Question: Wait a minute - you can talk to a bunch of customers at once with live chat?  How does that even work?

Celebrating with candy is an Olark tradition. We call it Sweet Support. As part of our monthly newsletter, the support team chooses an Olarker (or two or three) who has gone above and beyond for our customers. They get a box of treats to enjoy as a fun way to show our appreciation. Anyone at Olark can receive a Sweet Support package in the mail.

Question: How can I elegantly wrap up a chat when I need to leave my desk?

Last year, Olark became a remote-first company. We said goodbye to our headquarters in San Francisco and now our 40-person team works from across the US, South America and Europe. We love the benefits of working remotely so much, we’re trying to help others find a remote job too!

Question: I’m concerned that the visitors I chat with won’t remember everything I’ve shared with them.  Help?

The following article originally appeared in Harvard Business Review. 

Many years ago, I had to take some time off work for depression. I had a sick note from the doctor, and had disclosed that it was mental health related. After two weeks, when I was just starting to feel like I could cope again, my colleagues invited me out for the evening. I wanted to remain welded to my sofa, but I decided to go, as a way of easing myself back into my normal routine.

Question: A really obnoxious visitor won't stop chatting with me! How can I make them go away!?!?

I remember when I was first starting my search for a remote job. It was intimidating! Limited resources. Lack of support. Difficult to maneuver through jobs that were fully remote vs. those that allowed “some” work from home. I eventually found the perfect fit at Olark and it’s been amazing for my family, my life, and my sanity.

The vast majority of questions we get at Olark are pretty simple, or at least quick for our talented team to resolve. A few times a day we get questions that are mind-boggling, unusual, new, or just plain hard to figure out. We have some unique and not-so unique strategies to unravel tough problems and reduce the wait time for our customers, all while thriving as a remote team. Let’s follow the path of one of these questions to see what happens!