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Customer Service Processes

The Customer Service function operates through systematic workflows that ensure every client interaction strengthens Kyndof's reputation. Here are our core processes.

Client Onboarding​

Setting expectations and establishing communication preferences

When Sales closes a new client and hands off to Customer Service, we begin structured onboarding to ensure smooth order execution:

Day 1 (Immediately after contract signing):

  1. Sales notifies CS via Slack #cs-general: new client name, contract details, special commitments made
  2. CS Lead assigns account to Support Specialist (standard clients) or Client Success Manager (VIP clients)
  3. Assigned CS rep reviews Sales handoff notes for context

Day 2-3 (Within 48 hours of handoff):

  1. CS rep sends welcome email introducing themselves as primary CS contact
  2. Email includes: CS contact information, overview of order process, timeline expectations, communication channels available (email, KakaoTalk, phone), response time commitments
  3. CS rep requests client communication preferences: preferred contact method, language preference (English/Korean), preferred contact person on client side, update cadence preferences (proactive vs. on-request)
  4. CS rep sets up client profile in Zendesk with all gathered information

Week 1 (Before first order):

  1. CS rep schedules kickoff call (optional for standard clients, mandatory for VIP clients)
  2. Kickoff call covers: production process overview, quality standards, timeline coordination, design approval workflows, fitting scheduling, shipping logistics
  3. CS rep gathers first order details and coordinates with Operations on production timeline
  4. CS rep confirms client understands emergency contact procedures for concert week issues

Ongoing:

  • CS rep monitors first order execution closely for any issues that could damage new relationship
  • CS rep conducts post-first-order survey to capture feedback and refine approach
  • Client Success Managers schedule quarterly relationship reviews with VIP clients

Detail page: Client Onboarding Process (coming soon)

Issue Escalation Workflow​

Knowing when to involve leadership or other functions

Customer Service empowers team members to resolve issues independently while establishing clear escalation triggers for situations requiring higher authority or cross-functional coordination:

Tier 1: Support Specialist Resolution (no escalation needed)

Support Specialists handle independently:

  • Shipping status inquiries
  • Order timeline questions (for orders tracking on schedule)
  • General product information
  • Minor sizing questions
  • Communication preference updates
  • Standard return/exchange requests (within policy)

Target: 70% of issues resolved at Tier 1 without escalation.

Tier 2: Client Success Manager Escalation

Support Specialists escalate to Client Success Managers when:

  • Rush order requests (timeline acceleration needed)
  • Quality concerns requiring investigation
  • Custom design requests requiring Design input
  • Timeline delays requiring client communication and recovery plan
  • Refund requests $100-$500
  • VIP client inquiries (always handled by Client Success Managers)

Client Success Managers coordinate cross-functional response:

  • Consult Operations on production feasibility for rush requests
  • Coordinate with Design on customization options
  • Work with Finance on pricing adjustments
  • Engage GA for express shipping coordination

Target: 25% of issues escalate to Tier 2.

Tier 3: CS Lead Escalation

Client Success Managers escalate to CS Lead when:

  • Refunds/discounts $500-$2,000
  • Multiple failed resolution attempts (client still dissatisfied after 2+ solutions offered)
  • Escalation pattern from same client (relationship at risk)
  • Policy exception requests requiring leadership judgment
  • Cross-functional coordination failures (other functions not responsive)

CS Lead actions:

  • Direct client outreach for relationship repair
  • Coordinates leadership involvement if needed
  • Approves financial resolutions within authority
  • Drives cross-functional problem-solving

Target: 4% of issues escalate to Tier 3.

Tier 4: Executive Escalation

CS Lead escalates to CFO/CEO when:

  • Refunds over $2,000
  • Major quality failures (unwearable costumes, fundamentally wrong deliveries)
  • Contractual disputes
  • At-risk VIP accounts requiring CEO relationship involvement
  • Legal risk situations

Target: Less than 1% of issues escalate to Tier 4.

