All-Company Support with Priscilla Brooke
Episode Overview
In this episode, Neal Travis speaks with Priscilla Brooke, Head of Podcaster Success at Buzzsprout and host of Happy to Help, about how involving the whole company in customer support creates stronger teams, better products, and more connected organizations. They explore why all-company support matters, how to set it up practically, and how to overcome common concerns about value, standards, and participation.
Key Topics Discussed
1. What All-Company Support Really Means
Priscilla explains the core concept:
“It’s about people outside of the support team getting direct interaction with customers — not because support needs help, but because the company needs connection.”
It’s a proactive way to break down silos and build empathy, insight, and stronger product and service decisions.
Support shouldn’t be isolated — it should be shared.
2. Addressing the ‘Anyone Can Do It’ Misconception
Some worry that if anyone can step into support, it diminishes its value. Priscilla offers a reality check:
“It’s not rocket science — but it takes real skill. If you think anyone can do it well with no training, you might need to raise your standards.”
Support requires communication, empathy, problem-solving, and calm under pressure — skills that need to be respected and developed.
Letting others experience support highlights, not devalues, the expertise it requires.
3. Practical Models for All-Company Support
At Buzzsprout, all-company support is structured intentionally:
2–4 support shifts per year, 3–4 hours each
Booked during designated open windows
Shadowing, buddy systems, and minimal but effective training
Cherry-picking cases aligned with the participant’s expertise
“It’s not about asking people to fix the most technical problems — it’s about giving them meaningful, manageable exposure.”
Flexibility and preparation make participation smooth, valuable, and sustainable.
4. Overcoming Participation Challenges
Getting people to consistently sign up takes more than goodwill. Priscilla shares:
“You need leadership buy-in — and sometimes the best way is getting them to do a shift themselves.”
When leaders participate and communicate the “why,” the whole company is more likely to embrace it as part of the culture, not just a nice-to-have.
Top-down endorsement turns optional into essential.
5. Unexpected Benefits of All-Company Support
Beyond customer empathy, it also strengthens internal processes:
“Developers spot clunky workarounds. Marketers learn edge cases. Everyone sees where improvements can be made.”
It also prepares teams for critical incidents — and enables support staff to fully participate in team meetups without leaving the inbox unmanned.
Shared experience builds resilience, not just knowledge.
Memorable Quotes
“The reason they’re coming into support isn’t because we need help — it’s because it benefits them, and it benefits the whole company.”
“In support, we’re really good at finding workarounds. Sometimes someone outside the team comes in and says, ‘Wait — why are you doing it that way?’”
“Put your oxygen mask on first — you can’t solve customer problems from a place of panic.”
Takeaways
All-company support is a strategic advantage: It connects teams directly with customer realities and drives better decisions.
Respect the skill of great support work: Communication and calm under pressure are serious professional skills.
Create rhythms, not random acts: Structured, cyclical shifts with clear expectations make it sustainable.
Leadership must model and champion participation: Culture change starts at the top.
Shared exposure leads to shared ownership: The more people touch customer experience, the better the whole company becomes.
