Customer Support Makes Software Better

Back when I was starting out in tech, there was this weird vibe that developers were “too good” to talk to customers. It wasn’t always said out loud, but you could feel it in how people acted. Fast forward a bit, and I found myself in a position where I had to fix the rocky relationship between support teams and developers. The solution? Get developers to do support rotations. Yeah, I know—it wasn’t the most popular idea at the time, but hear me out.

Here’s how it works: Every week, have at least one developer on your team spend an hour or two pairing up with someone from support. They’ll dig into the trickiest issues the support team has been dealing with. It doesn’t have to be a full-day thing—just a couple of hours can make a difference.

Better Software, Better Decisions

First off, this setup leads to better software. Even in the most rigid development processes, developers always have to make decisions that aren’t spelt out in the requirements. Software is just too complex to document every little detail.

Some of these decisions are small, like what error message to show for a rare edge case or how to handle slow internet connections. Others are more significant technical choices that users don’t usually notice—until something goes wrong and everyone’s confused.

These decisions often fly under the radar because they’re either super technical or there are just too many of them to track. But when you add them all up, they significantly impact how users experience your app. By working with the support team, developers get a front-row seat to how their software is used. This builds empathy and gives them the context to make smarter decisions. The result? Better UX and better software overall.

Better Tools for Your Support Team

Another win? Better internal tools. A lot of support tickets involve digging through data or logs, and sometimes that’s not easy to do. Developers hate doing repetitive manual tasks (I know I do), so they’ll naturally start building tools to make those queries faster and easier. This means your support team can solve issues more efficiently, which makes your customers happier. Win-win.

Your Support Team Will Get Way Better at Their Jobs

Here’s the kicker: Pairing developers with support is also the best training your support team can get. Think about it —most support folks get maybe a week or two of “training” on the product before they’re thrown into the deep end, answering customer questions. How can anyone expect them to be experts in that short amount of time?

The result? A ton of support tickets get escalated to the dev team. Engineering managers try to stop the flood with more processes, but that’s just putting a plaster on the problem. Customers still need answers, and they need them fast.

A weekly 1-2 hour session with developers can work wonders. Your support team will learn how the product really works, and they’ll become way more independent when solving issues. Over time, this means fewer bug reports landing on developers’ desks, a stronger relationship between teams, and a deeper understanding of what users actually need.

The Big Picture

So, what’s the long-term impact? Developers spend less time troubleshooting, your support team gets better at their jobs, and everyone gains a deeper appreciation for the people using the software. It’s a small change with a big payoff. And honestly, it’s just a better way to work.

Give it a try—you might be surprised at how much of a difference a couple of hours can make.

Article by Dave