#24 Laura Bedoya, Senior Technical Support Manager, Vitally.io – Building Customer Support Teams and Fostering Community

In this episode, Laura Bedoya, Senior Technical Support Manager at Vitally.io, shares her journey of building the company’s first-ever B2B technical support team from the ground up. Laura dives into the lessons she’s learned along the way, from creating processes and documentation to fostering team culture and leveraging AI to enhance customer support. She also reflects on her passion for community building and empowering women of color to take up leadership roles in the tech industry.

We discuss how Laura’s experience in retail shaped her empathetic and pragmatic leadership style, her insights on navigating metrics like CSAT and first reply time, and how she strikes a balance between fun and accountability as a manager. Laura’s story is not only a testament to resilience but also an inspiration for leaders looking to build inclusive, high-performing teams.

Whether you’re a customer support leader, a community builder, or someone passionate about diversity in tech, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories.

Key Topics Covered:

0:00 – Welcome & Introduction
 Scott introduces Laura Bedoya and her pivotal role in building Vitally.io’s first B2B technical support team.

3:00 – Lessons from Starting a Support Team
 Laura shares her experience building processes and implementing tools while keeping the customer experience top of mind.

6:45 – The Power of Documentation
 How documenting every step streamlined onboarding and empowered team members.

10:00 – Balancing Metrics with Empathy
 Laura’s perspective on why CSAT should be a team metric and her aversion to first reply time as a key performance indicator.

15:30 – Using AI Responsibly
 How Vitally.io uses AI to handle repetitive tasks, freeing up human agents to focus on complex customer needs.

20:00 – Building a Remote-First Team Culture
 The strategies Laura uses to foster human connections in a remote work environment.

25:30 – Advocating for Diversity and Inclusion
 Laura’s work with Amigas Latinas and her mission to mentor and empower women of color in leadership.

30:00 – Leadership Lessons from Retail
 How Laura’s early retail management experience taught her to stay calm under pressure and prioritize human connection.

35:00 – Balancing Fun and Focus
 Laura’s “unserious serious” approach to leadership and why humor is essential in building resilient teams.

Key Takeaways:

• Document everything: Comprehensive, accessible documentation ensures smoother onboarding and team success.
• Focus on team performance: Treat metrics like CSAT as a team responsibility, not an individual burden.
• AI is a tool, not a replacement: Use AI to handle repetitive tasks and empower teams to focus on impactful issues.
• Diversity matters: Representation and mentorship create meaningful opportunities and stronger teams.
• Humor builds resilience: A fun, lighthearted environment can help teams stay motivated while achieving their goals.