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The Support Snapshot Issue 11: Speak Up, Bark Loud, Stay Sharp
Interesting stuff that sometimes relates to your CX SaaS remote work life.
Jen Weaver
April 04, 2025
Every Friday, we bring you a curated selection of CX news, podcasts, and community. This week is especially awesome - my hope is that you can scan the newsletter, spend a little time, and feel updated. But also dig in wherever you want to. Enjoy!
🌎 Around the Web
🛑🟡🟢 Bad Job Bingo is back!
I'm pretty good at my job, but managing my career, I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. Reading Bad Job Bingo (even when I'm not looking for a job) makes me feel ... competent. Career-savvy. Like I have a big sister looking out for me.
Steph Lundberg has serious big sister vibes, and she's posting again after a few months' break. This week, she's interpreting Substack's new job posting:
📖 Read the March 30 issue (the actual non-Substack job she shared is pretty cool too).
🎥 Watch this TikTok "Unlimited PTO is a Trap" to get to know Steph.
"...what it would mean to try to lead the content moderation function at a company that doesn’t believe in content moderation."
🤔 AI Regulation Fails in Virginia
When one state makes rules about a product or service that’s used across the country (or even the world), it can end up changing how that product works for everyone. That’s why it matters so much when U.S. states start regulating AI—it can have a big impact far beyond their borders.
➡️ Read New Virginia State Law Puts Guardrails on AI from CX Today for a good overview of what the bill was.
➡️ Read Virginia vetoes AI bill in latest push toward light-touch regulation from CIO Dive about the Governor's veto.
➡️ Check out this quick, podcast-style video with Hyoun Park and Charles Araujo . One standout moment:
"It's likely that the US state that figures out the most reasonable Al governance will end up actually driving the market significantly."
🐾 Bark Like You Mean It: The Best April Fool’s Prank of 2025
Why say it with words when you can say it with woofs? This adorable prank turns your text into audible barks—and yes, you get to pick the dog breed. 😂🐶
➡️ Give Text to Bark by ElevenLabs a try!
📣 Post-Its and Speaking Up
This article is a gem—I saved it to reread. Preparing "landing words" was a new (and brilliant) concept for me, but here's what really hit home: prepping what I want to say before meetings.
➡️ Read speak up!!!!!!!!! by Hilary Gridley
Shoutout to my army of post-its for prepping before meetings:
🦸 Quick reminder! This newsletter is brought to you by Supportman.io, which connects Intercom to Slack with AI to give agents feedback and surface problems in real time. Check it out if you're into efficiency and stuff.
🎤 This Week in the Podcastiverse
a small selection of the CS podcasts published this week - in which I agonize over whether to place my podcast first or last.
😄 The Supportive from Mat Patterson
Sarah Hatter founded ElevateCX, an awesome Slack community for CX pros. Mathew Patterson interviews her in a quick 18-minute podcast and they encourage you to join communities. Hop to minute 13 for Sarah's hot tip on what to talk about when you're on stage at a conference.
"Tell the best story ... that you would tell if we were all standing around at an after-party talking about the worst things that happened in our careers."
➡️ Listen to Episode 9 on Spotify or on your fav podcast app.
➡️ Watch a 4-min highlight reel on YouTube.
➡️ Read the show notes here, they're comprehensive and have links to all the communities!
😄 Growth Support
A couple of recent episodes:
➡️ Watch Idit Matas on setting up global support - my favorite is minute 15 ish, about how crucial it is to assign tickets. When no one owns a ticket, no one really feels the responsibility for resolution.
➡️ Watch Philippe Mesritz on the path to exec, especially minute 2: how your level (manager, sr manager, etc) is defined by the timeline you navigate.
😄 Live Chat with Jen Weaver
Alison walks us through launching a customer education program - if you want to start teaching classes but don't know where to start, this is for you. Also, I made it and I hope you like it. ❤
➡️ Watch Courage to Teach with Alison Groves
➡️ Especially about minute 24: you are the expert!
🏅 Honorable Mentions:
The Digital CX Podcast: Justin Neal talked through digital CS but this focused more on Customer Success - if that's where your interests are, watch here!
The Modern Customer Podcast: Jeff Shore talks about why people buy - it's more of interest if you're in CX design or strategy.
Next in Queue: Beth Karawan 🍩 talks support and there's a tie-in to the Bear which is cool.
The Intuitive Customer Podcast: 10 Proven Ways Guaranteed To Build Trust In Your Customers!
The Communities
📖 Zendesk taxonomy management - some great advice here. (Support Driven Slack)
🗣️ Wanted: your advice if you're a bilingual support manager. (ElevateCX Slack)
💬 Loving this post from Natalia Cano: How to Make Your Boss's Life Easier. (LinkedIn)
🚩 Sarah Betts shared a short guide for getting ChatGPT to plan your day for you. (LinkedIn)
🧩 Little Bits
📌 There is a new LinkedIn puzzle - Zip!
📌 A couple of interesting AI features from Intercom: chat with customers in any language, and enable the AI bot to understand screenshots from customers.
📌 Tech Bullion's short list of common data mistakes to avoid is useful for support knowledge managers.
📌 The Segment unpacks a new report on AI:
41% of Gen Z and Millenial employees have admitted to sabotaging their company’s AI strategies. 35% of employees think their employer’s tools are so bad that they’re willing to pay out of pocket for better ones.
🦸 This newsletter is brought to you by Supportman.io, which connects Intercom to Slack with AI to give agents feedback and surface problems in real time. Plus there's a free trial!