Escalation Response Times:

  • Tier 2: Client Success Manager responds within 2 hours
  • Tier 3: CS Lead responds within 4 hours
  • Tier 4: Executive responds within 8 hours

Detail page: Issue Escalation Workflow (coming soon)

Emergency Response Protocol​

24/7 availability for concert week crises

Entertainment industry clients face genuine emergencies when costume issues arise close to performance dates. Our emergency response protocol ensures rapid mobilization:

On-Call Rotation:

  • All CS team members participate in rotating weekly on-call duty
  • On-call schedule published monthly, shared via Google Calendar
  • On-call rep carries emergency phone with guaranteed 15-minute response time
  • Rotation compensated with overtime pay and time-off-in-lieu

Emergency Criteria:

  • Concert/performance within 48 hours
  • Costume malfunction requiring immediate repair/replacement
  • Rush order for surprise appearance or schedule change
  • Shipping delay requiring alternative logistics solution

Emergency Response Flow:

Minutes 0-15 (Initial Response):

  1. Emergency call arrives on CS on-call phone
  2. On-call CS rep answers immediately, gathers details: client name, issue nature, performance date/time, costume specifics, current location
  3. On-call rep assesses urgency level: Critical (performance within 12 hours), High (12-24 hours), Moderate (24-48 hours)

Minutes 15-30 (Assessment & Mobilization):

  1. On-call rep notifies CS Lead via Slack #cs-urgent
  2. For production issues: On-call rep contacts Operations supervisor directly (emergency contact list maintained)
  3. For shipping issues: On-call rep contacts GA Shipping Coordinator for express options
  4. For repair issues: On-call rep coordinates with Operations on in-house fix vs. send replacement

Minutes 30-60 (Solution Coordination):

  1. Operations assesses production feasibility and timeline: can repair/replacement happen in available window?
  2. GA evaluates express shipping options: same-day courier in Seoul, next-flight-out internationally
  3. Finance approves emergency shipping costs (pre-authorized up to $500 without additional approval)
  4. Solution confirmed with client: what we'll deliver, when it will arrive, backup plan if primary solution fails

Hour 1+ (Execution & Monitoring):

  1. Production mobilizes emergency work (if applicable)
  2. Express shipping arranged and tracking provided to client
  3. On-call rep monitors progress hourly
  4. CS Lead notified of resolution when completed
  5. Emergency logged in Zendesk with full timeline for post-mortem review

Emergency Inventory: Pre-positioned backup inventory for common issues:

  • Extra zippers (various sizes)
  • Button sets (common styles)
  • Fabric swatches for minor repairs
  • Thread spools (common colors)
  • Emergency sewing kit
  • Express shipping packaging

Express Shipping Partnerships:

  • Seoul same-day courier service (2-hour delivery within city)
  • International express carriers with next-flight-out service
  • Pre-negotiated rates for emergency use

Post-Emergency Review: CS Lead conducts post-mortem within 48 hours:

  • What triggered emergency?
  • Was response time adequate?
  • Did solution work?
  • Could we prevent similar emergencies proactively?
  • Process improvements identified?

Detail page: Emergency Response Protocol (coming soon)

VIP Account Management​

White-glove service standards for high-profile clients

VIP clients receive elevated service through dedicated Client Success Manager relationships and proactive engagement:

VIP Designation Criteria:

  • Annual revenue exceeds $50K (or projected to exceed in first year)
  • Strategic value: major agency, high referral potential, industry influencer
  • Complexity: multiple concurrent projects, high customization needs
  • Relationship risk: high expectations, reputation-sensitive

VIP Service Standards:

Response Times:

  • Inquiries: Under 1 hour during business hours (vs. 2 hours for standard clients)
  • Emergency: Under 10 minutes (vs. 15 minutes for standard clients)
  • Proactive updates: Before client asks (not reactive only)

Communication:

  • Dedicated Client Success Manager (single point of contact, knows relationship history)
  • Quarterly relationship review calls to discuss upcoming needs and gather feedback
  • Proactive timeline updates at key milestones (order confirmed, production started, quality check passed, shipped)
  • Anticipatory problem-solving: identify potential issues before they become problems

