Sole Customer Service: A Practical, Professional Guide for Solo Entrepreneurs

Overview: why “sole” needs to be deliberate, not sloppy

Running customer service as a sole proprietor means you are simultaneously CEO, product manager, marketer and front-line support. That creates advantages—intimate product knowledge, fast decisions—and risks—burnout, missed SLAs, inconsistent messages. Treat customer service as a system with measurable inputs and outputs: channels, hours, tools, scripts, escalation rules and KPIs. When designed thoughtfully, a one-person support operation can match the professionalism of a 10-person team while costing a fraction of the salary overhead.

Start by defining what “excellent” looks like for your business in measurable terms: response-time targets, resolution goals, and satisfaction benchmarks. A practical baseline many solo operators use: initial response under 1 hour for chat, under 4 hours for email during business hours, average first-contact resolution ≥65%, and a Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) target ≥85%. These targets set expectations for customers and give you concrete goals to monitor and improve.

Core metrics, SLAs and how to report them

Pick 4–6 metrics you will actually track weekly. Essential metrics for a sole customer service owner: average response time, average handle time (AHT), first contact resolution (FCR), CSAT, Net Promoter Score (NPS) and ticket backlog. Practical weekly thresholds: response time (chat) <2 minutes, response time (email) <4 hours, FCR 60–75%, CSAT 80–90% and backlog <10 tickets. These numbers are realistic for a one-person operation and give room for growth.

Reporting should be lightweight: a single weekly spreadsheet or dashboard with those six metrics and a one-line commentary on exceptions. Use simple date-stamped snapshots so you can see trends month-over-month and identify one-off spikes (e.g., product launch on 2025-03-12 increased email volume by 220%). If you offer any paid SLAs to customers, codify them: “Initial response within 4 business hours, resolution within 72 hours for non-complex issues” and publish them on your website and email auto-replies.

Tools, costs and concrete resource choices

Invest in a small set of integrated tools rather than many disconnected free apps. Recommended stack (costs are approximate, as of 2024):

• Helpdesk / ticketing: Freshdesk (starter free, Growth $15/agent/month) or Zendesk (Support Suite from roughly $55/agent/month). Websites: https://freshworks.com/freshdesk, https://zendesk.com
• Live chat: Intercom (from $65/month) or Crisp (free to $25/month). Website: https://intercom.com
• Phone & SMS: Google Voice (personal plans from $10/user/month), Twilio (phone numbers ≈ $1/month + usage). Website: https://voice.google.com, https://twilio.com
• Automation & CRM: HubSpot CRM (free tier) or Pipedrive ($14–$59/user/month). Website: https://hubspot.com, https://pipedrive.com
• Knowledge base & docs: Notion (free to $8/user/month) or HelpDocs ($49/month). Website: https://notion.so, https://helpdocs.io

Budget guidance: plan $50–$250/month for essential SaaS tools when starting; add $200–$800/month as volume and features grow (IVR, phone minutes, advanced automation). Outsourcing a part-time agent in 2025 commonly costs $15–$40/hour offshore and $35–$90/hour in North America for vetted contractors—use these rates to calculate break-even points for hiring help versus automation.

Daily workflows, templates and scripts that save hours

Create reproducible workflows for intake, triage, reply and escalation. Example workflow: (1) Tickets auto-tag by channel and product using rules; (2) High-priority tags (billing, safety, outages) trigger SMS/phone notification to you; (3) Mid-priority (feature requests, setup help) get a templated email within 4 hours; (4) Low-priority (ideas, compliments) receive an acknowledgement. Automate the acknowledgement so you never leave customers wondering whether you saw the message.

Always maintain short, editable templates for common scenarios—refunds, technical troubleshooting, onboarding steps. Sample email subject and opening lines: “Re: [Order #12345] Quick confirmation of your request” and “Hi Jane — thanks for reaching out. I’m [Your Name], founder of [Company]. I’ll look into this and get back to you within 4 hours.” Keep phone scripts to 3 parts: acknowledgement, verification (order number, email), resolution path and next steps. Document these scripts in a single Notion or Google Doc for quick copy-paste access.

Packed SOP list: essential items to create in week 1

• Channel matrix (which channels you monitor and when, e.g., email Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00, chat Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00).
• Escalation ladder with thresholds (e.g., unresolved 48 hours escalates to phone; major outage escalates immediately to owner phone).
• Response templates for 12 most-common issues (returns, password reset, delayed shipment, billing dispute, refund policy).
• One-page onboarding script for new customers including 3 checklist items and a 15-minute welcome call template.
• Weekly reporting spreadsheet with the six core metrics and one priority action item.

Scaling decisions: when to automate, outsource or hire

Use a simple cost-time rule: if a task costs you more than 3 hours/week and can be reliably scripted, automate or outsource it. Examples: order confirmations and shipping alerts are ideal for automation; technical troubleshooting that requires product knowledge is better kept in-house until you can train someone. Outsource repetitive triage to a virtual assistant at $10–25/hour; keep final approvals and sensitive escalations to yourself.

When hiring full-time or part-time, calculate a break-even: if a contractor at $30/hour frees you 10 hours/week, that’s $300/week or $1,200/month—compare that to lost revenue from delayed responses or missed conversions. For most solo founders, a gradual approach works best: automate and document first, then hire a contractor for predictable, high-volume tasks, and finally hire a permanent support hire when monthly workload consistently exceeds 20–30 hours of support time.

Practical contact and example details (templates you can adapt)

Example contact block to display on your site or email footer (replace with your real data):

Support: [email protected] | Phone: +1 (555) 010-2025 | Address: 123 Small Business Ln, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78701 | Hours: Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 CT

If you use a third-party helpdesk, include a self-serve link: Knowledge base: https://yourbusiness.helpdocs.io and set expectations clearly on the contact page: “Typical response time: within 24 business hours. Emergencies: call +1 (555) 010-2025.”

How do I claim my SOLE Fitness warranty?

To initiate a warranty claim, please send an email to [email protected] or contact our customer care number. When reaching out to customer care, ensure to include the order reference number, model number, and the serial number of the product.

What is the phone number for sole provisions customer service?

1-888-348-3567
Our Customer Service Department will be happy to help you with any questions you may have regarding our products, services or website. Use the form on this page or call us at 1-888-348-3567.

Is there a lawsuit against sole treadmills?

Hellmuth & Johnson Gains Preliminary Approval of a $3.65 Million Settlement with SOLE Fitness Treadmills. On February 22, 2022, United States Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz granted preliminary approval of a class action settlement in Bechtel v. Fitness Equipment Services, LLC dba SOLE Fitness, No.

Is Sole Fitness still in business?

For decades, SOLE has offered a full line of treadmills, ellipticals and exercise bikes in North America and is a global presence in 29 countries.

How do I contact sole bike customer service?

If you find that your battery does not hold a sufficient charge, please call customer service at 1-844-336-SOLÉ.

How do I contact Soulcycle bike customer service?

If you have any issues with your bike, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we will do our best to take care of it.