Taking care of your greatest tech services asset
“Unless you have 100% customer satisfaction, you must improve.” –Horst Schulze, Ritz Carlton
This is an on-demand, instant gratification world—one in which customers aren’t willing to settle for mediocre service. According to RightNow Technologies, up to 89% of customers are willing to switch to a competitor based on a poor experience.
Fortunately, it doesn’t take any special certification to become somewhat of an expert on the subject of customer satisfaction. Thanks to countless personal experiences as a consumer, you’re already there. You understand firsthand the parameters that define a pleasurable—or miserable—business transaction. You’ve learned what will bring you back the next time or send you to the competition. On the receiving end of customer satisfaction, you’ve got it down.
As a technology solution provider (TSP) responsible for keeping your own customers happy, the next step is to put that personal expertise to work, helping you intuitively create experiences that retain existing customers and attract new ones.
What do your customers really want from you?
So, you’ve got the idea that customer satisfaction is key to success for every company. But let’s talk technology industry specifics. As an TSP, satisfying customers presents unique challenges. Because service packages are often customized for individual clients, there’s not always a satisfaction strategy that applies across the board. However, you can safely assume every customer wants attentive, cost-effective service, so there are some givens to be followed:
- Always respond to customers quickly
- Follow up regularly
- Whenever possible, offer additional value in service packages
- Understand your client’s expectations and strive to exceed them
Expectations everyone can live with
There’s probably no quicker way to disappoint a customer than allowing them to develop expectations that you have no intention or capability of meeting. Although slightly cliché, there is much to be said for operating with the premise ‘under-promise and over-deliver.’
The primary way for an TSP to set realistic expectations is through service level agreements (SLAs). If you establish a clear, mutually understood vision of your services from the very beginning, that foundation will serve all parties well throughout the client relationship.
Understanding what your clients really want, setting reasonable expectations, and simply being pleasant and empathetic during client interactions is the beginning of many beautiful business relationships to come! To learn even more ways to improve your customer service skills, put tools in place to help you deliver on what you say, and even deliver service proactively.
Remote monitoring and management (RMM) software, like ConnectWise Automate® (formerly LabTech), gives businesses of all sizes the ability to do more, without adding headcount or hours to the day. See what a solution like this can do to alleviate problems at your business today!