This is a follow up to last weeks “The Five Rules of Quality Customer Service pt.1” – if you haven’t already, please take a moment to catch up with our first 2 tips by clicking here.
3. Empower Customer-Facing Employees
In business, speed is everything. Client support is often time-sensitive, with a fast response required to keep their operations running and their employees productive. Successful MSPs don’t stretch the limits of their SLAs, they exceed the performance requirements whenever possible. To accomplish that goal, employees have to be empowered to think and act on their own to resolve certain issues.
When a client asks a tech for help with a minor issue (minimal cost, negligible time), do they have to follow a lengthy or cumbersome approval process first? Giving your employees the ability to make a five-minute fix without repercussions can pay off with a greater customer satisfaction score, especially if they acknowledge how the MSP “goes the extra mile” to support their business. You can’t give employees a guideline for what to say and do in every possible situation, but you can train intelligent techs to properly assess and address simple issues.
4. Stay “tuned in” to your customers’ needs
Are you soliciting feedback from your clients on a continual basis? Direct communication is always best, but email, IM chat sessions and surveys can yield a ton of great information on your company’s performance. Inversely, newsletters and social media allow you to inform clients on the latest and greatest services you offer, as well as how to better utilize the business systems you provide them.
You can also employ an old-fashioned for soliciting feedback: provide stamped post cards with a few simple questions. MSPs can learn a lot from what their clients have to say— and can use that information to make the positive improvements that keep loyal customers happy.
5. Keep good customers
Almost every MSP has dealt with an impossible client, a business owner or executive who expects four-star service at Dollar Store prices. If the expense of supporting their business is greater than the value of the contract, it’s time to find them a new provider. That eliminates your headaches (and those of your employees) and allows your team to focus more attention on the clients who appreciate it. That’s a sure way to improve overall customer satisfaction, and enjoy life again.
What other rules do you live by to drive high quality customer service?
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