Wired for Connection 7: Empathy and Sounding Boards: How to Deliver Partner Care

Jessica Holmes is the Senior Manager of Partner Care at ConnectWise. She leads a global team dedicated to turning complex partner challenges into solutions. And with nearly a decade in the MSP world, she knows what it takes to support people through the tough stuff and help them thrive.

Her own career path took a big turn when a leader saw her potential and encouraged her to step into something new – a reminder of just how powerful it can be when someone believes in you.

But Jessica’s story doesn’t stop at tech. She helps run a UK-registered dog rescue charity and also volunteers with a therapy dog organisation – work that keeps her grounded in compassion and reminds her daily of the importance of care, whether for people or pets.

An Interview With Jessica HolmesDe-escalating Difficult Situations in Partner Care

Often, MSP partners get in touch with their vendor when they’re having a problem. This can make conversations hard. Jessica explains: “Whenever someone is rude or abrupt, I always think that the person’s behaviour is just a symptom of how they’re feeling. It’s not personal.

“So I think about how I can break that down. Getting to know the person and building trust always helps. Ideally, you want to find ways to grow connections with your partners before they hit a problem. That way they’ll find it easier to interact.”

Jessica adds that there’s a balance between showing that you’re a nice person and not just giving the customer what they want. “There’s always a reason why things can’t be done faster, or just aren’t possible. And sometimes I just have to find a way to de-escalate a tense situation.”

Being a Sounding Board in Partner Care

Part of being in the partner care team involves being a sounding board. “There are a lot of emotions and opinions when tech goes wrong, and those are completely valid. But these things happen. And human error is part of it, too, and things can go wrong.

“Sometimes, when people are frustrated, we just have to take it. Then, we can find a way to resolve it. And this ties into de-escalating things too – we have to think carefully about how we respond to people. It’s important that partners feel that they’re being listened to, and we have to show empathy.

“And on occasion, we (the vendor) don’t think that the error is our fault. But we know that the partner has to feel heard, valued and understood. That means that sometimes we just have to take the blame and be the sounding board for them to vent their frustrations.”

Finding Empathy on Both Sides

It’s not easy to empathise with frustrated partners, Jessica acknowledges, but it’s something that has to be learned. “We also have to learn the art of negotiation in partner care. Because to get a resolution, it takes both sides to work together.

“And the partners aren’t always as empathetic with us. We’re not the bad guys; we’re trying to help them fix the problem. And we haven’t deliberately caused a problem with their software, either. If they can explain their issues without getting frustrated with us, we can help them quicker.

“You can have two people looking at the same situation but with completely different understandings of it. So when a partner is frustrated, we need to strip it back and say ‘We understand where you’re coming from, but this is what I see.’ We know the problem is making things hard for them, but if the partner is aggressive we can’t resolve it. We need to work together.”

Why we Need More Positive Reinforcement in Keynotes

As part of her role, Jessica attends lots of industry events. She’s noticed a trend that keynote speakers often use negative reinforcement. “I think if we used positive reinforcement instead, that would foster an environment that we’d all enjoy and thrive working in.

“There’s a lot we can do to make the workplace a more positive experience for everyone. Good mentoring, giving praise and rewarding hard work is so important. It leads to a much warmer and collaborative working environment. One where everyone gets stuck in and gets involved for the right reasons.

“We don’t want people to feel that they’ll be punished or there’ll be repercussions if they don’t take part. Positive reinforcement fosters better relationships, which leads to better results. But I don’t think we see enough of it in our industry.”

One Thing Jessica Would Change About the Industry

“If I could change one thing, it would be for everyone to remember first and foremost that nobody is setting out to give you a bad day. Nobody in a support organisation or  the dev team, wakes up thinking, ‘I really want to mess with your day today. I’m going to have a great time cutting this service.’

“If partners could remember that when they raise a ticket, it helps with us understanding each other and working to find a resolution. Remember that we’re here to support you. We’re all in the same industry with the same goals and ideas.

“We all want the same thing and that’s to grow together. When you open a ticket, give some context. Tell us what you’ve already tried so the tech support knows. If you don’t tell them, they’ll ask what you’ve done, because they’re not a mind-reader. If people remember that we’re all on the same team, it reduces their frustration.”

What Jessica Loves About the Industry

Jessica’s answer to this question matches what all our other guests say. “The thing I love the most is the community. The people in the space are incredible in their own individual ways. Everyone is unique and interesting and I love learning their stories.

“When we focus on the community and do more together, we get to know the people making the decisions. We learn who the people are behind the job roles, and that’s helpful in so many ways. We’re lucky to have so many amazing people in the industry.

“Yes, we all have bad days, and in partner care we have bad calls, too. But that’s heavily outweighed by the amazing community and the amazing people.  There’s an overwhelming friendliness and helpfulness throughout the whole community. The people I work with every day are incredible and they make my job worthwhile.”

How to Connect With Jessica HolmesConnectWiseLike ConnectWise on FacebookFollow ConnectWise on XFollow ConnectWise on LinkedInConnect with Jessica on LinkedInHow to Connect With Lenka and VeraSubscribe to the Wired for Connection RSS FeedFollow @tubblog_msp on InstagramConnect with Lenka on LinkedInVisit Vera’s website: T-ConsultingFollow T-Consulting on LinkedInFollow T-Consulting on FacebookFollow T-Consulting on TwitterConnect with Vera on LinkedInMentioned in This EpisodeMSP Community: The IT NationYou Might Also be Intererested inElevate Your Client Retention Strategy with Outstanding Customer ServiceInvest in Mental Health for a Happy MSP TeamPodcast: Empower MSP Teams to Deliver Better Customer Services