Execution:

  • Production priority consideration (not guaranteed, but Operations consulted on feasibility)
  • Flexible accommodation of special requests (custom packaging, specific delivery windows, discretion requirements)
  • Premium finishing: extra quality checks, white-glove packaging, personalized thank-you notes

Relationship Management Workflow:

Monthly:

  • Client Success Manager reviews account activity: recent orders, satisfaction survey results, communication patterns
  • Identifies opportunities for proactive engagement: upcoming events client might need costumes for, new product offerings client might want
  • Flags risks: reduced order frequency, negative feedback, increased competitor mentions

Quarterly:

  • Relationship review call scheduled: discuss upcoming projects, gather feedback on recent deliveries, explore ways Kyndof can better support client needs
  • Account health scored: revenue trend, satisfaction trend, engagement level, relationship strength
  • Action plan for at-risk accounts: CS Lead and Sales coordinate recovery strategy

Annually:

  • Comprehensive account review with Sales and CS Leadership
  • Strategic planning: growth opportunities, service improvements, contract renewals
  • Appreciation gesture: thank-you gift, invitation to exclusive event, personalized communication from CEO

VIP Account Transition: When Client Success Manager changes (promotion, departure, workload rebalancing):

  1. Outgoing CSM documents complete relationship history, client preferences, open items
  2. Incoming CSM reviews documentation and shadows outgoing CSM on last 2-3 client interactions
  3. Transition communicated to client with introduction email from incoming CSM
  4. Outgoing CSM remains available for questions during 30-day transition period
  5. Client satisfaction surveyed after 60 days to ensure smooth transition

Detail page: VIP Account Management Process (coming soon)

Feedback Analysis Cycle​

Translating client insights into actionable improvements

Customer Service systematically captures and analyzes client feedback to drive continuous improvement:

Feedback Collection Methods:

Post-Order Surveys:

  • Sent automatically 1 week after delivery confirmation
  • Short survey (5 questions, 2 minutes to complete): overall satisfaction (1-5 scale), quality rating, timeline rating, communication rating, likelihood to recommend
  • Open-ended question: "What could we improve?"
  • Response rate target: 40%+

Unsolicited Feedback:

  • Support Specialists log client comments during routine interactions in Zendesk
  • Positive feedback (compliments, thank-yous) and negative feedback (complaints, suggestions) both captured
  • Feedback tagged by category: quality, timeline, communication, pricing, design

VIP Client Interviews:

  • Client Success Managers conduct structured feedback calls with VIP clients quarterly
  • Deeper exploration of satisfaction drivers, improvement opportunities, competitive comparisons
  • Notes documented in Notion VIP account profiles

Analysis Workflow:

Weekly: CS Lead reviews:

  • Survey responses from past week
  • Unsolicited feedback logged in Zendesk
  • Identifies immediate action items: individual client issues requiring follow-up, recurring complaints needing attention

Monthly: CS Lead analyzes trends:

  • Survey score trends (improving, declining, stable)
  • Feedback category distribution (which issues most common)
  • Client segment patterns (VIP vs. standard, agency vs. independent, domestic vs. international)
  • Prepares monthly feedback report for cross-functional distribution

Quarterly: CS Lead conducts deep-dive analysis:

  • Root cause analysis on recurring issues
  • Competitive intelligence synthesis (what clients say about competitors)
  • Service improvement recommendations for Leadership review
  • Process change proposals for cross-functional implementation

Cross-Functional Distribution:

Feedback routed to appropriate functions:

  • Quality issues → Operations (for production process improvements)
  • Feature requests → Design (for product development consideration)
  • Pricing concerns → Sales and Finance (for competitive positioning review)
  • Timeline issues → Operations (for capacity planning and scheduling improvements)
  • Communication gaps → CS Lead (for internal process refinement)
  • Competitor intelligence → Strategy (for competitive response planning)

Closed-Loop Follow-Up: When client feedback triggers action:

  1. CS Lead notifies client that their feedback is being addressed
  2. Responsible function implements improvement
  3. CS Lead informs client when improvement is complete
  4. Client invited to experience improved process/product
  5. Follow-up satisfaction check confirms improvement effectiveness

This closed loop demonstrates to clients that their feedback creates real change, encouraging ongoing engagement.

