enhancing response times.
  • Implementing regular feedback loops between support and product development for continuous improvement.

Throughout the engagement, Hugo emphasized:

  • Brand Consistency: Ensured all interactions aligned with the client’s identity.
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Monitored CSAT and NPS, updated the knowledge base, and created response templates for targeted training and improvements.
  • Flexibility: Adapted processes to meet evolving needs, preventing churn and enhancing satisfaction.
Partnering with Hugo transformed our operations...our customers are happier, our team is more focused, and we’re better prepared for growth.

The Result

After 12 months with Hugo, the client experienced significant improvements:

Team Growth
  • Expanded to 10 dedicated support specialists.
Efficiency
  • Response time: Reduced from 24 hours to under 2 hours.
  • New hire ramp-up: Cut from 3 weeks to under 10 days.
Customer Satisfaction:
  • CSAT: Increased from 83% to 97%.
  • First contact resolution: Improved from 59% to 75%.
  • NPS: Rose from 48 to 70.
Scalability
  • Managed a 150% increase in ticket volume.
Business Impact
  • Churn rate: Decreased from 5.2% to 3.5%.
  • Founders regained 20+ hours/week.
  • Launched a new product feature based on support feedback.

Ongoing Partnership

The CEO, Alison P., stated, “Partnering with Hugo transformed our operations, creating a support ecosystem that gives us a competitive edge. Our customers are happier, our team is more focused, and we’re better prepared for growth.

Looking ahead, the client plans to expand its partnership with Hugo to:

  • Implement AI-powered chatbots for 24/7 basic support.
  • Expand multi-language support to enter new markets.

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