Getting Started with Customer Support Builder

Automate customer support tasks with ease using the Customer Support Builder skill.

Quick Start (5 minutes)

  1. Install the skill

    # Add the marketplace
claude plugin marketplace add nbashaw/claude-cs

# Install the skill
claude plugin install customer-support-builder

  2. Navigate to your company repository

    cd /path/to/your/company/repo
claude

  3. Invoke the skill

    /customer-support-builder

  4. Answer the discovery questions The skill will ask about your support stack:

    • What ticketing platform? (Zendesk, HelpScout, etc.)
    • What billing system? (Stripe, Chargebee, etc.)
    • Database access?
    • API credentials ready?

  5. Let Claude build your automation It will create:

    • Scripts for your platforms
    • Response templates
    • Workflow documentation
    • Setup validation

  6. Add your API credentials

    # Create .env.local in your repo root
SUPPORT_API_KEY=your_key_here
BILLING_API_KEY=your_key_here
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...

  7. Test the setup

    npx tsx support-automation/scripts/check-setup.ts

  8. Try it out!

    # If installed as a skill
/support

# Or run directly
npx tsx support-automation/scripts/list-open-tickets.ts

What to expect

Time investment

  • Initial build: 30-60 minutes with Claude's help
  • First use: 5-10 minutes to handle a ticket
  • Long-term: Saves hours per week

Learning curve

  • Day 1: Follow Claude's suggestions, approve responses
  • Week 1: Start recognizing patterns, using templates confidently
  • Month 1: Add custom scripts for your repetitive tasks

Example walkthrough

Let's say you use HelpScout and Stripe:

You: /customer-support-builder

Claude: "I'll help you build support automation! What platform do you use for tickets?"

You: "HelpScout for tickets, Stripe for billing. I have a PostgreSQL database."

Claude: "Perfect! I'll create:

  • HelpScout scripts (list, get, reply, close conversations)
  • Stripe scripts (search, refunds, cancellations)
  • PostgreSQL queries (read-only)
  • Response templates for common scenarios

Creating the project structure now..."

Claude builds everything

Claude: "Done! I've created 10 scripts and 5 templates. Now:

  1. Add your API keys to .env.local
  2. Run: npx tsx support-automation/scripts/check-setup.ts
  3. Test: npx tsx support-automation/scripts/list-open-tickets.ts

Ready to test?"

You: "Yes"

You add API keys and test

You: /support (to use your new skill)

Claude automatically:

  • Lists all 23 open conversations
  • Identifies 2 CRITICAL (billing issues)
  • "The most urgent is conversation #12345 (customer charged twice). Should I start with this one?"

You: "yes"

Claude:

  • Fetches full conversation
  • Gets customer context from Stripe and database
  • Drafts refund response using template
  • "Here's my suggested response: [draft]. Should I send this?"

You: "yes"

Claude: Sends reply and closes conversation. "Done! Should I move to the next critical ticket?"

Tips for success

Start simple

Don't try to automate everything on day 1. Start with:

  1. List tickets
  2. Get ticket details
  3. Reply to tickets
  4. Basic templates

Add more as you identify repetitive tasks.

Use it daily

The more you use it, the better it gets. You'll discover:

  • New scenarios that need templates
  • Common operations that should be scripts
  • Triage patterns specific to your customers

Iterate based on real use

Keep a running list of improvements:

  • "I had to manually look up X - should be a script"
  • "This response comes up a lot - needs a template"
  • "This keyword always indicates urgency - add to triage"

Get your team involved

Once working, share with your team:

  • Document the workflow
  • Train them on common scenarios
  • Collect feedback for improvements

Common first-day questions

"How do I get API credentials?"

  • Check your platform's developer/integrations settings
  • Most platforms: Settings → API → Create token/key
  • Keep credentials in .env.local (never commit!)

"What if my script fails?"

  • Check the error message in the JSON output
  • Verify API credentials with check-setup.ts
  • Test API access directly (curl or Postman)
  • Ask Claude to help debug

"Can I test without sending real messages?"

  • Yes! Test list and get scripts freely
  • For reply scripts, use a test ticket or test mode
  • Some platforms have sandbox environments

"What if I need to modify a script?"

  • Just ask Claude! "Can you update search-billing.ts to also show payment history?"
  • The scripts are yours to modify
  • Keep them in git so you can track changes

"How do I add a new template?"

  • Create a new .md file in references/common-responses/
  • Follow the format of existing templates
  • Tell Claude about it so it knows to use it

Next steps

After your first successful ticket:

  1. Review the workflow - What felt smooth? What was clunky?
  2. Add more templates - Which responses do you write often?
  3. Expand scripts - What manual steps could be automated?
  4. Refine triage - Are urgency keywords accurate?
  5. Document edge cases - Add notes to skill.md

Need help?

  • Check the README - Comprehensive overview
  • Read the skill.md - Claude's instruction manual
  • Ask Claude - "How do I [task] with my support skill?"
  • Review examples - Look at the Lex support skill

Success metrics

You'll know it's working when:

  • ✅ You don't scan tickets manually anymore
  • ✅ Common responses take 30 seconds (draft → approve → send)
  • ✅ You can handle 2-3x more tickets per hour
  • ✅ Response quality is more consistent
  • ✅ You spend time on hard problems, not repetitive ones

Ready to build? Navigate to your repo and run /customer-support-builder to start!