Detail page: Feedback Analysis Cycle (coming soon)

Client Communication Protocols​

Consistent, professional touchpoints throughout order lifecycle

Customer Service maintains proactive communication at key milestones:

Order Confirmation (Within 4 hours of order placement):

  • Email confirming order receipt with: order number, items ordered, estimated delivery date, CS contact information
  • Sets expectations: "We'll send production updates proactively at key milestones"

Production Start (Day 1 of production):

  • Email notifying: "Your order has entered production"
  • Includes: projected completion date, reminder to confirm shipping address, fitting availability if applicable

Quality Check Complete (After final QC pass):

  • Email notifying: "Your order has passed quality inspection and is ready for shipment"
  • Includes: shipping method, estimated delivery date, tracking number (once available)

Shipment Notification (Day of shipping):

  • Email with: tracking number, carrier details, estimated delivery date, unboxing/care instructions
  • For international shipments: customs documentation, estimated clearance timeline

Delivery Confirmation (After delivery signature):

  • Email confirming: "Your order has been delivered"
  • Includes: post-order survey link, CS contact for any issues, care instructions reminder

Exception Communications:

Production Delays: If production timeline extends beyond original estimate:

  • CS proactively contacts client immediately when delay identified
  • Explains cause (material delay, complexity underestimate, capacity constraint)
  • Provides revised delivery date
  • Offers solutions if delay impacts client timeline: partial delivery, express shipping at no charge

Quality Issues: If item fails quality check:

  • CS contacts client with explanation
  • Offers options: repair and ship with short delay, remake with longer delay, partial refund if timeline critical
  • CS coordinates solution execution and follows up until client satisfied

Shipping Delays: If carrier delays shipment beyond estimated delivery:

  • CS monitors tracking and contacts client proactively when delay detected
  • Explains situation and revised delivery estimate
  • For concert-week orders: coordinates alternative shipping (air freight, courier) at Kyndof's expense

Communication Channel Strategy:

Email:

  • Default for documentation and non-urgent updates
  • All formal communications (order confirmations, invoices, contracts)

KakaoTalk:

  • Preferred by Korean-speaking clients for quick questions
  • Real-time updates during urgent situations
  • Informal check-ins and relationship building

Phone:

  • Reserved for urgent issues, complex explanations, relationship-sensitive conversations
  • VIP clients receive phone updates for major milestones
  • Emergency response coordination

Slack (Internal):

  • #cs-general: Routine cross-functional coordination
  • #cs-urgent: Emergency escalations requiring immediate attention

Detail page: Client Communication Protocols (coming soon)

Performance Metrics Review​

Customer Service tracks effectiveness through systematic metrics analysis:

Daily Metrics (Zendesk Dashboard):

  • Open ticket count
  • Average first response time
  • Tickets awaiting response (aging report)
  • Emergency escalations (count and resolution time)

Weekly Metrics:

  • First response time (business hours and outside hours)
  • Issue resolution time
  • Escalation rate by tier
  • Client satisfaction scores (from completed surveys)

Monthly Metrics:

  • All weekly metrics trended over time
  • Repeat client rate
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS) from surveys
  • Feedback category distribution

Quarterly Metrics:

  • Strategic KPIs: client retention, client lifetime value, referral rate
  • Team performance: individual CSM account health scores, specialist ticket resolution quality
  • Process effectiveness: escalation reduction trends, emergency response success rate

CS Lead reviews metrics and implements improvements continuously.

Last Updated: 2026-02-03 Maintained by: Customer Service Function Questions? Ask in #cs-general on Slack