Perfection may be a lofty goal for MSPs, but when pitching new technologies or upgrades to existing solutions, that’s precisely what clients expect. Unfortunately, that high bar continues to rise, and the objectives can be harder to hit as more employees flee the traditional corporate environs. The WFH and hybrid office options add tremendous unknowns and complexities to clients’ IT systems, making it more difficult for MSPs to provide a seamless user experience.
One area that can be particularly complicated is communications. While human interactions are essential for sharing critical information, managing tasks, and reporting on projects, companies must ensure their employee have the right tools to foster those collaborations. Feature-rich solutions enable higher-quality connections.
Excellent performance is crucial when creating the ultimate user experience. Clear and transparent communications can help solve most problems in our personal and professional lives, so each system must work seamlessly to ensure each party gets the correct information. That is especially true when it comes to business. Effective customer communications can boost sales and increase retention and referrals. On the flip side, poor or inefficient interactions tend to create frustration, raise the level of client churn, and, in extreme situations, drive negative publicity or worse (i.e., lawsuits, non-compliance accusations)
Instill Quality
According to Gladly, 68% of consumers will pay a premium for good customer service. Poor communications coincide with weak client relations. Those disconnects can be costly, with bad customer service costing global businesses as much as $338 billion in revenue annually, suggests Formilla.com. With people sharing bad experiences with as many as 15 people on average and a majority of users willing to drop a company or brand after one negative encounter, the pressure to perform is real.
Everyone knows how important it is to stay connected with clients and end-users. However, many customers are not highly responsive to email and snail mail promotions and offers. They prefer two-way communications and active engagement and expect their suppliers to leverage multiple platforms to solve questions, develop designs and address concerns in real-time.
Yet customers often have to put in a lot of effort to reach out to support teams. Whether dealing with long hold times or unanswered emails, many companies struggle to deliver a seamless customer service experience. MSPs can help those businesses address those challenges with an effective communications plan. Here are four ways UCaaS can help boost your clients’ user experience:
- Fortify First Impressions. Often the first point of contact with a new client is a phone call, and the last thing anyone wants to listen to is low-quality call waiting music or the classic ‘never-ending’ ring. A UCaaS or VoIP auto-attendant can answer using pre-recorded messages, including a directory categorized by department, extensions, last names, etc. These systems can play uploaded (or standard) music or marketing messages when someone is placed on hold, with different content for each repeat caller to avoid annoyingly repetitive loops of information.
- Build and Strengthen Relationships. One of the best features of a hosted VoIP or UCaaS system is the integration with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms. When these systems are connected, sales and customer service teams can receive pop-ups with relevant customer information when calls come in from a number attached to existing accounts. That data may include details of previous calls, the length of conversations (important for billing), and the topic of each discussion. This technology allows people to pick up where conversations left off, and it improves the overall customer experience. Clients will feel more important and believe the employee and company care about their business.
- Keep Connected. Phone systems that follow employees anywhere are critical in today’s on-the-go work environment. UCaaS eliminates the need for dedicated telephone lines and devices, allowing workers to leverage personal smartphones to mimic their business lines. Giving a client a personal number can look unprofessional and lead to privacy and safety issues. Hosted communications allow personnel to permanently or temporarily route calls to mobile devices. Employees can send or access voicemails and faxes via email or text, allowing employees to share and receive critical information virtually anywhere.
- Lower Communication Costs. UCaaS not only provides clients with an advanced feature set and empowers workers with greater communications capabilities, but it saves them money. With fewer hardware resource requirements than traditional phones, customers can manage apps from their personal devices, reslting in lower costs. ConnectMeVoice’s unique pricing model doubles down those savings with charges based on the lines used each month, not the number of phones. This program is extremely handy for firms looking to grow with a limited budget or possibly downsize in the future. To top it off, neither you nor your clients need to sign a contract with ConnectMeVoice, and firms can pay month-to-month while you watch your MSP’s profit margins rise.
Enhance Each Customer’s Communications Experience
Organizations need robust solutions that enhance processes, save costs, increase productivity and boost customer satisfaction – unified communications provide all those benefits. MSPs can expand their portfolios as well as monthly recurring revenue streams from new and existing customers.
Is your team ready to improve the communications experience for your clients and their customers? Now is the perfect time to provide that power to the businesses your team supports. Give your clients a major communications upgrade and strengthen their productivity, customer retention rates and profitability.
